Oil-saturated strata of Western Siberia fields are represented by laminated low-permeability sandstone separated by shale layers. Therefore, when designing hydraulic fractures, it is important to create longer propped fracture half-length and provide coverage of oil-saturated layers along the entire net height. Implementation of high-volume proppant fractures in combination with high-viscosity crosslinked fluids leads to excessive fracture height growth. This results in ineffective proppant distribution in the target layer and, moreover, to unwanted water production if the water contact is close. To overcome these issues, it was proposed to use a novel hydraulic fracturing fluid that is a viscous slickwater based on synthetic polymer-polyacrylamide (also known as HiVis FR or HVFR). The low viscosity of HVFR (about 10 times lower than that of a crosslinked gel) allows a long fracture to be created and restricts height growth. Additionally, use of polyacrylamide instead of guar gives a larger value of retained conductivity. The full workflow for implementing HVFR for hydraulic fracturing in conventional formations includes candidate evaluation, HVFR laboratory testing, an integrated engineering approach to fracture modeling, operational considerations, and post-fracturing production analysis. The workflow evolved during the technology implementation cycle in a specific oil field, particularly the modeling step, which used a new high precision multiphysics (MP) model. The MP model provides an advanced, high-quality high- precision fracturing design to properly evaluate fracture geometry and proppant distribution by accounting for proppant settling in viscoelastic fluid and an accurate simulation of proppant placement when using a pulsing schedule. During the 2-year project, considerable success was achieved in expanding of the technology implementation scope. Several records were achieved on oil field - a 150-t of ceramic proppant (SG, specific gravity,~3.1) were placed in a conventional reservoir by low-viscosity fracturing fluid and the first worldwide combination of viscous slickwater with channel fracturing technology was successfully performed. The use of HVFR, due to ability of fracture growth control, prevented breakthrough into the water-bearing zone. In addition, considerable improvement of operational efficiency was achieved due to use of cold water, lower amounts of additives, and less equipment, which resulted in a smaller location and environmental footprint. This first implementation of the viscous slickwater in conventional wells in Western Siberia enabled evaluating its effect on production rate. Increasing demand for maximizing production from low-permeability formations makes the result of this viscous slickwater implementation campaign of special interest. The application of a full engineering workflow, including design, execution, and evaluation of the Viscous slickwater treatments is a key to successful technology implementation and production optimization.
Historically, coiled tubing (CT) services were positioned as highly tailored services in Russian Federation. Main operations for CT application were post-frac cleanouts (CO) and kick-off (KO) of vertical and slightly deviated wells. Lately, with increasing of horizontal wells quantity, CT application scope became wider: logging, perforating, fishing jobs, CO, milling and other operations. With increasing interest to multi-stage hydraulic fracturing technology, Coiled Tubing application has to grow to meet client demands. In wells with horizontal section 1000 m long, milling of different sizes balls and seats became the most challenging and efficient technical solution. Located in Khanty-Mansiysk District of Western Siberia, Priobskoe field is one of the world’s largest oilfields. Due to low permeability almost 80% of reserves are hardly recoverable. Oilfield development plan include post drill fracturing of all new completed wells. In order to maximize the hydrocarbon recovery field-proven technology enabling multi-stage hydraulic fracturing of an uncemented completion in one pumping treatment became a consistent decision for well treatment. For the first job following workflow was applied: multi-stage hydraulic fracturing completion was installed and 7 zones were fractured one by one. Technology implies that during pumping, at specified stage time, balls are dropped (one at time) from the surface to open the Frac Ports (FP). After the treatment, the most efficient technical solution to remove the balls is to mill them using CT. Following milling operations the well was cleaned out and kicked off with nitrogen. In designing a Coiled Tubing job the critical part is BHA and string selection. Selected mill should be strong enough for milling Frac Port iron and long enough to prevent damage of FP, by side tracking from it to reservoir. As per project program 4 wells have been completed with technology described above. Current production rates show high efficiency of multi-stage hydraulic fracturing technology over traditional well completions. This article describes technical and operational details of the project, candidate selection process, job planning and determines a way to find an optimum technique to meet client demands. Analysis of 4 wells completed with multi-stage fracturing liner is shown in comparison with standard completion in the article.
High-viscosity friction reducers (HVFR) have been actively studied and implemented recently in fracturing as a proppant carrier fluid in unconventional reservoirs due to advantages over crosslinked fluids and linear gels. The vast majority of the known studies are performed in unconventional jobs, where pumping rates are significantly higher than in conventional fracturing treatments. A study was designed to answer the question how an HVFR can be used effectively in conventional treatments deep wells. The analysis was based on a propped fracturing case study in a deep live annulus well completed with relatively small inside diameter (ID) fracturing string. High friction, significant depth, low reservoir permeability, and abnormal pressure indicate that HVFR can be a replacement for the conventional heavy crosslinked gel under certain conditions. Thorough laboratory testing was performed to optimize the recipe of the HVFR for the given conditions. After analysis of the injection and calibration tests, the obtained HVFR efficiency, friction, and downhole behavior were used to optimize the main treatment. The fracturing was performed successfully, placing 26 tons of proppant into the fracture. Analysis of the treatment was performed in an advanced fracturing simulator with multi-physics model that is capable of modeling the complex proppant transport and redistribution processes within the fracture. Simulation results revealed that towards the end of the treatment, the increased concentration of the proppant resulted in accelerated proppant settling at the fracture bottom, leading to the step-like pressure-out. Treatment results and post-treatment simulations revealed that at given rates (15 to 17 bbl/min) and HVFR efficiency (∼21%), the carrying capacity of the HVFR is enough to place 26 tons of proppant at maximum concentration of 3.5 to 4.0 PPA with 28 to 30% pad percentage. The calibrated model showed that the created fracture has an effective half-length of about 75 m, fracture height of 50 m, and dimensionless fracture conductivity approximately equal to 4.5. A new fracture flowback optimization software was used to estimate the set the limits for drawdown during cleanup; the amount of the predicted proppant flowback (<100 kg) was proved by the top-of-proppant tag.
During several decades high viscous guar-based gels remained main and single fluid type on Russian fracturing market. Having high viscosity and excellent proppant carrying capacity, crosslinked gel possesses damaging nature–it results in low retained conductivity of proppant pack even in case of oxidative destructors usage (<50%). In 2016-2017 low viscosity fluids based on synthetic polymer – polyacrylamide (High Viscosity Friction reducer, HiVis FR, HVFR, Viscous slickwater) started to be actively used in North America for shale fracturing. Along with improved sand carrying capacity in comparison with conventional FR due to its elastic properties, fluid demonstrated high retained conductivity of sand packs (~80%) confirmed during laboratory investigations, firstly performed by Stim-Lab (Stim-Lab Proppant Consortium 2015 – Fracturing Fluid Cleanup of various Low Polymer Fluid Systems; Stim-Lab Proppant Consortium - 2016 – Historical and current Friction Reducer Studies). However, fracturing design and job execution on conventional sandstones in Russia significantly differs from shales stimulations, i.e. serious work was required in order to start implementation of HiVis FR (Viscous slickwater) on sandstones in Russia. First field trials of Viscous slickwater were performed in Russia in the end of 2018 on conventional sandstones owned by "Gazpromneft-Khantos" - Gazpromneft subsidiary. In spring 2019 first time in the world full scale fracturing jobs, where Viscous slickwater with only ~30 cP at 511 s-1 demonstrated high transport efficiency to carry and place ceramic proppant at moderate rates (4-4.5 m3/min), as in combination with crosslinked gel as well as single fracturing fluid. Prior HiVis FR was qualified for application on sandstones as alternative to guar-based high viscous gels, major laboratory investigations were performed on novel fluid rheology, dynamic proppant transport, mechanical fluid properties, influence of breakers, etc (Loginov at al. 2019). Later, in field trials phase, additional laboratory testing was carried out to address specific fluid performance questions. New technology field trials for "Gazpromneft-Khantos" were executed with high operational success–according to initial fracturing design. Viscous slickwater was pumped as single fracturing fluid, as well in combination with crosslinked guar gels (≥50%). Jobs were performed on vertical, inclined and horizontal wells. Despitê20 fold difference in viscosity, high proppant transport efficiency of HiVis FR allowed to place standard for South part of Priobskoe oilfield designs in case of hybrids and slightly less aggressive designs in case of 100% jobs on slickwater. Application of Viscous slickwater allowed to identify number of advantages of novel fluid over traditional guar-based fluids both in terms of operational efficiency, location and environmental footprint and fluid performance characteristics. It was shown that start production of wells treated with slickwater were ~10-20% higher, and current production rate were comparable in comparison with traditional designs with higher proppant volume. Field trials on implementation of Viscous slickwater - fluids based on polyacrylamide on low viscosity reservoirs owned by "Gazpromneft Khantos" were proven to be successful both from operational and technological point of view and have become a new milestone in history of Russian fracturing. This basis could be key to the future effective development of analogical oilfields in the world.
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