Aluminum Packers for Hydrofrac Experiments in Hostile Borehole Environment

Abstract

Deep hydraulic-fracturing stress measurements at the HDR research test sites Bad Urach and Soultz-sous- Forets were characterized by several technical problems caused by using conventional packer technology in hostile downhole environment (temperatures up to 140 high gas and salt content of the borehole fluids). Therefore a new hydrofrac straddle packer technology based on aluminum packers as a part of a wireline system was developed. The aluminum packer technology was successfully used down to 3.5 km depth (temperatures up to 175 "C) in the Soultz boreholes GPK-1 and EPS-1 and in the Urach-3 borehole. Laboratory tests of the new aluminum packer technology demonstrated enormous packer capacities which opens the door for future hydrofrac tests at high pressure high temperatureconditions at great depth.