Manufactured by Nissan Chemical America Corporation, nanoActiv® technology is nano-sized, negatively charged particle (silica dioxide) in a colloidal dispersion. These nanoActiv® particles (smaller than a red blood cell) are mixed with water and dispersed through the hydraulically induced fracture network during well fracking operations. When fracking operations are completed these negatively charged nanoActiv® particles repel each other and continue migrating through the tight natural formation matrix utilizing a process called Brownian motion.
Once the nanoscopic particles are within the formation they are attracted to oil molecules, disjointing oil droplets from the rock face, fragmenting oil droplets thus liberating hydrocarbons and allowing them to flow more easily into the adjoining man-made fractures, basically, allowing new oil to be recovered via the existing fracture network as observed on the attached production graphs (1 & 2).
Graph #1-Cardium Ferrier HZ Wells
In discussions with Nissan Chemicals management in early 2019, WPM management quickly realized that this innovative nanoActiv® technology may have real applications in tight oil formations within the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin. In late 2019, WPM convinced a client to pump its first nanoActiv® product on a vertical Cardium well, and since then, approximately 350,000 litres have been pumped in new fracks on multiple tight formations across western Canada.
In speaking with Bernie Cabot, President, Mark Schumlick, VP Business Development, and Linden Achen, Project Manager, they strongly believe this innovative technology will transform the oil and gas fracking industry and allow oil companies to recover more reserves without increasing well length or pumping larger frac volumes.
“It’s like putting billions and billions of nano-crowbars into the formation, and prying the oil droplets off the rock face,” Achen said. Cabot said, “for a minimal capital expenditure increase, operators may realize a 20+ per cent increase in the first 12 months of oil production, which not only means lower cost per barrel of oil recovered but also a 20 per cent overall reduction in GHG emissions on a per barrel basis. This is a win-win for operators when they can recover more oil and also reduce their environmental footprint with lower per barrel GHG emissions.”
Since deploying nanoActiv® technology to clients in western Canada, WPM has received very positive feedback and a steady increase in orders by repeat users. Schumlick said, “operators like it as there’s really no change in how the well is fracked as the deployment of nanoActiv® product is a straightforward operation mixed in low concentrations (1:1000) with the water used in hydraulic fracturing operations”.
Marketing the nanoActiv® products is managed by WPM’s staff and with additional sales and marketing contracted to Shear Fluids. WPM is expecting significant demand for its products in 2023 and with the current worldwide supply chain issues they’ve contracted extra warehouse space in Alberta and plan to retain a larger product inventory to meet client demands. “We have complete confidence in our supply chain and our ability to deliver on time and when needed,” said Schumlick.
For more information or to place an order for nanoActiv® products, contact Mark Schumlick. Mark has over 30 years of oilfield experience, with 15 years in the fracking industry. For the last 10+ years, he has managed business development and logistics with WPM, including all QC and logistics with nanoActiv® products.
MSchumlick@westpetro.com
(403) 801-0747