Russia has developed and is testing domestic hydraulic fracturing fleets for oil production.

A hydraulic fracturing fleet is a set of equipment that allows for the intensification of oil production. Thanks to it, a special liquid is supplied to the oil well at high speed under high pressure. It ensures flow from the oil-saturated formation by creating a fracture or network of fractures with a significant filtration area. To prevent these fractures from closing, they are filled with a special proppant agent.

Previously, 90% of the equipment for implementing this technology was produced abroad. After the strengthening of anti-Russian sanctions, the oil and gas sector found itself in a dead end. While small consumables - proppant, additives, liquids, and individual equipment modules can be provided by small and medium-sized Russian companies, a completely domestic hydraulic fracturing fleet has not yet been created.

A number of companies have been working in this direction for several years - in particular, Rosgazburenie and Kreozol. The most successful of these projects was at the Moscow Institute of Thermal Technology (part of Roscosmos Group), which produces strategic Topol missiles and Yars for the Russian defense industry.

Together with Mekaminneft and Gazpromneft, MITT signed an agreement at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in 2021 to create a hydraulic fracturing fleet. Also, according to data from open sources, enterprises of the military-industrial complex participated in the creation of the domestic hydraulic fracturing fleet.

In 2022, MITT presented the first prototype of the product. It consists of control machines, liquid transportation and heating tanks, manifolds, dry material and chemical additive feeders, hydration, pumping and mixing units.

According to Roscosmos, the Russian development has a number of advantages. These include the ability to carry out all types of hydraulic fracturing, including large-volume and high-speed, and full automatic process control with comprehensive monitoring of well data using telemetry. In addition, the MITT product creates the only multifunctional test bench base in Russia for full simulation of subsurface conditions. By the end of 2023, the first prototypes of domestic hydraulic fracturing fleets were sent to the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug - Yugra.

Now, RIA Novosti, with reference to representatives of MITT, notes that after the completion of the tests, mass production of domestic hydraulic fracturing fleets will be established. The delivery of the first such serial sample of the product to the customer is scheduled for 2025.