Hydraulic fracking has revolutionized the oil industry since the first successful application in 1950. In hydraulic fracking, high pressure fluids are injected into wells in order to crack and thereby render the oil containing substrate more permeable thus allowing the entrapped oil and gas to flow more freely. Wells may be drilled vertically hundreds to thousands of feet below the earth surface and may include horizontal or directional sections extending thousands of feet. Fractures are created by pumping large quantities of fluids at high pressure down a wellbore and into the target rock formation. The fractures produced by fracking form perpendicular to the direction of least stress. As the pressure from the overburden is the least principle stress, horizontal fractures form at depths less than 2,000 feet as it is easier to part the rock in this direction. At depths greater than 2,000 feet, the overburden stress becomes dominant and the horizontal confining stress is now the less dominant stress. Since hydraulically induced fractures are formed in the direction perpendicular to the least stress, the resulting fractures at depths greater than approximately 2000 ft. are oriented in the vertical direction. Where the fracture crosses a boundary where the principal stress changes, the fracture will

consequently reorient in the direction of least stress. Thus, hydraulic factures form based on the local environment and, in some cases, the network of fractures created is not optimum and, therefore, the permeability of the formation is not maximized by the hydraulic fracturing operation. Control of the direction of the fractures could optimize yields of gas or oil and would be advantageous.

The inventors have described in this disclosure a method to actively control change in the orientation and path of hydraulic fractures by controlling the properties of artificially generated ultrasonic waves. In order to control the path of hydraulic fractures, ultrasonic waves are sent towards the path of propagation of hydraulic fractures to deviate/alter their propagation path.

Potential Application

Hydraulic fracking for water, gas, and oil wells in addition to geothermal wells.

Opportunity

This technology would be considered part of the hydraulic fracking market. This market is estimated to grow from $42 billion in 2014 to nearly $73 billion by 2019.1 Due the tremendous interest in fracking, especially in North America, this market is expected to grow at a CAGR of over 11.8%.

Rowan University is looking for a partner for further development and commercialization of this technology through a license.