High Pressure Inflatable Packer Applications

Modern high pressure inflatable packers are an indispensible downhole tool with a broad range of geotechnical applications such as:

a.) High pressure hydraulic fracturin " racking", of b iground reservoir strata for oil and gas production. b.)High pressure hydrofracking of reservoir s rata for wawell production. c.) High pressure hydrofracturing of below ound ore an mineral bearing rock strata as a block caving procedures. d.)High pressure permeability testin r hard rock formations. e.) Creation of injecC ells to enhance pro on of oil and gas. f.) Creation of disp sal wells for liquid or gaseous te.

Hydrofracturing or the "Fracking" process typically empl • s high pressure inflatable packers capable of working pressures up to 12,000 psi or 8 Bar. Hydrofracture pack may be employed singu arty, as a•orehole terminus, or mere usually in a double straddle packer configuration, w er erforated pipe separates the high pressure inflates le p ers, enabling hydraulic uring of any target ection of a borehole. Hydr'a lit acturing la s a iRajorkNe in r &Acing and enhapcing oil and gas reserves nd r m ns the ost wide used proced re for stimulating r duction of oil and gas

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t, tl2e high pressure inflatable packers in situ and infla ed a large volume of frac fl id, a`neat, low viscosity fluid or 'pad' is • umped down ressure and flow mess ents of the fracture flujollare made above ground he beginning of the fractu 9rmation is noted as a drop in pressure as the padiflows into the newly cr and en anted formation fissures. OW

Yi After fractur "alizat" n, pumpin ntinues with a viscous, gel based fluid i.e. guar, whit a ins a ppant or gra lor agent. Frac fluid continues to extend and enhance h formation fractur arries the proppant deep within the fissure structure. PumAti c tinues until the fissures reach a predetermined length, the high pressure packer syst4rIlidlated and retrieved. The well is then backwashed leaving behind proppants holding fh-Ffissures open allowing the well to flow. Certain provisos may arise when tapping reservoirs of potable water, statutory regulations may restrict the use of some hydrofracture fluids and proppants.

Replacement Inflatable Packers and Elements Pty Ltd 29 Wheeler St Belmont 6104, Perth Western Australia

Tel: (+61 (08) 9475 0700 Fax: +61 (081 9475 0770 packers@ripe-packers.com www.ripe-packers.com Manufacturers and suppliers of hydraulic fracturing tools for block caving procedures, underground equipment and services.

High Pressure Inflatable Packer Applications

The hydraulic fracturing of oil and wells using inflatable packers, was introduced in July 1947, in Grant County, Kansas USA. A gas well, the Klepper Well 1, had good reserves, but was of a low pressure, despite previous acidizing via inflatable packers.

At the time, it was known that Lugeon Testing (permeability testing) using inflatable packers could, on occasion, hydraulically fracture the foqration under test. Thus the decision was taken to deliberately hydrofracture, usingflatable packers, the limestone formation entrapping the gas. The process was hazardo s in the extreme, as the operators used a napalm and petrol gel as the fr hydrofracture pr ci was a success, with o tstanding results, and inflatable packer hydrofracturin well stimulation soon became normative within the oil and gas industry.

7 igh r spre inflatable packer systems are al used to stimul to or rehabilitate wate

ticularly those where the reservoir or aquifer is largel held in a porous rock st The methodology, using inflatable • acker systems is similar, it not identical tha dy outlined previousl oil and gas well stimulation.

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Block Caving Procedures

- y While the conc tof block caving as a mining techni4 of new, it has gained broad acceptance as ctive and safe method of minfp_94eep, lar4EIPINWIroften low yield ore bodies elopment of a ty •ic ck cave mining operat i ally follows three p es

The first phase involves undercut drilling, where a series of access tunnels are formed. The interconnected boreholes are then filled with explosives and detonated, causing tunnel collapse in selected sections. Broken rock is removed via tunnels unaffected by blasting. This forms the upper cavern of broken ore.

Secondly, (usually simultaneously with phase one) tunnels are formed below the broken rock cavern, to commence draw bell (collection point) development. By drilling upward

Replacement Inflatable Packers and Elements Pty Ltd 29 Wheeler St Belmont 6104, Perth Western Australia

Tel: (+61 (08) 9475 0700 Fax: +61 (081 9475 0770 packers@ripe-packers.com www.ripe-packers.com Manufacturers and suppliers of high pressure inflatable packers, block caving equipment, hydraulic fracturing tools

Injection wells are a means of increasing production often bf oil where low pressu hinders productioiyofoteirge reservoirs. A remedy to this often involves the dri and hydrofractuting of injection wells strategic points in and around the known reserves. Par of the fluids already beinb e tracted, are then p mped down, or injecte

these a ci ells. The oil is tikincrisof b over product! sty.

ground pressure n the reservoir, this

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High Pressure Inflatable Packer Applications

In an effort to reduce the hazards of blasting, speed production more reliably fracture a block to be caved, geotechnicians and mining engineers ve turned to using high pressure inflatable packer systems to hydrofracture the

By using high pressure inflatable packer systems to hyd a the block, a more consistent fracture pattern can be reliably achieved compared t plosives alone. The result of hydrofracturing the block using high pressure i flatable packers is a block preconditioned to ca nsistent manned

Hard formations ar to by high pressure packers and are first diamond drille 6a series of boreholes, often at e to one and half meter centers, and up to two hundred meters long. High pressure in table straddle packer tools are then deployed and hydrofracturing of the blOck commen es.

Hydrofracking ore formations in manner, facilitates more predictable fracture patterns compared to fracture morAolo y; generated by high brisance explosives al High p ensure hydrofracturing with hidil ensure packer cyst s is inherently safer a fasterr, as • reconditioning proc uce foikb ck caving operati ns.

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Cf co r e plosives are not excluded from b ck caving op ions, yet high pressur e

reco if •ning can alleviate the use of high brisance explosiv s by as much as 80% o more.

Replacement Inflatable Packers and Elements Pty Ltd 29 Wheeler St Belmont 6104, Perth Western Australia

Tel: (+61 (08) 9475 0700 Fax: +61 (08) 9475 0770 packers@ripe-packers.com www.ripe-packers.com Supplier and manufacturers of inflatable well testing inflatable packers, water bore rehabilitation packer equipment and services.