Staged fracturing for horizontal wells is one of the key technologies for shale gas development. As the shale gas development in China extends to normal pressure fields

it is urgent to enhance the speed and efficiency of fracturing technology. The existing plug and perf operation technology has many limitations

including long duration of pumping

easiness to stuck tools

limited number of fracturing stages for ball-actuated sliding sleeves

and limited fracturing scale for packers dragged by coiled tubing. For the new infinite stage and full-bore sliding sleeve fracturing technology

the structure principle of the sliding sleeve as well as its technological characteristics are explained

and a pilot test has been carried out in 16 fracturing stages of two wells in Nanchuan Shale Gas Field. This technology replaces perforation and coiled tubing drilling plugs by preset sliding sleeves. All the sliding sleeves are opened successfully. The number of fracturing stages is unlimited and the operation is continuous. The average time of single stage fracturing is 3.5 h and it can finish seven fracturing stages per day. As a fast

safe and efficient staged fracturing technology

it provides a new technical means for enhancing speed and efficiency of fracturing technology for shale gas wells in China.