SwRI Researchers Test Natural Gas Foam s Ability To Reduce Water Use In Fracking
Southwest Research Institute has completed a pilot-scale facility to create and test natural gas foam as a safe and stable alternative to water for hydraulic fracturing, commonly known as “fracking.” The six-year project is part of an effort to show that stable natural gas foam can be generated on-site at fracking locations using commercially available products.
Fracking involves injecting high-pressure fluids into wells thousands of feet deep to fracture rock formations and stimulate the flow of oil and natural gas. This process typically requires millions of gallons of water to inject sand and chemicals into these fractures to enhance production.