Computer Simulations of Proppant Transport in a Hydraulic Fracture

1995 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.T. Unwin ◽  
P.S. Hammond
Keyword(s):  
Computer Simulations ◽  
Hydraulic Fracture ◽  
Proppant Transport

Numerical Simulation of Proppant Transport in Hydraulically Fractured Reservoirs

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seyhan Emre Gorucu ◽  
Vijay Shrivastava ◽  
Long X. Nghiem
Keyword(s):  
Hydraulic Fracturing ◽  
Hydraulic Fracture ◽  
Fractured Reservoirs ◽  
Injection Timing ◽  
Fracture Permeability ◽  
Step Size ◽  
Time Step ◽  
Time Step Size ◽  
Proppant Transport ◽  
Fracture Closure

Abstract An existing equation-of-state compositional simulator is extended to include proppant transport. The simulator determines the final location of the proppant after fracture closure, which allows the computation of the permeability along the hydraulic fracture. The simulation then continues until the end of the production. During hydraulic fracturing, proppant is injected in the reservoir along with water and additives like polymers. Hydraulic fracture gets created due to change in stress caused by the high injection pressure. Once the fracture opens, the bulk slurry moves along the hydraulic fracture. Proppant moves at a different speed than the bulk slurry and sinks down by gravity. While the proppant flows along the fracture, some of the slurry leaks off into the matrix. As the fracture closes after injection stops, the proppant becomes immobile. The immobilized proppant prevents the fracture from closing and thus keeps the permeability of the fracture high. All the above phenomena are modelled effectively in this new implementation. Coupled geomechanics simulation is used to model opening and closure of the fracture following geomechanics criteria. Proppant retardation, gravitational settling and fluid leak-off are modeled with the appropriate equations. The propped fracture permeability is a function of the concentration of immobilized proppant. The developed proppant simulation feature is computationally stable and efficient. The time step size during the settling adapts to the settling velocity of the proppants. It is found that the final location of the proppants is highly dependent on its volumetric concentration and slurry viscosity due to retardation and settling effects. As the location and the concentration of the proppants determine the final fracture permeability, the additional feature is expected to correctly identify the stimulated region. In this paper, the theory and the model formulation are presented along with a few key examples. The simulation can be used to design and optimize the amount of proppant and additives, injection timing, pressure, and well parameters required for successful hydraulic fracturing.

scholarly journals Lubrication model of suspension flow in a hydraulic fracture with frictional rheology for shear-induced migration and jamming

2019 ◽  
Vol 475 (2226) ◽  
pp. 20190039 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. V. Dontsov ◽  
S. A. Boronin ◽  
A. A. Osiptsov ◽  
D. Yu. Derbyshev
Keyword(s):  
Hydraulic Fracture ◽  
Constitutive Relations ◽  
Close Packing ◽  
Particle Migration ◽  
Suspension Flow ◽  
Suspension Rheology ◽  
Slurry Flow ◽  
Particle Volume ◽  
Proppant Transport ◽  
The Family

We developed a model for suspension flow in a hydraulic fracture, taking into account frictional rheology to capture the effects of shear-induced particle migration, jamming and transition to close packing. One of the key issues with the existing slurry rheology models is that each of them diverges near the close packing limit, which is typically resolved in numerical simulations via a pragmatic (and mostly unjustified) regularization. Another drawback of the family of existing models for proppant transport in fractures is the assumption of a uniform cross-flow concentration profile, which neglects the effects of shear-induced migration. We developed a self-consistent model for slurry flow with a constitutive relation for suspension rheology, which is applicable in the entire range of particle volume concentration, from dilute suspension through dense suspension to the close packing limit. In addition, we investigated the influence of various constitutive relations for the suspension rheology on the final model for the slurry flow. The selected model for slurry flow was implemented into a two-dimensional lubrication model of proppant transport in a fracture (based on the two-continua approach), and illustrative simulations were conducted in comparison with the family of existing suspension rheology models (having a singularity). Validation against laboratory experiments is discussed.

A Study of Proppant Transport With Fluid Flow in a Hydraulic Fracture

2018 ◽  
Vol 33 (04) ◽  
pp. 307-323 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher A. J. Blyton ◽  
Deepen P. Gala ◽  
Mukul M. Sharma
Keyword(s):  
Fluid Flow ◽  
Hydraulic Fracture ◽  
Proppant Transport

Physics of Proppant Transport Through Hydraulic Fracture Network

2018 ◽  
Vol 140 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Oliver Chang ◽  
Michael Kinzel ◽  
Robert Dilmore ◽  
John Yilin Wang
Keyword(s):  
Mathematical Model ◽  
Hydraulic Fracture ◽  
Cfd Simulation ◽  
Fluid Dynamic ◽  
Fracture Network ◽  
Fracture Networks ◽  
Horizontal Drilling ◽  
Simulation Tools ◽  
Proppant Transport ◽  
Shale Reservoirs

Horizontal drilling with successful multistage hydraulic fracture treatments is the most widely applied and effective method to enable economic development of hydrocarbon-bearing shale reservoirs. Once fracture networks are established, they must be propped open to maintain pathways for fluid migration through the production phase. As such, the design and application of effective and efficient proppant treatment is considered a key step to successfully develop the targeted resource. Unfortunately, the available literature and simulation tools to describe proppant transport in complex fracture networks are inadequate, and some of the fundamental mechanisms of proppant transport are poorly understood. The present study provides a critical review of relevant published literature to identify important mechanisms of particle transport and related governing equations. Based on that review, a mathematical model was developed to quantitatively predict the transport behavior of proppant particles in model fracture networks. Aspects of this mathematical model are compared against computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulation, and implications of this work are discussed.

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