Process for hydraulically fracturing oil and gas wells

A process for perforating and fracturing a plurality of vertically spaced pay zones in a shallow vertically extending well having a depth less than about 3,000 feet comprising:

• perforating the spaced pay zones with a perforating apparatus from an outermost pay zone to an innermost pay zone;
• providing a coiled tubing apparatus including a reel and injector for inserting a coiled tubing string from the reel in the well;
• positioning a packer on the coiled tubing string for positioning on the upper side of a selected pay zone for isolating the pay zone;
• inserting the coiled tubing within the well and positioning the packer adjacent the upper side of the outermost perforated pay zone;
• injecting a fracturing material having a low friction from the coiled tubing string within the outermost perforated pay zone;
• then injecting sand from said coiled tubing string into the pay zone after injection of said fracturing material to form a sand plug covering the outermost perforated pay zone;
• then raising the coiled tubing string to the next superjacent perforated pay zone with the packer isolating the next superjacent perforated pay zone;
• then injecting a fracturing material having a friction of less than about 4,650 psi/1,000 feet from the coiled tubing string within the next superjacent perforated pay zone;
• then injecting sand from said coiled tubing string into the next superjacent pay zone to form a sand plug covering the next superjacent perforated pay zone;
• and
• repeating the acts of raising the coiled tubing string, injecting a fracturing material, and then injecting sand for all remaining perforated pay zones in the shallow well.