Waterless fracturing

Waterless fracturing is an alternative to hydraulic fracturing in which liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is formed by compressing propane gas into a thick gel. Propane is pumped into shale formations creating pressure of about 100–200 psi. Excessive pressure cracks the rocks and releases natural gases in the process. In waterless fracturing, most of the released gas is able to surface because the propane used does not block drilled pathways. During the pumping, LPG is converted into gas which guarantees a 100 % retrieval rate. In addition, the gel does not carry poisonous chemicals or underground radioactivity back to the surface and can be reused. Waterless fracturing is a more expensive process than hydraulic fracturing as propane is more expensive than water. The use of propane necessitates rigorous monitoring, as any leak could potentially lead to an explosion hazard.

LPG fracturing was developed by Gastric, an energy company based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. LGP fracturing has been in use since 2008 in gas well of Alberta, British Columbia, New Brunswick, Texas, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Oklahoma, and New Mexico.