Hydro-Fracture, Just Good Science 
By Jim Palmer Jr.

I had a conversation with an older gentleman the other day who described a lifetime of adventures during which he had participated in several occupations, one of which was well drilling.  He proceeded to tell me about how they would blast a well with explosives to fracture the rock formations to make the well produce more water, claiming that it was a risky proposition since it would plug the hole more often than it helped.  I have heard the process of hydro-fracturing described that way by many folks who just don’t understand the science of this process and have bought into someone’s negative and erroneous publicity.  To start with, the word “hydro” suggests something to do with water, not explosives, which is the methodology behind the technology that is used today.

Hydro-fracturing is a process used to increase flows when a drilled well has low yield.  There are basically two methods used, the single packer method (most common) and the straddle packer or zone method.  A packer or inflatable rubber bladder which seals the well casing is lowered down the well to a pre-determined depth, and then water is injected into the well below the single packer or between the two packers (in the straddle method) at a high rate of volume and pressure.  This pressurized flow of water removes obstructions from fractures, opening up any existing veins for water to flow into the well, thus increasing its yield.   In the straddle packer method the fracture zones can be isolated so that the hydro-fracturing can be done in very concentrated and specific areas. 
Well logs or camera technology identifies the exact depth of any fractures that are a good candidate for this procedure.

Most fracture systems are capable of producing up to 3,000 psi which has the capacity to “break” open most fractures, since in most situations 1,200 to 1,500 psi is adequate.  Despite the name of this procedure, it really doesn’t create fractures but rather unplugs and develops fractures to make them larger, therefore allowing water to flow more freely into the well.  Pressure and volume are both important in this process since pressure is needed to initially “break” open the fractures., then the sheer volume of pressurized water further develops the flow.

There has been an awful lot of negative press regarding hydro-fracturing in recent years, though most of that has been directed towards the oil and gas industry.   The proof is really in the pudding!  Most hydro-fracture companies boast that they can double the existing flow of your well at a minimum, and in many cases have shown to improve the yield up to ten times.