Risk Analysis and Identification of Environmental Impacts Associated With Hydraulic Fracturing in Shale Gas Production

Abstract

The production of shale gas in Brazil has great potential to meet the country's energy needs. This process uses hydraulic fracturing, a well stimulation method that induces fractures in the reservoir rock by injecting a fracturing fluid into it, therefore increasing the permeability around the well, as well as the well's productivity index. To mitigate the risks involved in hydraulic fracturing, it is important to properly understand the operation and the factors influencing the process. This work aims to identify and analyze the possible failure modes and their risks through risk analysis methods, Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) and Fault-Tree Analysis (FTA), in addition to connecting them to environmental impacts. Thus, it is expected that, in the future, this integrated methodology will support the safe monitoring of the technique.