Economic analysis of CO ₂/sand fracturing technology for water sensitivity and low-permeability gas reservoirs

The CO ₂/sand stimulation process is a dry fracturing that uses an anhydrous, no-damage liquid, CO ₂ as sand carrying agent, eliminating the effect on the formation permeability and potential damages. The net present values of gas wells stimulated with CO ₂/sand stimulation were compared with those treated with N ₂ gas stimulation and water-based stimulation (N ₂ foam). The dry fracturing, CO ₂/sand stimulation technology had more benefits than both N ₂ gas stimulation and water-based stimulation (N ₂ foam) resulting from an increase in the production by conductivity flow increase and a decrease in the maintenance in despite of its more initial costs. From the 5-yr production after the fracturing, the gas productions of the wells stimulated by CO ₂/sand were four times those stimulated by foam and twice those completed by nitrogen.