Presenters
C.R. Fast, Pan American Petroleum Corp.
Hydraulic fracturing, the most widely used well stimulation technique, is a prime example of a process developed by industrial research. This process, which was commercialized in 1949, has grown from a small, simple well treatment to a highly sophisticated well stimulation technique. The total wells fractured in the United States and Canada exceed 450,000 with approximately 2,200 treatments currently being conducted each month. Through proper engineering and application of the process, the recoverable oil reserves have been increased an estimated seven billion barrels.