Abstract: A fracturing fluid mixture is used to hydraulically fracture underground formations in a reservoir, by mixing at least natural gas and a base fluid to form the fracturing fluid mixture, and injecting the fracturing fluid mixture into a well. Within the fracturing fluid mixture, the natural gas composition and content are selected such that a recovered gas component of a well stream is within the inlet specification of an existing gas processing facility, and the well stream has a wellhead flowing pressure that is sufficient to flow the well stream to surface, or have a flowing pressure that meets capture system inlet pressure requirements of the processing facility. The wellhead flowing pressure or the flowing pressure at the capture system inlet can be increased by adding natural gas to the fracturing fluid, which has the effect of reducing the bottom hole flowing pressure.

Abstract: A fracturing fluid mixture is used to hydraulically fracture underground formations in a reservoir, by mixing at least natural gas and a base fluid to form the fracturing fluid mixture, and injecting the fracturing fluid mixture into a well. Within the fracturing fluid mixture, the natural gas composition and content are selected such that a recovered gas component of a well stream is within the inlet specification of an existing gas processing facility, and the well stream has a wellhead flowing pressure that is sufficient to flow the well stream to surface, or have a flowing pressure that meets capture system inlet pressure requirements of the processing facility. The wellhead flowing pressure or the flowing pressure at the capture system inlet can be increased by adding natural gas to the fracturing fluid, which has the effect of reducing the bottom hole flowing pressure.

Abstract: A method for fracturing a formation in a reservoir uses a fracturing fluid mixture comprising natural gas and a base fluid. The method comprises: determining certain reservoir conditions of the reservoir comprising the formation; selecting at least one desired behavior of the fracturing fluid mixture during a fracturing operation in the formation under the determined reservoir conditions; determining properties of the fracturing fluid mixture required to achieve the selected at least one behavior, preparing the fracturing fluid mixture having the determined properties; and injecting the fracturing fluid mixture into the reservoir under the determined reservoir conditions, such that the mixture exhibits the desired behavior during the fracturing operation. The determined properties include a mole fraction of natural gas in the mixture.

Abstract: A method for fracturing a downhole formation, includes: preparing an energized fracturing fluid including mixing gaseous natural gas and a fracturing base fluid in a mixer; injecting the energized fracturing fluid through a wellhead and into a well; and continuing to inject the energized fracturing fluid until the formation is fractured. An apparatus for generating an energized fracturing fluid for use to fracture a downhole formation, the apparatus includes: a fracturing base fluid source; a natural gas source; and a mixer for accepting natural gas from the natural gas source and fracturing base fluid from the fracturing base fluid source and mixing the natural gas and the fracturing base fluid to generate the energized fracturing fluid.