Focused on the lost circulation control in deep naturally fractured reservoirs, the multiscale structure of fracture plugging zone is proposed based on the theory of granular matter mechanics, and the structural failu...Focused on the lost circulation control in deep naturally fractured reservoirs, the multiscale structure of fracture plugging zone is proposed based on the theory of granular matter mechanics, and the structural failure pattern of plugging zone is developed to reveal the plugging zone failure mechanisms in deep, high temperature, high pressure, and high in-situ stress environment. Based on the fracture plugging zone strength model, key performance parameters are determined for the optimal selection of loss control material(LCM). Laboratory fracture plugging experiments with new LCM are carried out to evaluate the effect of the key performance parameters of LCM on fracture plugging quality. LCM selection strategy for fractured reservoirs is developed. The results show that the force chain formed by LCMs determines the pressure stabilization of macro-scale fracture plugging zone. Friction failure and shear failure are the two major failure patterns of fracture plugging zone. The strength of force chain depends on the performance of micro-scale LCM, and the LCM key performance parameters include particle size distribution, fiber aspect ratio, friction coefficient, compressive strength, soluble ability and high temperature resistance. Results of lab experiments and field test show that lost circulation control quality can be effectively improved with the optimal material selection based on the extracted key performance parameters of LCMs.展开更多
A coupled CFD-DEM method is used to simulate the formation process of fracture plugging zone.A photo-elastic system characterizing mesoscale force chain network developed by our own is used to model the pressure evolu...A coupled CFD-DEM method is used to simulate the formation process of fracture plugging zone.A photo-elastic system characterizing mesoscale force chain network developed by our own is used to model the pressure evolution in fracture plugging zone to reveal the evolution mechanism of the structure of fracture plugging zone.A theoretical basis is provided for improving the lost circulation control effect in fractured reservoirs and novel methods are proposed for selecting loss control materials and designing loss control formula.CFD-DEM simulation results show that bridging probability is the key factor determining the formation of fracture plugging zone and fracture plugging efficiency.Critical and absolute bridging concentrations are proposed as the key indexes for loss control formula design.With the increase of absolute bridging concentration,the governing factor of bridging is changed from material grain size to the combination of material grain size and friction force.Results of photo-elastic experiments show that mesoscale force chain network is the intrinsic factor affecting the evolution of pressure exerting on the fracture plugging zone and determines the macroscopic strength of fracture plugging zone.Performance parameters of loss control material affect the force chain network structure and the ratio of stronger force chain,and further impact the stability and strength of fracture plugging zone.Based on the study results,the loss control formula is optimized and new-type loss control material is designed.Laboratory experiments results show that the fracture plugging efficiency and strength is effectively improved.展开更多
During drilling operations in deep fractured tight gas reservoirs,lost circulation of working fluid frequently occurs due to the formationʼs low pressure-bearing capacity.Adding lost circulation materials(LCMs)to dril...During drilling operations in deep fractured tight gas reservoirs,lost circulation of working fluid frequently occurs due to the formationʼs low pressure-bearing capacity.Adding lost circulation materials(LCMs)to drilling fluids is the most common method for controlling lost circulation.Among these,granular LCMs are widely used,but the application frequency of flaky LCMs has been increasing annually due to their unique morphology.However,the migration and plugging behavior of flaky LCMs within fractures,and the mechanisms enhancing the pressure-bearing capacity of the plugging zone are not well understood.Therefore,this study conducted visual plugging experiments and dynamic fracture plugging experiments to evaluate the plugging mode and pressure-bearing capacity of the plugging slurry with various particle sizes and concentrations of flaky LCMs.The experimental results demonstrate that the fracture plugging process can be divided into four stages:uniform flow stage of the plugging slurry,formation and development stage of the bridging area,formation and development stage of the plugging area,and pressure-bearing stage of the plugging zone.The inclusion of flaky LCMs notably reduces the duration of stages 1 and 2,while simultaneously increasing the proportion of the plugging zone and enhancing its surface porosity.Flaky LCMs reduce the effective fracture width through“interception”and“co-bridging”modes,thus improving plugging zone formation efficiency.Appropriate particle size and concentration of flaky LCMs increase the area and length of the plugging zone.This reduces the fracture width increment caused by injection pressure and enhances frictional force between the plugging zone and fracture surface,thereby improving the pressure-bearing capacity of the plugging zone.However,excessively high concentrations of flaky LCMs result in decreased structural stability of the plugging zone,and excessively large particle sizes increase the risk of plugging outside fracture inlet.The recommended concentration of flaky LCMs in the plugging slurry is 2%–3%,with a particle size 1.2 to 1.5 times that of the bridging granular LCMs and not exceeding twice the fracture width.This study provides a theoretical foundation for selecting LCMs and designing plugging formulations for field applications.展开更多
Lost circulation control in millimeter-wide fractures has been a challenge in well drilling all the time.Low pressure-bearing capacity of a plugging zone will result in excessive consumption of lost circulation materi...Lost circulation control in millimeter-wide fractures has been a challenge in well drilling all the time.Low pressure-bearing capacity of a plugging zone will result in excessive consumption of lost circulation materials(LCMs)and extra down time.In this study,laboratory ex-periments were conducted on the plugging of millimeter-wide fractures to evaluate the plugging effects of different types of LCM including rigid granules,elastic particles andfiber.Maximum plugging pressure,total loss volume before sealing and plugging time were taken as the evaluation index of the LCM plugging effect.According to the experimental results,the synergistic plugging mechanisms of different LCM combinations were also analyzed.Experimental results showed that the total loss volume of the plugging zone formed by rigid and elastic particle combination was generally greater than 400 mL,and the maximum plugging pressure of the plugging zone formed by elastic particle andfiber combination was generally less than 6 MPa.In contrast,the plugging zone formed by the combination of the three types of LCMs has the maximum plugging pressure of up to 13 MPa and total loss volume before sealing of 75 mL.In the synergistic plugging process,rigid granules form a frame with high pressure-bearing capacity in the narrower parts of the fractures;elastic particles generate elastic force through elastic deformation to increase the friction between a fracture and a plugging zone to make the plugging zone more stable;fibersfilling in the pore space between the particles increase the tightness and integrity of the plugging zone.The experimental results can provide guidance for the optimal design of LCMs used in thefield.展开更多
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.51604236)Science and Technology Program of Sichuan Province(Grant No.2018JY0436)the Sichuan Province Youth Science and Technology Innovation Team Project(Grant No.2016TD0016)
文摘Focused on the lost circulation control in deep naturally fractured reservoirs, the multiscale structure of fracture plugging zone is proposed based on the theory of granular matter mechanics, and the structural failure pattern of plugging zone is developed to reveal the plugging zone failure mechanisms in deep, high temperature, high pressure, and high in-situ stress environment. Based on the fracture plugging zone strength model, key performance parameters are determined for the optimal selection of loss control material(LCM). Laboratory fracture plugging experiments with new LCM are carried out to evaluate the effect of the key performance parameters of LCM on fracture plugging quality. LCM selection strategy for fractured reservoirs is developed. The results show that the force chain formed by LCMs determines the pressure stabilization of macro-scale fracture plugging zone. Friction failure and shear failure are the two major failure patterns of fracture plugging zone. The strength of force chain depends on the performance of micro-scale LCM, and the LCM key performance parameters include particle size distribution, fiber aspect ratio, friction coefficient, compressive strength, soluble ability and high temperature resistance. Results of lab experiments and field test show that lost circulation control quality can be effectively improved with the optimal material selection based on the extracted key performance parameters of LCMs.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(51604236)Open Fund of the State Key Laboratory of Oil and Gas Reservoir Geology and Exploitation(PLN201913)+1 种基金Science and Technology Planning Project of the Sichuan Province,China(2018JY0436)Sichuan Youth Science and Technology Innovation Research Team Project for Unconventional Oil and Gas Reservoir Protection(2016TD0016)。
文摘A coupled CFD-DEM method is used to simulate the formation process of fracture plugging zone.A photo-elastic system characterizing mesoscale force chain network developed by our own is used to model the pressure evolution in fracture plugging zone to reveal the evolution mechanism of the structure of fracture plugging zone.A theoretical basis is provided for improving the lost circulation control effect in fractured reservoirs and novel methods are proposed for selecting loss control materials and designing loss control formula.CFD-DEM simulation results show that bridging probability is the key factor determining the formation of fracture plugging zone and fracture plugging efficiency.Critical and absolute bridging concentrations are proposed as the key indexes for loss control formula design.With the increase of absolute bridging concentration,the governing factor of bridging is changed from material grain size to the combination of material grain size and friction force.Results of photo-elastic experiments show that mesoscale force chain network is the intrinsic factor affecting the evolution of pressure exerting on the fracture plugging zone and determines the macroscopic strength of fracture plugging zone.Performance parameters of loss control material affect the force chain network structure and the ratio of stronger force chain,and further impact the stability and strength of fracture plugging zone.Based on the study results,the loss control formula is optimized and new-type loss control material is designed.Laboratory experiments results show that the fracture plugging efficiency and strength is effectively improved.
基金support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.52274009).
文摘During drilling operations in deep fractured tight gas reservoirs,lost circulation of working fluid frequently occurs due to the formationʼs low pressure-bearing capacity.Adding lost circulation materials(LCMs)to drilling fluids is the most common method for controlling lost circulation.Among these,granular LCMs are widely used,but the application frequency of flaky LCMs has been increasing annually due to their unique morphology.However,the migration and plugging behavior of flaky LCMs within fractures,and the mechanisms enhancing the pressure-bearing capacity of the plugging zone are not well understood.Therefore,this study conducted visual plugging experiments and dynamic fracture plugging experiments to evaluate the plugging mode and pressure-bearing capacity of the plugging slurry with various particle sizes and concentrations of flaky LCMs.The experimental results demonstrate that the fracture plugging process can be divided into four stages:uniform flow stage of the plugging slurry,formation and development stage of the bridging area,formation and development stage of the plugging area,and pressure-bearing stage of the plugging zone.The inclusion of flaky LCMs notably reduces the duration of stages 1 and 2,while simultaneously increasing the proportion of the plugging zone and enhancing its surface porosity.Flaky LCMs reduce the effective fracture width through“interception”and“co-bridging”modes,thus improving plugging zone formation efficiency.Appropriate particle size and concentration of flaky LCMs increase the area and length of the plugging zone.This reduces the fracture width increment caused by injection pressure and enhances frictional force between the plugging zone and fracture surface,thereby improving the pressure-bearing capacity of the plugging zone.However,excessively high concentrations of flaky LCMs result in decreased structural stability of the plugging zone,and excessively large particle sizes increase the risk of plugging outside fracture inlet.The recommended concentration of flaky LCMs in the plugging slurry is 2%–3%,with a particle size 1.2 to 1.5 times that of the bridging granular LCMs and not exceeding twice the fracture width.This study provides a theoretical foundation for selecting LCMs and designing plugging formulations for field applications.
文摘Lost circulation control in millimeter-wide fractures has been a challenge in well drilling all the time.Low pressure-bearing capacity of a plugging zone will result in excessive consumption of lost circulation materials(LCMs)and extra down time.In this study,laboratory ex-periments were conducted on the plugging of millimeter-wide fractures to evaluate the plugging effects of different types of LCM including rigid granules,elastic particles andfiber.Maximum plugging pressure,total loss volume before sealing and plugging time were taken as the evaluation index of the LCM plugging effect.According to the experimental results,the synergistic plugging mechanisms of different LCM combinations were also analyzed.Experimental results showed that the total loss volume of the plugging zone formed by rigid and elastic particle combination was generally greater than 400 mL,and the maximum plugging pressure of the plugging zone formed by elastic particle andfiber combination was generally less than 6 MPa.In contrast,the plugging zone formed by the combination of the three types of LCMs has the maximum plugging pressure of up to 13 MPa and total loss volume before sealing of 75 mL.In the synergistic plugging process,rigid granules form a frame with high pressure-bearing capacity in the narrower parts of the fractures;elastic particles generate elastic force through elastic deformation to increase the friction between a fracture and a plugging zone to make the plugging zone more stable;fibersfilling in the pore space between the particles increase the tightness and integrity of the plugging zone.The experimental results can provide guidance for the optimal design of LCMs used in thefield.
