FightR® LXD Friction Reducer Enables Operator to Improve Performance

Improve health, safety and the environment

A major operator in the Eagle Ford shale play used the Halliburton FightR LXD dry friction reducer on multiple wells across the basin in an effort to improve its health, safety, and environmental (HSE) profile and transport logistics. Through the use of dry friction reducers, 165,000 gallons of hydrocarbons were eliminated from the job, and up to a 15 percent decrease in treating pressure was realized. 

Liquid friction reducers contain a hydrocarbon carrier fluid, which adds unnecessary logistical requirements to a frac job. Additionally, liquid friction reducers may have issues in extreme cold or heat environments due to the freezing point, pour point, or viscosity of the product. Traditionally, it has not been easy for service companies to pump dry materials due to unmovable/caking issues or pump cavitation while attempting to deliver these materials downhole. With our patent-pending delivery method, however, we are able to successfully deliver dry friction reducers to the well site. 

Friction reducers offer improvement to HSE profile

Halliburton dry friction reducers offer an improvement to the HSE profile of the materials, as compared to liquid friction reducers, while also providing significant logistical improvements. While liquid FRs have a Halliburton Chemistry Scoring Index (CSI) score of 120, dry friction reducers have a CSI score of only 0.5. This is a 240 percent improvement in the HSE profile. Regarding logistics, where liquid FRs would require three, 4,000-gallon transports, a single dry-gel Fruehauf trailer can be used to deliver the same amount of polymer. This means fewer trucks on the road, fewer trucks on location, and lower fuel consumption. For example, for every 300 gallons or six 50-gallon fuel tanks of diesel not put on the road, this Halliburton dry friction reducer product line saves one ton of diesel fuel. Finally, with the removal of the hydrocarbon-based carrier fluid, impurities and potential chemical compatibilities associated with that carrier fluid are eliminated.

FightR LXD provides a positive impact

Ten wells in the Eagle Ford basin were treated with FightR LXD friction reducers. All were completed to design. These 10 wells, comprising 351 stages, were performed with zero non-productive time (NPT) or operational issues. Up to a 15 percent decrease in treating pressure was observed when comparing the average treating pressure between dry friction reducer stages and liquid friction reducer stages that had very similar total measured depths.

Across these 10 wells, 495,000 pounds of dry friction reducer were pumped, resulting in the elimination of 165,000 gallons of emulsion-based, oil-containing additive and the reduction of 28 transport trucks from the road and on the well site, thereby reducing the overall footprint of the frac job. With that reduction in trucks, came a 5-ton reduction in diesel usage. The reduction of trucks from the road provided a safety advantage and an environmental win. Overall, the positive impacts on HSE, logistics, and performance from using FightR LXD friction reducers were a huge win for both the operator and Halliburton.