Center for Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering (CPGE)
The University of Texas at Austin

Introduction

The Hydraulic Fracturing and Sand Control project consists of a set of 9 projects (5 related to fracturing and 4 related to sand control) that are currently underway. The project began in 2006 and is planned to continue for at least 2 years (2008). Each member company contributes $50,000 per year as a grant to the University and in return receives all the research results from the projects underway.

Projects

Hydraulic Fracturing

• F1. Energized fractures in tight gas sands / gas shales (Kyle Freihof, Mukul Sharma)
• F2. Refracturing and stress reorientation in sands / shales (Vasudev Singh, Mukul Sharma)
• F3. Proppant placement / transport in fractures (Mukul Sharma)
• F4. Removal of water blocks in tight rocks (K. Lee, Mukul Sharma)
• F5. New project: Improving the conductivity of proppant packs (Mukul Sharma, Gary Pope)

Sand Control

• S1. Modeling fracture mechanics and frac-packs in poorly consolidated sands (Mukul Sharma)
• S2. Experimental measurements of mechanical and flow properties of poorly consolidated sands (John Holder, Jon Olson, Mukul Sharma)
• S3. Micro-mechanical models for mechanical, failure and flow properties of sands (Fatmir Likrama, Steve Bryant, Jon Olson)
• S4. Sand control strategies in water/waste injection wells (Ajay Suri, Mukul Sharma)

Sponsor Information

Please see the Sponsor Information Area (password required) for information available to Hydraulic Fracturing & Sand Control project sponsors.

Principal Investigators

• Mukul M. Sharma, msharma@mail.utexas.edu
• Steven L. Bryant, Steven_Bryant@mail.utexas.edu
• Jon E. Olson, jolson@mail.utexas.edu
• Gary A. Pope, gpope@mail.utexas.edu

How to Join

To become a sponsor of the Hydraulic Fracturing & Sand Control Project, notify Mukul Sharma, stating your interest or intent. We will then send you a research participation agreement to be executed by your company and The University of Texas. You can contact us by mail, phone, fax, or e-mail as follows:

Dr. Mukul M. Sharma
Center for Petroleum & Geosystems Engineering
The University of Texas at Austin
CPE 2.502
Austin, Texas 78712

Phone: (512) 471-3257

Fax: (512) 471-9605

E-mail: msharma@mail.utexas.edu

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URL: http://www.cpge.utexas.edu/hfsc/
Page maintained by Joanna L. Castillo (jlc@mail.utexas.edu)