The Company has been performing hydraulic fracture treatment (HFT) for over ten years, with more than a thousand fracture jobs per year. This technology helps to get a more intensive oil influx at wells, increasing production volumes. However, HFT is one of the stimulation techniques that require close attention to technology and safety. Fluids used during fracturing contain toxic substances (such as hydrochloric acid).
For safety reasons, LUKOIL Group organizations use special equipment and enhanced control methods and hire personnel with appropriate qualifications to minimize the possibility of incidents, reducing them to the level of traditional extraction methods.
When preparing wells for HFT, the workover crew, Geographic Information Systems, and oilfield service contractors work together. Contractors whose activities are monitored at each stage by the oil and gas production equipment supervisory service carry out all operations in full. Monitoring is exercised as per the approved project, which has passed governmental expert review and received all necessary permits.
Before work commences, contractors provide up-to-date certificates of compliance for the process fluids used with legal requirements and voluntary certification systems (if available), and safety data sheets as an integral part of the technical documentation.
Regardless of the fracturing method and location of the well, technological fluids containing reagents and all the operational waste are transported by the service company to its production base for further disposal upon completion of the work. Residual water unused during hydraulic fracturing is utilized for other technological operations. No process fluid is discharged.
Ground and surface water quality is monitored by specialized contractors who oversee compliance of the work performed with industry standards and requirements. Each licensed area is assigned a local environmental monitoring project, as agreed with the state authorities. The projects define sampling points and sampling frequency. Water is withdrawn from designated water intake points, and instrumental measurements are taken. The results of environmental monitoring are submitted to the government authorities on an annual basis.
