Fracture conductivity is a key factor to determine the fracturing effect.Optimizing proppant particle size distribution is critical for ensuring efficient proppant placement within fractures.To address challenges asso...Fracture conductivity is a key factor to determine the fracturing effect.Optimizing proppant particle size distribution is critical for ensuring efficient proppant placement within fractures.To address challenges associated with the low-permeability reservoirs in the Lufeng Oilfield of the South China Sea—including high heterogeneity,complex lithology,and suboptimal fracturing outcomes—JRC(Joint Roughness Coefficient)was employed to quantitatively characterize the lithological properties of the target formation.A CFD-DEM(Computational Fluid Dynamics-Discrete Element Method)two-way coupling approach was then utilized to construct a fracture channel model that simulates proppant transport dynamics.Theproppant particle size under different lithology was optimized.Theresults show that:(1)In rough fractures,proppant particles exhibit more chaotic migration behavior compared to their movement on smooth surfaces,thereby increasing the risk of fracture plugging;(2)Within the same particle size range,for proppants with mesh sizes of 40/70 or 20/40,fracture conductivity decreases as roughness increases.In contrast,for 30/50 mesh proppants,conductivity initially increases and then decreases with rising roughness;(3)Under identical roughness conditions,the following recommendations apply based on fracture conductivity behavior relative to proppant particle size:When JRC<46,conductivity increases with larger particle sizes,with 20/40 mesh proppant recommended;When JRC>46,conductivity decreases as particle size increases;40/70 mesh proppant is thus recommended to maintain effective conductivity;At JRC=46,conductivity first increases then decreases with increasing particle size,making 30/50mesh the optimal choice.Theresearch findings provide a theoretical foundation for optimizing fracturing designs and enhancing fracturing performance in the field.展开更多
Fiber is highly escapable in conventional slickwater,making it difficult to form fiber-proppant agglomerate with proppant and exhibit limited effectiveness.To solve these problems,a novel structure stabilizer(SS)is de...Fiber is highly escapable in conventional slickwater,making it difficult to form fiber-proppant agglomerate with proppant and exhibit limited effectiveness.To solve these problems,a novel structure stabilizer(SS)is developed.Through microscopic structural observations and performance evaluations in indoor experiments,the mechanism of proppant placement under the action of the SS and the effects of the SS on proppant placement dimensions and fracture conductivity were elucidated.The SS facilitates the formation of robust fiber-proppant agglomerates by polymer,fiber,and quartz sand.Compared to bare proppants,these agglomerates exhibit reduced density,increased volume,and enlarged contact area with the fluid during settlement,leading to heightened buoyancy and drag forces,ultimately resulting in slower settling velocities and enhanced transportability into deeper regions of the fracture.Co-injecting the fiber and the SS alongside the proppant into the reservoir effectively reduces the fiber escape rate,increases the proppant volume in the slickwater,and boosts the proppant placement height,conveyance distance and fracture conductivity,while also decreasing the proppant backflow.Experimental results indicate an optimal SS mass fraction of 0.3%.The application of this SS in over 80 wells targeting tight gas,shale oil,and shale gas reservoirs has substantiated its strong adaptability and general suitability for meeting the production enhancement,cost reduction,and sand control requirements of such wells.展开更多
Proppant is a key material for enhancing unconventional oil and gas production which requires a long distance of migration and efficient liquid conductivity paths within the hydraulic fracture.However,it is difficult ...Proppant is a key material for enhancing unconventional oil and gas production which requires a long distance of migration and efficient liquid conductivity paths within the hydraulic fracture.However,it is difficult to find a proppant with both high self-suspension ability and liquid conductivity.Here,a simple method is developed to coat epoxy resin onto the ceramic proppant and fabricate a novel coated proppant with high hydrophobicity,self-suspension,and liquid conductivity performance.Compared with uncoated ceramic proppants,the epoxy resin coated(ERC) proppant has a high self-suspension ability nearly 16 times that of the uncoated proppants.Besides,the hydrophobic property and the liquid conductivity of the ERC proppant increased by 83.8% and 16.71%,respectively,compared with the uncoated proppants.In summary,this novel ERC proppant provides new insights into the design of functional proppants,which are expected to be applied to oil and gas production.展开更多
To address proppant flowback issues during post-fracturing treatments and production,self-healing elastomer modified proppants(SMPs)are proposed.Owing to their inherent self-aggregation behavior,the SMPs can aggregate...To address proppant flowback issues during post-fracturing treatments and production,self-healing elastomer modified proppants(SMPs)are proposed.Owing to their inherent self-aggregation behavior,the SMPs can aggregate together spontaneously to prevent proppant flowback and increase the pack porosity.It is noteworthy that the SMPs have a firm and dry self-healing elastomer(SE)coating,making their storage,transport and use as conventional proppants possible.The SE synthesized through polymerization is rich in amidogens and carbonyl groups as characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and the proton nuclear magnetic resonance.Thermal and thermomechanical properties of the SE coating are revealed by the thermogravimetric analysis,the differential scanning calorimetry and the rheological tests.The self-aggregation behavior of the SMPs is demonstrated by the adhesion force tests.The reversible hydrogen bonding interactions in SE coating contribute to the self-aggregation behavior of the SMPs,which is revealed by the thixotropy test and the FTIR analysis at different temperatures.With the self-aggregation behavior,the crushed proppants can aggregate in situ to form a stable structure again and therefore reduce the threat of narrowing down the fracture and proppant flowback,which has an important practical significance during oil and gas production.展开更多
Proppant plays a significant role in the hydraulic fracturing process, which can affect the production of oil and gas wells. Due to the high density and low adhesion force, the settling speed of traditional proppants ...Proppant plays a significant role in the hydraulic fracturing process, which can affect the production of oil and gas wells. Due to the high density and low adhesion force, the settling speed of traditional proppants is fast, which will lead to the blockage of a crack channel. In this study, a proppant with double layer structure is fabricated by coating epoxy-resin and shaly detritus on ceramic proppants for the first time,respectively. The epoxy-resin enables the shaly detritus to be coated on the proppant successfully, which can provide a new method for shaly detritus treatment. The adhesive ability of shaly detritus and epoxyresin coated proppants(SEPs) is improved by 10.4% under the load force of 500 n N, which prolongs the time for the fracture to close. At the same time, the suspending ability of SEPs is two times higher than the uncoated proppants. Once the guar gum solution concentration is 0.3 wt%, the settling time of SEPs is36.7% longer than that of the uncoated proppants, which can effectively reduce the settlement of proppants in the crack. In addition, the hydrophobicity of the SEPs is enhanced, which reduces the wateroil ratio of crude oil and increases the liquid conductivity tested by deionized water. In summary, this new proppant is expected to promote the development of unconventional oil and gas resources.展开更多
Baram and Tanjung sands were evaluated for potential use as proppants.Experiment was conducted on Baram and Tanjung sands following ISO and ASTM recommended standards.Results showed that Baram and Tanjung sand mineral...Baram and Tanjung sands were evaluated for potential use as proppants.Experiment was conducted on Baram and Tanjung sands following ISO and ASTM recommended standards.Results showed that Baram and Tanjung sand mineralogy is predominantly quartz with presence of metal oxides.Shape descriptors of both sands for sphericity and roundness were above 0.7.Baram sand was retained by 20/40 mesh size with mean size of 448.2 mm,bulk density of 1.32 g/cc,acid solubility of 1.5%and crush resistance of 4000 psi.While Tanjung sand was retained by 30/50 mesh size with mean size of 383.2 mm,bulk density of 1.30 g/cc,acid solubility of 1.20%and crush resistance of 8000 psi.This indicates that Baram sand has larger grain size that supports high permeability at low closure stress,making this sand suitable for shallow depth hydraulic fracturing operations,whereas Tanjung sand is more suitable for deeper domains with high closure stress.Experimental results and economic comparison with commercial frac sand and other proppant types support using Baram and Tanjung sands as potential proppants.展开更多
To analyze the differences in the transport and distribution of different types of proppants and to address issues such as the short effective support of proppant and poor placement in hydraulically intersecting fract...To analyze the differences in the transport and distribution of different types of proppants and to address issues such as the short effective support of proppant and poor placement in hydraulically intersecting fractures,this study considered the combined impact of geological-engineering factors on conductivity.Using reservoir production parameters and the discrete elementmethod,multispherical proppants were constructed.Additionally,a 3D fracture model,based on the specified conditions of the L block,employed coupled(Computational Fluid Dynamics)CFD-DEM(Discrete ElementMethod)for joint simulations to quantitatively analyze the transport and placement patterns of multispherical proppants in intersecting fractures.Results indicate that turbulent kinetic energy is an intrinsic factor affecting proppant transport.Moreover,the efficiency of placement and migration distance of low-sphericity quartz sand constructed by the DEM in the main fracture are significantly reduced compared to spherical ceramic proppants,with a 27.7%decrease in the volume fraction of the fracture surface,subsequently affecting the placement concentration and damaging fracture conductivity.Compared to small-angle fractures,controlling artificial and natural fractures to expand at angles of 45°to 60°increases the effective support length by approximately 20.6%.During hydraulic fracturing of gas wells,ensuring the fracture support area and post-closure conductivity can be achieved by controlling the sphericity of proppants and adjusting the perforation direction to control the direction of artificial fractures.展开更多
Particle-fluid two-phase flows in rock fractures and fracture networks play a pivotal role in determining the efficiency and effectiveness of hydraulic fracturing operations,a vital component in unconventional oil and...Particle-fluid two-phase flows in rock fractures and fracture networks play a pivotal role in determining the efficiency and effectiveness of hydraulic fracturing operations,a vital component in unconventional oil and gas extraction.Central to this phenomenon is the transport of proppants,tiny solid particles injected into the fractures to prevent them from closing once the injection is stopped.However,effective transport and deposition of proppant is critical in keeping fracture pathways open,especially in lowpermeability reservoirs.This review explores,then quantifies,the important role of fluid inertia and turbulent flows in governing proppant transport.While traditional models predominantly assume and then characterise flow as laminar,this may not accurately capture the complexities inherent in realworld hydraulic fracturing and proppant emplacement.Recent investigations highlight the paramount importance of fluid inertia,especially at the high Reynolds numbers typically associated with fracturing operations.Fluid inertia,often overlooked,introduces crucial forces that influence particle settling velocities,particle-particle interactions,and the eventual deposition of proppants within fractures.With their inherent eddies and transient and chaotic nature,turbulent flows introduce additional complexities to proppant transport,crucially altering proppant settling velocities and dispersion patterns.The following comprehensive survey of experimental,numerical,and analytical studies elucidates controls on the intricate dynamics of proppant transport under fluid inertia and turbulence-towards providing a holistic understanding of the current state-of-the-art,guiding future research directions,and optimising hydraulic fracturing practices.展开更多
To accurately analyze proppant transport in rough intersecting fractures and elucidate the interaction mechanisms among liquid,particles,and rough walls,this study reconstructed a numerical model of fractures in inhom...To accurately analyze proppant transport in rough intersecting fractures and elucidate the interaction mechanisms among liquid,particles,and rough walls,this study reconstructed a numerical model of fractures in inhomogeneous reservoirs with varying brittleness index(BI).Various auto-correlation Gaussian rough fracture models were created using Matlab to assess roughness through the fractal dimension method.This research innovatively combined Boolean operations to establish three-dimensional rough fracture models,incorporating(Computational Fluid Dynamics)CFD-DEM(Discrete Element Method)with a bidirectional method for cosimulation.The proppant transport in fractures was categorized into three zones based on the difference in the turbulent kinetic energy.Artificially induced fracture roughness increases fluid retention and turbulence,causing plugging effects and limiting proppant flow into branch fractures.Additionally,compared with the superior deposition and significant support effects of the spherical proppant,the low-sphericity proppant traveled farther under fracturing fluid,inducing more pronounced plugging near curved fracture intersections;the variation in fracture intersection angles primarily impacted the wall shear stress within the flow field,indicating smaller angles led to higher shear energy at the intersection.Compared with the intersection angle of 30°,the height and area deposited in the 90 branch fracture increased by 52.25%and 65.33%,respectively:notably,injecting proppant from smaller to larger particles(S:M:L)and a low velocity effectively ensured fracture conductivity near the wellbore at joint roughness coefficient(JRC)≥46 while achieving satis-factory placement in the branch fracture,making it a recommended approach.展开更多
Shale gas production involves complex gas-water two-phase flow,with flow patterns in proppant-filled fractures playing a critical role in determining production efficiency.In this study,3D geometric models of 40/70 me...Shale gas production involves complex gas-water two-phase flow,with flow patterns in proppant-filled fractures playing a critical role in determining production efficiency.In this study,3D geometric models of 40/70 mesh ceramic particles and quartz sand proppant clusters were elaborated using computed tomography(CT)scanning.These models were used to develop a numerical simulation framework based on the lattice Boltzmann method(LBM),enabling the investigation of gas-water flow behavior within proppant-filled fractures under varying driving forces and surface tensions.Simulation results at a closure pressure of 15 MPa have revealed that ceramic particles exhibit a simpler and more porous internal structure than quartz sand of the same size.Under identical flow conditions,ceramic proppants demonstrate higher fluid replacement efficiency.Replacement efficiency increases with higher porosity,greater driving force,and lower surface tension.Furthermore,fluid displacement is strongly influenced by pore geometry:flow is faster in straighter and wider channels,with preferential movement through larger pores forming dominant flow paths.The replacement velocity exhibits a characteristic time evolution,initially rapid,then gradually decreasing,correlating positively with the development of these dominant channels.展开更多
Ceramic spheres,typically with a particle diameter of less than 0.8 mm,are frequently utilized as a critical proppant material in hydraulic fracturing for petroleum and natural gas extraction.Porous ceramic spheres wi...Ceramic spheres,typically with a particle diameter of less than 0.8 mm,are frequently utilized as a critical proppant material in hydraulic fracturing for petroleum and natural gas extraction.Porous ceramic spheres with artificial inherent pores are an important type of lightweight proppant,enabling their transport to distant fracture extremities and enhancing fracture conductivity.However,the focus frequently gravitates towards the low-density advantage,often overlooking the pore geometry impacts on compressive strength by traditional strength evaluation.This paper numerically bypasses such limitations by using a combined finite and discrete element method(FDEM)considering experimental results.The mesh size of the model undergoes validation,followed by the calibration of cohesive element parameters via the single particle compression test.The stimulation elucidates that proppants with a smaller pore size(40μm)manifest crack propagation evolution at a more rapid pace in comparison to their larger-pore counterparts,though the influence of pore diameter on overall strength is subtle.The inception of pores not only alters the trajectory of crack progression but also,with an increase in porosity,leads to a discernible decline in proppant compressive strength.Intriguingly,upon crossing a porosity threshold of 10%,the decrement in strength becomes more gradual.A denser congregation of pores accelerates crack propagation,undermining proppant robustness,suggesting that under analogous conditions,hollow proppants might not match the strength of their porous counterparts.This exploration elucidates the underlying mechanisms of proppant failure from a microstructural perspective,furnishing pivotal insights that may guide future refinements in the architectural design of porous proppant.展开更多
To elucidate the mechanism by which supercritical CO_(2)(SCCO_(2))-water-shale interactions during CO_(2)energized fracturing influence proppant embedment in lacustrine shale,shale samples from the Bohai Bay Basin wer...To elucidate the mechanism by which supercritical CO_(2)(SCCO_(2))-water-shale interactions during CO_(2)energized fracturing influence proppant embedment in lacustrine shale,shale samples from the Bohai Bay Basin were selected for SCCO_(2)-water-shale interaction experiments.X-ray diffraction(XRD),SEM large-area high-resolution imaging,automated mineral identification and characterization system(AMICS),and nanoindentation tests were employed to examine the micro-mechanical damage mechanisms of fracture surfaces and the evolving patterns of proppant embedment characteristics.The results reveal that:Prolonged interaction time reduces the contents of dolomite,feldspar,and clay minerals,while quartz content increases,with dolomite showing the most pronounced dissolution effect.As interaction time increases,the hardness and elasticity modulus of shale follow a power-law decay pattern,with the peak degradation rate occurring at 1 d,followed by a gradual decline of degradation velocity.Increasing interaction time results in growth in both the number and depth of embedment pits on the sample surface.After more than 3 d of interaction,clustered proppant embedment is observed,accompanied by the formation of deep embedment pits on the surface.展开更多
Deep coal seams show low permeability,low elastic modulus,high Poisson’s ratio,strong plasticity,high fracture initiation pressure,difficulty in fracture extension,and difficulty in proppants addition.We proposed the...Deep coal seams show low permeability,low elastic modulus,high Poisson’s ratio,strong plasticity,high fracture initiation pressure,difficulty in fracture extension,and difficulty in proppants addition.We proposed the concept of large-scale stimulation by fracture network,balanced propagation and effective support of fracture network in fracturing design and developed the extreme massive hydraulic fracturing technique for deep coalbed methane(CBM)horizontal wells.This technique involves massive injection with high pumping rate+high-intensity proppant injection+perforation with equal apertures and limited flow+temporary plugging and diverting fractures+slick water with integrated variable viscosity+graded proppants with multiple sizes.The technique was applied in the pioneering test of a multi-stage fracturing horizontal well in deep CBM of Linxing Block,eastern margin of the Ordos Basin.The injection flow rate is 18 m^(3)/min,proppant intensity is 2.1 m^(3)/m,and fracturing fluid intensity is 16.5 m^(3)/m.After fracturing,a complex fracture network was formed,with an average fracture length of 205 m.The stimulated reservoir volume was 1987×10^(4)m^(3),and the peak gas production rate reached 6.0×10^(4)m^(3)/d,which achieved efficient development of deep CBM.展开更多
The stability and mobility of proppant packs in hydraulic fractures during hydrocarbon production are numerically investigated by the lattice Boltzmann-discrete element coupling method(LB-DEM).This study starts with a...The stability and mobility of proppant packs in hydraulic fractures during hydrocarbon production are numerically investigated by the lattice Boltzmann-discrete element coupling method(LB-DEM).This study starts with a preliminary proppant settling test,from which a solid volume fraction of 0.575 is calibrated for the proppant pack in the fracture.In the established workflow to investigate proppant flowback,a displacement is applied to the fracture surfaces to compact the generated proppant pack as well as further mimicking proppant embedment under closure stress.When a pressure gradient is applied to drive the fluid-particle flow,a critical aperture-to-diameter ratio of 4 is observed,above which the proppant pack would collapse.The results also show that the volumetric proppant flowback rate increases quadratically with the fracture aperture,while a linear variation between the particle flux and the pressure gradient is exhibited for a fixed fracture aperture.The research outcome contributes towards an improved understanding of proppant flowback in hydraulic fractures,which also supports an optimised proppant size selection for hydraulic fracturing operations.展开更多
A gel based on polyacrylamide,exhibiting delayed crosslinking characteristics,emerges as the preferred solution for mitigating degradation under conditions of high temperature and extended shear in ultralong wellbores...A gel based on polyacrylamide,exhibiting delayed crosslinking characteristics,emerges as the preferred solution for mitigating degradation under conditions of high temperature and extended shear in ultralong wellbores.High viscosity/viscoelasticity of the fracturing fluid was required to maintain excellent proppant suspension properties before gelling.Taking into account both the cost and the potential damage to reservoirs,polymers with lower concentrations and molecular weights are generally preferred.In this work,the supramolecular action was integrated into the polymer,resulting in significant increases in the viscosity and viscoelasticity of the synthesized supramolecular polymer system.The double network gel,which is formed by the combination of the supramolecular polymer system and a small quantity of Zr-crosslinker,effectively resists temperature while minimizing permeability damage to the reservoir.The results indicate that the supramolecular polymer system with a molecular weight of(268—380)×10^(4)g/mol can achieve the same viscosity and viscoelasticity at 0.4 wt%due to the supramolecular interaction between polymers,compared to the 0.6 wt%traditional polymer(hydrolyzed polyacrylamide,molecular weight of 1078×10^(4)g/mol).The supramolecular polymer system possessed excellent proppant suspension properties with a 0.55 cm/min sedimentation rate at 0.4 wt%,whereas the0.6 wt%traditional polymer had a rate of 0.57 cm/min.In comparison to the traditional gel with a Zrcrosslinker concentration of 0.6 wt%and an elastic modulus of 7.77 Pa,the double network gel with a higher elastic modulus(9.00 Pa)could be formed only at 0.1 wt%Zr-crosslinker,which greatly reduced the amount of residue of the fluid after gel-breaking.The viscosity of the double network gel was66 m Pa s after 2 h shearing,whereas the traditional gel only reached 27 m Pa s.展开更多
A three-dimensional reconstruction of rough fracture surfaces of hydraulically fractured rock outcrops is carried out by casting process,a large-scale experimental setup for visualizing rough fractures is built to per...A three-dimensional reconstruction of rough fracture surfaces of hydraulically fractured rock outcrops is carried out by casting process,a large-scale experimental setup for visualizing rough fractures is built to perform proppant transport experiments.The typical characteristics of proppant transport and placement in rough fractures and its intrinsic mechanisms are investigated,and the influences of fracture inclination,fracture width and fracturing fluid viscosity on proppant transport and placement in rough fractures are analyzed.The results show that the rough fractures cause variations in the shape of the flow channel and the fluid flow pattern,resulting in the bridging buildup during proppant transport to form unfilled zone,the emergence of multiple complex flow patterns such as channeling,reverse flow and bypassing of sand-carrying fluid,and the influence on the stability of the sand dune.The proppant has a higher placement rate in inclined rough fractures,with a maximum increase of 22.16 percentage points in the experiments compared to vertical fractures,but exhibits poor stability of the sand dune.Reduced fracture width aggravates the bridging of proppant and induces higher pumping pressure.Increasing the viscosity of the fracturing fluid can weaken the proppant bridging phenomenon caused by the rough fractures.展开更多
The thermal flux curve of phase-transition fluid(PF)was tested using differential scanning calorimetry,based on which a reaction kinetics model was established to reflect the relationship between phase transition conv...The thermal flux curve of phase-transition fluid(PF)was tested using differential scanning calorimetry,based on which a reaction kinetics model was established to reflect the relationship between phase transition conversion rate,temperature and time.A temperature field model for fractures and rock matrix considering phase transition heat was then constructed,and its reliability was verified using previously established temperature field models.Additionally,the new model was used to study the effects of different injection parameters and phase-transition fracturing performance parameters on the temperature variations in fractures and matrix.The study indicates that,at different positions and times,the cooling effect of the injected cold fluid and the exothermic effect during the phase transition alternately dominate the temperature within the fracture.At the initial stage of fracturing fluid injection,the temperature within the fracture is high,and the phase transition rate is rapid,resulting in a significant impact of exothermic phase transition on the reservoir rock temperature.In the later stage of injection,the fracture temperature decreases,the phase transition exothermic rate slows,and the cooling effect of the fracturing fluid on the reservoir rock intensifies.Phase transition heat significantly affects the temperature of the fracture.Compared to cases where phase transition heat is not considered,when it is taken into account,the temperature within the fracture increases to varying degrees at the end of fluid injection.As the phase transition heat increases from 20 J/g to 60 J/g,the maximum temperature rise in the fracture increases from 2.1℃ to 6.2℃.The phase transition heat and PF volume fraction are positively correlated with fracture temperature changes,while specific heat capacity is negatively correlated with temperature changes.With increasing injection time,the temperature and phase transition rate at the fracture opening gradually decrease,and the location of the maximum phase transition rate and temperature difference gradually shifts from the fracture opening to about 10 m from the opening.展开更多
The gas production of deep coalbed methane wells in Linxing-Shenfu block decreases rapidly,the water output is high,the supporting effect is poor,the effective supporting fracture size is limited,and the migration mec...The gas production of deep coalbed methane wells in Linxing-Shenfu block decreases rapidly,the water output is high,the supporting effect is poor,the effective supporting fracture size is limited,and the migration mechanism of proppant in deep coal reservoir is not clear at present.To investigate the migration behavior of proppants in complex fractures during the volume reconstruction of deep coal and rock reservoirs,an optimization test on the conductivity of low-density proppants and simulations of proppant migration in complex fractures of deep coal reservoirs were conducted.The study systematically analyzed the impact of various fracture geometries,proppant types and fracturingfluid viscosities on proppant distribution.Furthermore,the study compared the outcomes of dynamic proppant transport experiments with simulation results.The results show that the numerical simulation is consistent with the results of the proppant dynamic sand-carrying experiment.Under the conditions of low viscosity and large pumping-rate,a high ratio of 40/70 mesh proppant can facilitate the movement of the proppant to the depths of fractures at all levels.The technical goal is to create comprehensive fracture support within intricate trapezoidal fractures in deep coal and rock reservoirs without inducing sand plugging.The sand ratio is controlled at 15%–20%,with a proppant combination ratio of 40/70:30/50:20/40=6:3:1.Proppant pumping operations can effectively address the issue of poor support in complex fractures in deep coal formations.The research results have been successfully applied to the development of deep coalbed methane in the Linxing-Shenfu block,Ordos Basin.展开更多
Field evidence indicates that proppant distribution and threshold pressure gradient have great impacts on well productivity.Aiming at the development of unconventional oil reservoirs in Triassic Chang-7 Unit,Ordos Bas...Field evidence indicates that proppant distribution and threshold pressure gradient have great impacts on well productivity.Aiming at the development of unconventional oil reservoirs in Triassic Chang-7 Unit,Ordos Basin of China,we presented an integrated workflow to investigate how(1)proppant placement in induced fracture and(2)non-linear flow in reservoir matrix would affect well productivity and fluid flow in the reservoir.Compared with our research before(Yue et al.,2020),here we extended this study into the development of multi-stage fractured horizontal wells(MFHWs)with large-scale complicated fracture geometry.The integrated workflow is based on the finite element method and consists of simulation models for proppant-laden fluid flow,fracture flow,and non-linear seepage flow,respectively.Simulation results indicate that the distribution of proppant inside the induced cracks significantly affects the productivity of the MFHW.When we assign an idealized proppant distribution instead of the real distribution,there will be an overestimation of 44.98%in daily oil rate and 30.63%in cumulative oil production after continuous development of 1000 days.Besides,threshold pressure gradient(TPG)also significantly affects the well performance in tight oil reservoirs.If we simply apply linear Darcy’s law to the reservoir matrix,the overall cumulative oil production can be overrated by 77%after 1000 days of development.In general,this research provides new insights into the development of tight oil reservoirs with TPG and meanwhile reveals the significance of proppant distribution and non-linear fluid flow in the production scenario design.展开更多
Low-permeability reservoirs are generally characterized by low porosity and low permeability.Obtaining high production using the traditional method is technologically challenging because it yields a low reservoir reco...Low-permeability reservoirs are generally characterized by low porosity and low permeability.Obtaining high production using the traditional method is technologically challenging because it yields a low reservoir recovery factor.In recent years,hydraulic fracturing technology is widely applied for efficiently exploiting and developing low-permeability reservoirs using a low-viscosity fluid as a fracturing fluid.However,the transportation of the proppant is inefficient in the low-viscosity fluid,and the proppant has a low piling-up height in fracture channels.These key challenges restrict the fluid(natural gas or oil)flow in fracture channels and their functional flow areas,reducing the profits of hydrocarbon exploitation.This study aimed to explore and develop a novel dandelion-bionic proppant by modifying the surface of the proppant and the fiber.Its structure was similar to that of dandelion seeds,and it had high transport and stacking efficiency in low-viscosity liquids compared with the traditional proppant.Moreover,the transportation efficiency of this newly developed proppant was investigated experimentally using six different types of fracture models(tortuous fracture model,rough fracture model,narrow fracture model,complex fracture model,large-scale single fracture model,and small-scale single fracture model).Experimental results indicated that,compared with the traditional proppant,the transportation efficiency and the packing area of the dandelion-based bionic proppant significantly improved in tap water or low-viscosity fluid.Compared with the traditional proppant,the dandelionbased bionic proppant had 0.1-4 times longer transportation length,0.3-5 times higher piling-up height,and 2-10 times larger placement area.The newly developed proppant also had some other extraordinary features.The tortuosity of the fracture did not influence the transportation of the novel proppant.This proppant could easily enter the branch fracture and narrow fracture with a high packing area in rough surface fractures.Based on the aforementioned characteristics,this novel proppant technique could improve the proppant transportation efficiency in the low-viscosity fracturing fluid and increase the ability of the proppant to enter the secondary fracture.This study might provide a new solution for effectively exploiting low-permeability hydrocarbon reservoirs.展开更多
基金funded by China NationalOffshore Oil Corporation(CNOOC)14th Five-Year Plan Major Science and Technology Project:Research on Integrated Geological Engineering Technology for Fracturing and Development of Offshore Low-Permeability Reservoirs(Grant NO.KJGG2022-0701).Mao Jiang,Chengyong Peng,JiangshuWu and Xuesong Xing.https://www.cnooc.com.cn.
文摘Fracture conductivity is a key factor to determine the fracturing effect.Optimizing proppant particle size distribution is critical for ensuring efficient proppant placement within fractures.To address challenges associated with the low-permeability reservoirs in the Lufeng Oilfield of the South China Sea—including high heterogeneity,complex lithology,and suboptimal fracturing outcomes—JRC(Joint Roughness Coefficient)was employed to quantitatively characterize the lithological properties of the target formation.A CFD-DEM(Computational Fluid Dynamics-Discrete Element Method)two-way coupling approach was then utilized to construct a fracture channel model that simulates proppant transport dynamics.Theproppant particle size under different lithology was optimized.Theresults show that:(1)In rough fractures,proppant particles exhibit more chaotic migration behavior compared to their movement on smooth surfaces,thereby increasing the risk of fracture plugging;(2)Within the same particle size range,for proppants with mesh sizes of 40/70 or 20/40,fracture conductivity decreases as roughness increases.In contrast,for 30/50 mesh proppants,conductivity initially increases and then decreases with rising roughness;(3)Under identical roughness conditions,the following recommendations apply based on fracture conductivity behavior relative to proppant particle size:When JRC<46,conductivity increases with larger particle sizes,with 20/40 mesh proppant recommended;When JRC>46,conductivity decreases as particle size increases;40/70 mesh proppant is thus recommended to maintain effective conductivity;At JRC=46,conductivity first increases then decreases with increasing particle size,making 30/50mesh the optimal choice.Theresearch findings provide a theoretical foundation for optimizing fracturing designs and enhancing fracturing performance in the field.
文摘Fiber is highly escapable in conventional slickwater,making it difficult to form fiber-proppant agglomerate with proppant and exhibit limited effectiveness.To solve these problems,a novel structure stabilizer(SS)is developed.Through microscopic structural observations and performance evaluations in indoor experiments,the mechanism of proppant placement under the action of the SS and the effects of the SS on proppant placement dimensions and fracture conductivity were elucidated.The SS facilitates the formation of robust fiber-proppant agglomerates by polymer,fiber,and quartz sand.Compared to bare proppants,these agglomerates exhibit reduced density,increased volume,and enlarged contact area with the fluid during settlement,leading to heightened buoyancy and drag forces,ultimately resulting in slower settling velocities and enhanced transportability into deeper regions of the fracture.Co-injecting the fiber and the SS alongside the proppant into the reservoir effectively reduces the fiber escape rate,increases the proppant volume in the slickwater,and boosts the proppant placement height,conveyance distance and fracture conductivity,while also decreasing the proppant backflow.Experimental results indicate an optimal SS mass fraction of 0.3%.The application of this SS in over 80 wells targeting tight gas,shale oil,and shale gas reservoirs has substantiated its strong adaptability and general suitability for meeting the production enhancement,cost reduction,and sand control requirements of such wells.
基金supported by the National Key Research and Development Program (SQ2020YFC190006-02)National Nature Science Foundation of China (No. 51875577)Science Foundation of China University of Petroleum, Beijing (Nos. 2462019QNXZ02, 2462020YXZZ018)。
文摘Proppant is a key material for enhancing unconventional oil and gas production which requires a long distance of migration and efficient liquid conductivity paths within the hydraulic fracture.However,it is difficult to find a proppant with both high self-suspension ability and liquid conductivity.Here,a simple method is developed to coat epoxy resin onto the ceramic proppant and fabricate a novel coated proppant with high hydrophobicity,self-suspension,and liquid conductivity performance.Compared with uncoated ceramic proppants,the epoxy resin coated(ERC) proppant has a high self-suspension ability nearly 16 times that of the uncoated proppants.Besides,the hydrophobic property and the liquid conductivity of the ERC proppant increased by 83.8% and 16.71%,respectively,compared with the uncoated proppants.In summary,this novel ERC proppant provides new insights into the design of functional proppants,which are expected to be applied to oil and gas production.
基金the support from the National Key R&D Program of China(grant number 2018YFA0702400)the Major Scientific and Technological Projects of CNPC(grant number ZD2019-183-007)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(grant number No.19CX02017A)。
文摘To address proppant flowback issues during post-fracturing treatments and production,self-healing elastomer modified proppants(SMPs)are proposed.Owing to their inherent self-aggregation behavior,the SMPs can aggregate together spontaneously to prevent proppant flowback and increase the pack porosity.It is noteworthy that the SMPs have a firm and dry self-healing elastomer(SE)coating,making their storage,transport and use as conventional proppants possible.The SE synthesized through polymerization is rich in amidogens and carbonyl groups as characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and the proton nuclear magnetic resonance.Thermal and thermomechanical properties of the SE coating are revealed by the thermogravimetric analysis,the differential scanning calorimetry and the rheological tests.The self-aggregation behavior of the SMPs is demonstrated by the adhesion force tests.The reversible hydrogen bonding interactions in SE coating contribute to the self-aggregation behavior of the SMPs,which is revealed by the thixotropy test and the FTIR analysis at different temperatures.With the self-aggregation behavior,the crushed proppants can aggregate in situ to form a stable structure again and therefore reduce the threat of narrowing down the fracture and proppant flowback,which has an important practical significance during oil and gas production.
基金supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (Grant No. 2020YFC1808102)National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 52074059)+1 种基金Chongqing Science Foundation for Distinguished Young Scholars(cstc2021jcyj-jqX0007)Science Foundation of China University of Petroleum,Beijing (Nos. 2462019BJRC007, 2462019QNXZ02)。
文摘Proppant plays a significant role in the hydraulic fracturing process, which can affect the production of oil and gas wells. Due to the high density and low adhesion force, the settling speed of traditional proppants is fast, which will lead to the blockage of a crack channel. In this study, a proppant with double layer structure is fabricated by coating epoxy-resin and shaly detritus on ceramic proppants for the first time,respectively. The epoxy-resin enables the shaly detritus to be coated on the proppant successfully, which can provide a new method for shaly detritus treatment. The adhesive ability of shaly detritus and epoxyresin coated proppants(SEPs) is improved by 10.4% under the load force of 500 n N, which prolongs the time for the fracture to close. At the same time, the suspending ability of SEPs is two times higher than the uncoated proppants. Once the guar gum solution concentration is 0.3 wt%, the settling time of SEPs is36.7% longer than that of the uncoated proppants, which can effectively reduce the settlement of proppants in the crack. In addition, the hydrophobicity of the SEPs is enhanced, which reduces the wateroil ratio of crude oil and increases the liquid conductivity tested by deionized water. In summary, this new proppant is expected to promote the development of unconventional oil and gas resources.
文摘Baram and Tanjung sands were evaluated for potential use as proppants.Experiment was conducted on Baram and Tanjung sands following ISO and ASTM recommended standards.Results showed that Baram and Tanjung sand mineralogy is predominantly quartz with presence of metal oxides.Shape descriptors of both sands for sphericity and roundness were above 0.7.Baram sand was retained by 20/40 mesh size with mean size of 448.2 mm,bulk density of 1.32 g/cc,acid solubility of 1.5%and crush resistance of 4000 psi.While Tanjung sand was retained by 30/50 mesh size with mean size of 383.2 mm,bulk density of 1.30 g/cc,acid solubility of 1.20%and crush resistance of 8000 psi.This indicates that Baram sand has larger grain size that supports high permeability at low closure stress,making this sand suitable for shallow depth hydraulic fracturing operations,whereas Tanjung sand is more suitable for deeper domains with high closure stress.Experimental results and economic comparison with commercial frac sand and other proppant types support using Baram and Tanjung sands as potential proppants.
基金funded by the project of the Major Scientific and Technological Projects of CNOOC in the 14th Five-Year Plan(No.KJGG2022-0701)the CNOOC Research Institute(No.2020PFS-03).
文摘To analyze the differences in the transport and distribution of different types of proppants and to address issues such as the short effective support of proppant and poor placement in hydraulically intersecting fractures,this study considered the combined impact of geological-engineering factors on conductivity.Using reservoir production parameters and the discrete elementmethod,multispherical proppants were constructed.Additionally,a 3D fracture model,based on the specified conditions of the L block,employed coupled(Computational Fluid Dynamics)CFD-DEM(Discrete ElementMethod)for joint simulations to quantitatively analyze the transport and placement patterns of multispherical proppants in intersecting fractures.Results indicate that turbulent kinetic energy is an intrinsic factor affecting proppant transport.Moreover,the efficiency of placement and migration distance of low-sphericity quartz sand constructed by the DEM in the main fracture are significantly reduced compared to spherical ceramic proppants,with a 27.7%decrease in the volume fraction of the fracture surface,subsequently affecting the placement concentration and damaging fracture conductivity.Compared to small-angle fractures,controlling artificial and natural fractures to expand at angles of 45°to 60°increases the effective support length by approximately 20.6%.During hydraulic fracturing of gas wells,ensuring the fracture support area and post-closure conductivity can be achieved by controlling the sphericity of proppants and adjusting the perforation direction to control the direction of artificial fractures.
基金the Australian Research Council Discovery Project(ARC DP 220100851)scheme and would acknowledge that.
文摘Particle-fluid two-phase flows in rock fractures and fracture networks play a pivotal role in determining the efficiency and effectiveness of hydraulic fracturing operations,a vital component in unconventional oil and gas extraction.Central to this phenomenon is the transport of proppants,tiny solid particles injected into the fractures to prevent them from closing once the injection is stopped.However,effective transport and deposition of proppant is critical in keeping fracture pathways open,especially in lowpermeability reservoirs.This review explores,then quantifies,the important role of fluid inertia and turbulent flows in governing proppant transport.While traditional models predominantly assume and then characterise flow as laminar,this may not accurately capture the complexities inherent in realworld hydraulic fracturing and proppant emplacement.Recent investigations highlight the paramount importance of fluid inertia,especially at the high Reynolds numbers typically associated with fracturing operations.Fluid inertia,often overlooked,introduces crucial forces that influence particle settling velocities,particle-particle interactions,and the eventual deposition of proppants within fractures.With their inherent eddies and transient and chaotic nature,turbulent flows introduce additional complexities to proppant transport,crucially altering proppant settling velocities and dispersion patterns.The following comprehensive survey of experimental,numerical,and analytical studies elucidates controls on the intricate dynamics of proppant transport under fluid inertia and turbulence-towards providing a holistic understanding of the current state-of-the-art,guiding future research directions,and optimising hydraulic fracturing practices.
文摘To accurately analyze proppant transport in rough intersecting fractures and elucidate the interaction mechanisms among liquid,particles,and rough walls,this study reconstructed a numerical model of fractures in inhomogeneous reservoirs with varying brittleness index(BI).Various auto-correlation Gaussian rough fracture models were created using Matlab to assess roughness through the fractal dimension method.This research innovatively combined Boolean operations to establish three-dimensional rough fracture models,incorporating(Computational Fluid Dynamics)CFD-DEM(Discrete Element Method)with a bidirectional method for cosimulation.The proppant transport in fractures was categorized into three zones based on the difference in the turbulent kinetic energy.Artificially induced fracture roughness increases fluid retention and turbulence,causing plugging effects and limiting proppant flow into branch fractures.Additionally,compared with the superior deposition and significant support effects of the spherical proppant,the low-sphericity proppant traveled farther under fracturing fluid,inducing more pronounced plugging near curved fracture intersections;the variation in fracture intersection angles primarily impacted the wall shear stress within the flow field,indicating smaller angles led to higher shear energy at the intersection.Compared with the intersection angle of 30°,the height and area deposited in the 90 branch fracture increased by 52.25%and 65.33%,respectively:notably,injecting proppant from smaller to larger particles(S:M:L)and a low velocity effectively ensured fracture conductivity near the wellbore at joint roughness coefficient(JRC)≥46 while achieving satis-factory placement in the branch fracture,making it a recommended approach.
文摘Shale gas production involves complex gas-water two-phase flow,with flow patterns in proppant-filled fractures playing a critical role in determining production efficiency.In this study,3D geometric models of 40/70 mesh ceramic particles and quartz sand proppant clusters were elaborated using computed tomography(CT)scanning.These models were used to develop a numerical simulation framework based on the lattice Boltzmann method(LBM),enabling the investigation of gas-water flow behavior within proppant-filled fractures under varying driving forces and surface tensions.Simulation results at a closure pressure of 15 MPa have revealed that ceramic particles exhibit a simpler and more porous internal structure than quartz sand of the same size.Under identical flow conditions,ceramic proppants demonstrate higher fluid replacement efficiency.Replacement efficiency increases with higher porosity,greater driving force,and lower surface tension.Furthermore,fluid displacement is strongly influenced by pore geometry:flow is faster in straighter and wider channels,with preferential movement through larger pores forming dominant flow paths.The replacement velocity exhibits a characteristic time evolution,initially rapid,then gradually decreasing,correlating positively with the development of these dominant channels.
基金the financial support provided by Tianfu Yongxing Laboratory Organized Research Project Funding(No.2023CXXM01)the ARC linkage program(No.LP200100420).
文摘Ceramic spheres,typically with a particle diameter of less than 0.8 mm,are frequently utilized as a critical proppant material in hydraulic fracturing for petroleum and natural gas extraction.Porous ceramic spheres with artificial inherent pores are an important type of lightweight proppant,enabling their transport to distant fracture extremities and enhancing fracture conductivity.However,the focus frequently gravitates towards the low-density advantage,often overlooking the pore geometry impacts on compressive strength by traditional strength evaluation.This paper numerically bypasses such limitations by using a combined finite and discrete element method(FDEM)considering experimental results.The mesh size of the model undergoes validation,followed by the calibration of cohesive element parameters via the single particle compression test.The stimulation elucidates that proppants with a smaller pore size(40μm)manifest crack propagation evolution at a more rapid pace in comparison to their larger-pore counterparts,though the influence of pore diameter on overall strength is subtle.The inception of pores not only alters the trajectory of crack progression but also,with an increase in porosity,leads to a discernible decline in proppant compressive strength.Intriguingly,upon crossing a porosity threshold of 10%,the decrement in strength becomes more gradual.A denser congregation of pores accelerates crack propagation,undermining proppant robustness,suggesting that under analogous conditions,hollow proppants might not match the strength of their porous counterparts.This exploration elucidates the underlying mechanisms of proppant failure from a microstructural perspective,furnishing pivotal insights that may guide future refinements in the architectural design of porous proppant.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(52425402,52204021,52404038)Scientific Research Fund of China University of Petroleum(Beijing)(2462022BJRC002).
文摘To elucidate the mechanism by which supercritical CO_(2)(SCCO_(2))-water-shale interactions during CO_(2)energized fracturing influence proppant embedment in lacustrine shale,shale samples from the Bohai Bay Basin were selected for SCCO_(2)-water-shale interaction experiments.X-ray diffraction(XRD),SEM large-area high-resolution imaging,automated mineral identification and characterization system(AMICS),and nanoindentation tests were employed to examine the micro-mechanical damage mechanisms of fracture surfaces and the evolving patterns of proppant embedment characteristics.The results reveal that:Prolonged interaction time reduces the contents of dolomite,feldspar,and clay minerals,while quartz content increases,with dolomite showing the most pronounced dissolution effect.As interaction time increases,the hardness and elasticity modulus of shale follow a power-law decay pattern,with the peak degradation rate occurring at 1 d,followed by a gradual decline of degradation velocity.Increasing interaction time results in growth in both the number and depth of embedment pits on the sample surface.After more than 3 d of interaction,clustered proppant embedment is observed,accompanied by the formation of deep embedment pits on the surface.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China Project(52274014)Comprehensive Scientific Research Project of China National Offshore Oil Corporation(KJZH-2023-2303)。
文摘Deep coal seams show low permeability,low elastic modulus,high Poisson’s ratio,strong plasticity,high fracture initiation pressure,difficulty in fracture extension,and difficulty in proppants addition.We proposed the concept of large-scale stimulation by fracture network,balanced propagation and effective support of fracture network in fracturing design and developed the extreme massive hydraulic fracturing technique for deep coalbed methane(CBM)horizontal wells.This technique involves massive injection with high pumping rate+high-intensity proppant injection+perforation with equal apertures and limited flow+temporary plugging and diverting fractures+slick water with integrated variable viscosity+graded proppants with multiple sizes.The technique was applied in the pioneering test of a multi-stage fracturing horizontal well in deep CBM of Linxing Block,eastern margin of the Ordos Basin.The injection flow rate is 18 m^(3)/min,proppant intensity is 2.1 m^(3)/m,and fracturing fluid intensity is 16.5 m^(3)/m.After fracturing,a complex fracture network was formed,with an average fracture length of 205 m.The stimulated reservoir volume was 1987×10^(4)m^(3),and the peak gas production rate reached 6.0×10^(4)m^(3)/d,which achieved efficient development of deep CBM.
基金Funding support from Heilongjiang"Open Competition"project(Grant No.DQYT2022-JS-758)is greatly acknowledgedFinancial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.52304025 and 52174025)is acknowledged+1 种基金supports from Northeast Petroleum University and Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundationsupport from the Heilongjiang Touyan Innovation Team Program.
文摘The stability and mobility of proppant packs in hydraulic fractures during hydrocarbon production are numerically investigated by the lattice Boltzmann-discrete element coupling method(LB-DEM).This study starts with a preliminary proppant settling test,from which a solid volume fraction of 0.575 is calibrated for the proppant pack in the fracture.In the established workflow to investigate proppant flowback,a displacement is applied to the fracture surfaces to compact the generated proppant pack as well as further mimicking proppant embedment under closure stress.When a pressure gradient is applied to drive the fluid-particle flow,a critical aperture-to-diameter ratio of 4 is observed,above which the proppant pack would collapse.The results also show that the volumetric proppant flowback rate increases quadratically with the fracture aperture,while a linear variation between the particle flux and the pressure gradient is exhibited for a fixed fracture aperture.The research outcome contributes towards an improved understanding of proppant flowback in hydraulic fractures,which also supports an optimised proppant size selection for hydraulic fracturing operations.
基金financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.52120105007 and 52374062)the Innovation Fund Project for Graduate Students of China University of Petroleum(East China)supported by“the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities”(23CX04047A)。
文摘A gel based on polyacrylamide,exhibiting delayed crosslinking characteristics,emerges as the preferred solution for mitigating degradation under conditions of high temperature and extended shear in ultralong wellbores.High viscosity/viscoelasticity of the fracturing fluid was required to maintain excellent proppant suspension properties before gelling.Taking into account both the cost and the potential damage to reservoirs,polymers with lower concentrations and molecular weights are generally preferred.In this work,the supramolecular action was integrated into the polymer,resulting in significant increases in the viscosity and viscoelasticity of the synthesized supramolecular polymer system.The double network gel,which is formed by the combination of the supramolecular polymer system and a small quantity of Zr-crosslinker,effectively resists temperature while minimizing permeability damage to the reservoir.The results indicate that the supramolecular polymer system with a molecular weight of(268—380)×10^(4)g/mol can achieve the same viscosity and viscoelasticity at 0.4 wt%due to the supramolecular interaction between polymers,compared to the 0.6 wt%traditional polymer(hydrolyzed polyacrylamide,molecular weight of 1078×10^(4)g/mol).The supramolecular polymer system possessed excellent proppant suspension properties with a 0.55 cm/min sedimentation rate at 0.4 wt%,whereas the0.6 wt%traditional polymer had a rate of 0.57 cm/min.In comparison to the traditional gel with a Zrcrosslinker concentration of 0.6 wt%and an elastic modulus of 7.77 Pa,the double network gel with a higher elastic modulus(9.00 Pa)could be formed only at 0.1 wt%Zr-crosslinker,which greatly reduced the amount of residue of the fluid after gel-breaking.The viscosity of the double network gel was66 m Pa s after 2 h shearing,whereas the traditional gel only reached 27 m Pa s.
基金Supported by National Key Research and Development Program of China(2022YFE0137200)Outstanding Youth Natural Science Fund of Shaanxi Province(2022JC-37)+2 种基金Innovation Capability Support Program of Shaanxi(2023-CX-TD-31)Natural Science Basic Research Project of Shaanxi Province(2024JC-YBQN-0381)National Natural Science Foundation of China(51874240,52204021)。
文摘A three-dimensional reconstruction of rough fracture surfaces of hydraulically fractured rock outcrops is carried out by casting process,a large-scale experimental setup for visualizing rough fractures is built to perform proppant transport experiments.The typical characteristics of proppant transport and placement in rough fractures and its intrinsic mechanisms are investigated,and the influences of fracture inclination,fracture width and fracturing fluid viscosity on proppant transport and placement in rough fractures are analyzed.The results show that the rough fractures cause variations in the shape of the flow channel and the fluid flow pattern,resulting in the bridging buildup during proppant transport to form unfilled zone,the emergence of multiple complex flow patterns such as channeling,reverse flow and bypassing of sand-carrying fluid,and the influence on the stability of the sand dune.The proppant has a higher placement rate in inclined rough fractures,with a maximum increase of 22.16 percentage points in the experiments compared to vertical fractures,but exhibits poor stability of the sand dune.Reduced fracture width aggravates the bridging of proppant and induces higher pumping pressure.Increasing the viscosity of the fracturing fluid can weaken the proppant bridging phenomenon caused by the rough fractures.
基金Supported by the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(2024M752803)the Open Fund of Key Laboratory of Deep Geothermal Resources of Ministry of Natural Resources(KLDGR2024B01)+1 种基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China(52179112)the Open Fund of National Key Laboratory of Oil and Gas Reservoir Geology and Exploitation(Southwest Petroleum University)(PLN2023-02)。
文摘The thermal flux curve of phase-transition fluid(PF)was tested using differential scanning calorimetry,based on which a reaction kinetics model was established to reflect the relationship between phase transition conversion rate,temperature and time.A temperature field model for fractures and rock matrix considering phase transition heat was then constructed,and its reliability was verified using previously established temperature field models.Additionally,the new model was used to study the effects of different injection parameters and phase-transition fracturing performance parameters on the temperature variations in fractures and matrix.The study indicates that,at different positions and times,the cooling effect of the injected cold fluid and the exothermic effect during the phase transition alternately dominate the temperature within the fracture.At the initial stage of fracturing fluid injection,the temperature within the fracture is high,and the phase transition rate is rapid,resulting in a significant impact of exothermic phase transition on the reservoir rock temperature.In the later stage of injection,the fracture temperature decreases,the phase transition exothermic rate slows,and the cooling effect of the fracturing fluid on the reservoir rock intensifies.Phase transition heat significantly affects the temperature of the fracture.Compared to cases where phase transition heat is not considered,when it is taken into account,the temperature within the fracture increases to varying degrees at the end of fluid injection.As the phase transition heat increases from 20 J/g to 60 J/g,the maximum temperature rise in the fracture increases from 2.1℃ to 6.2℃.The phase transition heat and PF volume fraction are positively correlated with fracture temperature changes,while specific heat capacity is negatively correlated with temperature changes.With increasing injection time,the temperature and phase transition rate at the fracture opening gradually decrease,and the location of the maximum phase transition rate and temperature difference gradually shifts from the fracture opening to about 10 m from the opening.
基金Specific grant number KJGG2022-1002YFKey Technologies for Exploration and Development of Onshore Unconventional Natural Gas in CNOOC’s“14th Five-Year Plan”Major Science and Technology Project.
文摘The gas production of deep coalbed methane wells in Linxing-Shenfu block decreases rapidly,the water output is high,the supporting effect is poor,the effective supporting fracture size is limited,and the migration mechanism of proppant in deep coal reservoir is not clear at present.To investigate the migration behavior of proppants in complex fractures during the volume reconstruction of deep coal and rock reservoirs,an optimization test on the conductivity of low-density proppants and simulations of proppant migration in complex fractures of deep coal reservoirs were conducted.The study systematically analyzed the impact of various fracture geometries,proppant types and fracturingfluid viscosities on proppant distribution.Furthermore,the study compared the outcomes of dynamic proppant transport experiments with simulation results.The results show that the numerical simulation is consistent with the results of the proppant dynamic sand-carrying experiment.Under the conditions of low viscosity and large pumping-rate,a high ratio of 40/70 mesh proppant can facilitate the movement of the proppant to the depths of fractures at all levels.The technical goal is to create comprehensive fracture support within intricate trapezoidal fractures in deep coal and rock reservoirs without inducing sand plugging.The sand ratio is controlled at 15%–20%,with a proppant combination ratio of 40/70:30/50:20/40=6:3:1.Proppant pumping operations can effectively address the issue of poor support in complex fractures in deep coal formations.The research results have been successfully applied to the development of deep coalbed methane in the Linxing-Shenfu block,Ordos Basin.
基金The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial supports from the National Science Foundation of China under Grant 52274027 as well as the High-end Foreign Experts Recruitment Plan of the Ministry of Science and Technology China under Grant G2022105027L.
文摘Field evidence indicates that proppant distribution and threshold pressure gradient have great impacts on well productivity.Aiming at the development of unconventional oil reservoirs in Triassic Chang-7 Unit,Ordos Basin of China,we presented an integrated workflow to investigate how(1)proppant placement in induced fracture and(2)non-linear flow in reservoir matrix would affect well productivity and fluid flow in the reservoir.Compared with our research before(Yue et al.,2020),here we extended this study into the development of multi-stage fractured horizontal wells(MFHWs)with large-scale complicated fracture geometry.The integrated workflow is based on the finite element method and consists of simulation models for proppant-laden fluid flow,fracture flow,and non-linear seepage flow,respectively.Simulation results indicate that the distribution of proppant inside the induced cracks significantly affects the productivity of the MFHW.When we assign an idealized proppant distribution instead of the real distribution,there will be an overestimation of 44.98%in daily oil rate and 30.63%in cumulative oil production after continuous development of 1000 days.Besides,threshold pressure gradient(TPG)also significantly affects the well performance in tight oil reservoirs.If we simply apply linear Darcy’s law to the reservoir matrix,the overall cumulative oil production can be overrated by 77%after 1000 days of development.In general,this research provides new insights into the development of tight oil reservoirs with TPG and meanwhile reveals the significance of proppant distribution and non-linear fluid flow in the production scenario design.
基金supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Sichuan“Settlement and Transport Mechanism of Biomimetic Dandelion Proppant in Fracture” (No.23NSFSC5596)the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (No.2023M742904)。
文摘Low-permeability reservoirs are generally characterized by low porosity and low permeability.Obtaining high production using the traditional method is technologically challenging because it yields a low reservoir recovery factor.In recent years,hydraulic fracturing technology is widely applied for efficiently exploiting and developing low-permeability reservoirs using a low-viscosity fluid as a fracturing fluid.However,the transportation of the proppant is inefficient in the low-viscosity fluid,and the proppant has a low piling-up height in fracture channels.These key challenges restrict the fluid(natural gas or oil)flow in fracture channels and their functional flow areas,reducing the profits of hydrocarbon exploitation.This study aimed to explore and develop a novel dandelion-bionic proppant by modifying the surface of the proppant and the fiber.Its structure was similar to that of dandelion seeds,and it had high transport and stacking efficiency in low-viscosity liquids compared with the traditional proppant.Moreover,the transportation efficiency of this newly developed proppant was investigated experimentally using six different types of fracture models(tortuous fracture model,rough fracture model,narrow fracture model,complex fracture model,large-scale single fracture model,and small-scale single fracture model).Experimental results indicated that,compared with the traditional proppant,the transportation efficiency and the packing area of the dandelion-based bionic proppant significantly improved in tap water or low-viscosity fluid.Compared with the traditional proppant,the dandelionbased bionic proppant had 0.1-4 times longer transportation length,0.3-5 times higher piling-up height,and 2-10 times larger placement area.The newly developed proppant also had some other extraordinary features.The tortuosity of the fracture did not influence the transportation of the novel proppant.This proppant could easily enter the branch fracture and narrow fracture with a high packing area in rough surface fractures.Based on the aforementioned characteristics,this novel proppant technique could improve the proppant transportation efficiency in the low-viscosity fracturing fluid and increase the ability of the proppant to enter the secondary fracture.This study might provide a new solution for effectively exploiting low-permeability hydrocarbon reservoirs.
