The influence of fracturing fluid temperature and viscosity on the migration and distribution of proppants within a fracture
Abstract This work presents a numerical study incorporating the impact of temperature variations along the fracture on the viscosity of fracturing fluids and consequently on proppant distribution in hydraulic fracturing. Traditional models have not considered non-uniform temperature distributions, r...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
SpringerOpen
2024-09-01
|
| Series: | Journal of Petroleum Exploration and Production Technology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1007/s13202-024-01872-x |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1846165530564624384 |
|---|---|
| author | Fushen Liu Qi Song Nanlin Zhang Jinqing Bao Yusong Chen |
| author_facet | Fushen Liu Qi Song Nanlin Zhang Jinqing Bao Yusong Chen |
| author_sort | Fushen Liu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract This work presents a numerical study incorporating the impact of temperature variations along the fracture on the viscosity of fracturing fluids and consequently on proppant distribution in hydraulic fracturing. Traditional models have not considered non-uniform temperature distributions, resulting in less accurate predictions of proppant migration and distribution. The proposed model integrates the thermal variations to enhance the understanding of proppant dynamics under realistic field conditions. The proposed model is validated through physical experiments, demonstrating significant differences in proppant placement due to temperature- induced viscosity changes. Our results show that proppant distribution is substantially affected by lower temperatures at the fracture opening and higher temperatures at the distal end, contrasting sharply with distribution patterns observed under uniform viscosity conditions. As the temperature at the fracture opening decreases, the viscosity of the fracturing fluid increases, enhancing its capacity to transport proppant. The increased viscosity facilitates the transport of proppant deeper into the fracture, resulting in a reduction of the total amount of proppant near the fracture opening and a smaller stacking angle compared to those observed at fixed viscosities of 10, 100, and 200 mPa sThe findings offer critical insights into the mechanics of proppant flow, holding substantial theoretical and practical implications for optimizing hydraulic fracturing treatments. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-1f8d72ec6d304553951702a19e396535 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2190-0558 2190-0566 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-09-01 |
| publisher | SpringerOpen |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Petroleum Exploration and Production Technology |
| spelling | doaj-art-1f8d72ec6d304553951702a19e3965352024-11-17T12:11:01ZengSpringerOpenJournal of Petroleum Exploration and Production Technology2190-05582190-05662024-09-0114113145315910.1007/s13202-024-01872-xThe influence of fracturing fluid temperature and viscosity on the migration and distribution of proppants within a fractureFushen Liu0Qi Song1Nanlin Zhang2Jinqing Bao3Yusong Chen4Computing Center for Geotechnical Engineering, College of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Zhejiang UniversityComputing Center for Geotechnical Engineering, College of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Zhejiang UniversityComputing Center for Geotechnical Engineering, College of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Zhejiang UniversitySchool of Petroleum Engineering, Xi’an Shi You UniversityCCDC Shale Gas Exploration and Development DepartmentAbstract This work presents a numerical study incorporating the impact of temperature variations along the fracture on the viscosity of fracturing fluids and consequently on proppant distribution in hydraulic fracturing. Traditional models have not considered non-uniform temperature distributions, resulting in less accurate predictions of proppant migration and distribution. The proposed model integrates the thermal variations to enhance the understanding of proppant dynamics under realistic field conditions. The proposed model is validated through physical experiments, demonstrating significant differences in proppant placement due to temperature- induced viscosity changes. Our results show that proppant distribution is substantially affected by lower temperatures at the fracture opening and higher temperatures at the distal end, contrasting sharply with distribution patterns observed under uniform viscosity conditions. As the temperature at the fracture opening decreases, the viscosity of the fracturing fluid increases, enhancing its capacity to transport proppant. The increased viscosity facilitates the transport of proppant deeper into the fracture, resulting in a reduction of the total amount of proppant near the fracture opening and a smaller stacking angle compared to those observed at fixed viscosities of 10, 100, and 200 mPa sThe findings offer critical insights into the mechanics of proppant flow, holding substantial theoretical and practical implications for optimizing hydraulic fracturing treatments.https://doi.org/10.1007/s13202-024-01872-xHydraulic fracturingProppant transport and distributionTemperatureViscosity |
| spellingShingle | Fushen Liu Qi Song Nanlin Zhang Jinqing Bao Yusong Chen The influence of fracturing fluid temperature and viscosity on the migration and distribution of proppants within a fracture Journal of Petroleum Exploration and Production Technology Hydraulic fracturing Proppant transport and distribution Temperature Viscosity |
| title | The influence of fracturing fluid temperature and viscosity on the migration and distribution of proppants within a fracture |
| title_full | The influence of fracturing fluid temperature and viscosity on the migration and distribution of proppants within a fracture |
| title_fullStr | The influence of fracturing fluid temperature and viscosity on the migration and distribution of proppants within a fracture |
| title_full_unstemmed | The influence of fracturing fluid temperature and viscosity on the migration and distribution of proppants within a fracture |
| title_short | The influence of fracturing fluid temperature and viscosity on the migration and distribution of proppants within a fracture |
| title_sort | influence of fracturing fluid temperature and viscosity on the migration and distribution of proppants within a fracture |
| topic | Hydraulic fracturing Proppant transport and distribution Temperature Viscosity |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1007/s13202-024-01872-x |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT fushenliu theinfluenceoffracturingfluidtemperatureandviscosityonthemigrationanddistributionofproppantswithinafracture AT qisong theinfluenceoffracturingfluidtemperatureandviscosityonthemigrationanddistributionofproppantswithinafracture AT nanlinzhang theinfluenceoffracturingfluidtemperatureandviscosityonthemigrationanddistributionofproppantswithinafracture AT jinqingbao theinfluenceoffracturingfluidtemperatureandviscosityonthemigrationanddistributionofproppantswithinafracture AT yusongchen theinfluenceoffracturingfluidtemperatureandviscosityonthemigrationanddistributionofproppantswithinafracture AT fushenliu influenceoffracturingfluidtemperatureandviscosityonthemigrationanddistributionofproppantswithinafracture AT qisong influenceoffracturingfluidtemperatureandviscosityonthemigrationanddistributionofproppantswithinafracture AT nanlinzhang influenceoffracturingfluidtemperatureandviscosityonthemigrationanddistributionofproppantswithinafracture AT jinqingbao influenceoffracturingfluidtemperatureandviscosityonthemigrationanddistributionofproppantswithinafracture AT yusongchen influenceoffracturingfluidtemperatureandviscosityonthemigrationanddistributionofproppantswithinafracture |