What is the Pad Volume of Hydraulic Fracturing?
The pad volume in hydraulic fracturing, specifically referring to the fluid used in the initial "pad stage," is approximately 100,000 gallons of slickwater.
The hydraulic fracturing process involves multiple stages of fluid injection to create and maintain fractures in underground rock formations, allowing oil or natural gas to flow more freely. One of the critical initial steps is the pad stage.
As referenced, a pad stage consists of approximately 100,000 gallons of slickwater. A key characteristic of this fluid is that it contains no proppant material (like sand or ceramic particles).
Purpose of the Pad Stage Volume
The injection of this specific pad volume serves several vital functions before the proppant-laden fluid stages begin:
- Wellbore Fill: It fills the wellbore with the slickwater solution.
- Formation Opening: This initial injection pressure helps to open the formation, initiating the creation of fractures.
- Proppant Facilitation: It helps to facilitate the subsequent flow and placement of proppant material deeper into the newly formed fractures in later stages.
By using slickwater without proppant in this initial volume, the operator can prepare the formation efficiently for the main fracturing treatment that follows.
