Major factors influencing proppant behaviour and proppant-associated damage mechanisms during hydraulic fracturing

Tang, Yunlong; Ranjith, P.G.; Perera, M.S.A.

doi:10.1007/s11440-018-0670-5

Cited by 21 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 106 publications

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“…Coalbed methane (CBM) is a highly sought-after unconventional natural gas resource that is stored within coal seams and attracts significant global attention. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), the estimated worldwide CBM resources tally up to 260 × 10 12 m 3 , with abundance in major coal-producing countries such as China, Australia, USA, and Canada. , Given the intrinsic low porosity and permeability of CBM reservoirs, hydraulic fracturing often becomes imperative to stimulate CBM wells for economic production. , However, during hydraulic fracturing and subsequent drainage operations, due to the brittle nature and diminished strength of coal rock, substantial amount of coal fines is generated. − Large quantities of coal fines may infiltrate propped fractures (proppant packs) alongside gas and/or water flow. Some of these coal fines may become trapped within the proppant packs, leading to the clogging of pores and a reduction in conductivity, which ultimately impede the production of CBM. − The challenge posed by coal fines persists throughout the CBM production stages, including single-phase water flow, gas–water two-phase flow, and single-phase gas flow stages, with the two-phase flow stage experiencing particularly pronounced impacts. , For example, in a CBM well within the South Yanchuan Block, China, the rate of recovery of gas decreased from 2.0 × 10 4 to 0.6 × 10 4 m 3 /d within a short time period due to the retention of coal fines within proppant packs .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Transport and Retention of Coal Fines in Proppant Packs during Gas–Water Two-Phase Flow: Insights from Interface, Pore, to Laboratory Scales

Huang,

Wang,

Chen

et al. 2024

Energy Fuels

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The transport and retention of coal fines within proppant packs play a critical role in the recovery of coalbed methane (CBM). Their accumulation can lead to serious pore clogging and reduced pack conductivity. While previous research has primarily focused on the behavior of coal fines during single-phase water flow, there is a lack of understanding of their behavior during gas−water two-phase flow. The current study utilized visualization observations and theoretical analysis to investigate the multiscale behavior of coal fines within unsaturated proppant packs. A series of experiments were conducted to examine the transport and retention of coal fines within proppant packs under different gas-to-water flow rate ratios. The experiments involved visualizing the transport process of coal fines, as well as monitoring the displacement pressure and effluent concentration. The results showed that, during gas−water two-phase flow, gas−water interfaces (GWIs) frequently expanded and contracted, leading to the remobilization of coal fines retained on the solid−water interfaces (SWIs). The significant attachment of coal fines to GWIs hindered their mobilization and induced the formation of isolated gas bubbles, whereas the coal fines adhered to these bubbles and were retained within the proppant packs. At the laboratory scale, the distribution of retained coal fines was highly nonuniform, constructing preferential pathways for the smooth passage of gas, water, and coal fines. Furthermore, as the gas-to-water flow rate ratio increased, the amount of retained coal fines decreased and the area of preferential pathways increased. The interface-scale mechanisms governing the transport and retention of coal fines were analyzed using the force analysis. It was found that the attachment of coal fines to GWIs was chemically unfavorable, occurring passively during the removal of coal fines from SWIs by GWIs. The capillary force exerted by GWIs was identified as the primary driving force for the mobilization of coal fines, with coal fines being removed only during the contraction (advancement) of GWIs. Theoretical results were consistent with visualization observations. Overall, the findings from this study provide significant insights for effectively managing coal fines within proppant packs during gas−water two-phase flow, with implications for enhanced CBM recovery.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Transport and Retention of Coal Fines in Proppant Packs during Gas–Water Two-Phase Flow: Insights from Interface, Pore, to Laboratory Scales

Huang,

Wang,

Chen

et al. 2024

Energy Fuels

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“…2 Among the materials used in the hydraulic fracturing, proppant was considered to be the key materials to enhance the exploitation efficiency of oil and gas, especially for the old wells and low-permeability reservoir. [3][4][5] Ultra-low-density proppants (apparent density <2.6 gÁcm À3 , bulk density <1.5 gÁcm À3 ), in particular, can significantly avoid the settlement problem in slick-water fracturing fluids, which can increase the fracture support rate to more than 85%, and increase the recovery rate by at least 30% when the amount accounts for only 2 $ 5% of the quartz sand mass. 6,7 Polymeric nanocomposites are the materials incorporating nanosized inclusions into the polymer matrixes.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the hydraulic fracturing, proppant is brought into the fractures generated by hydraulic fracturing with fracturing fluid, therefore effective conductivity and high output of oil or gas can be obtained 2 . Among the materials used in the hydraulic fracturing, proppant was considered to be the key materials to enhance the exploitation efficiency of oil and gas, especially for the old wells and low‐permeability reservoir 3–5 . Ultra‐low‐density proppants (apparent density <2.6 g·cm −3 , bulk density <1.5 g·cm −3 ), in particular, can significantly avoid the settlement problem in slick‐water fracturing fluids, which can increase the fracture support rate to more than 85%, and increase the recovery rate by at least 30% when the amount accounts for only 2 ~ 5% of the quartz sand mass 6,7 …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Carbon dots enhanced ultra‐low‐density fluorescence proppants with both high‐compressive strength and anti‐deformation ability

Qin,

You,

Song

et al. 2023

Polymer Composites

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The polymer ultra‐low‐density proppants are critical to the development of slick‐water fracture technology, but which were prone to obvious deformation under high pressure in the fractures. To increase the stiffness of the styrene‐divinylbenzene copolymer (SDB) and obtain desired ultra‐low‐density (ULD) proppants, carbon dots (CDs) were introduced in‐situ considering their characteristics as the zero‐dimensional carbon nanomaterial. Taking the compressive strength and axial deflection, and so forth into consideration, the synthesis conditions of CDs modified SDB microspheres (CDs‐SDBs) were optimized. Taking the graphite modified SDBs (MG‐SDBs) as a reference, the density of CDs‐SDBs did keep almost constant at about 1.1800 ~ 1.1899 g·cm−3 with the increase of CDs amount. The CDs‐SDBs not only possess high‐peak pressure (41.5 N) but also minute axial deflection (0.090 mm). The advantages of CDs‐SDBs over MG‐SDBs become even more pronounced under higher pressure, which can withstand closure pressure of 80 MPa with a small crush ratio of 4.47%. CDs‐SDBs exhibit significant photoluminescence performances with maximum excitation and emission wavelengths of 634 nm and 554 nm.Highlights CDs‐SDBs as ULD proppants with high strength and anti‐deformation were developed. Advantages of CDs‐SDBs become more pronounced under high‐closure pressure. With increasing of CDs amount, apparent density of CDs‐SDBs keep almost constant. Axial deflection of CDs‐SDBs is only 0.09 mm under 41.5 N. The crush ratio is only 4.47% under 80 MPa closure pressure.

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“…The phenomenon of proppant embedment was first studied for carbonate and sandstone formations, but the following demands of oil and gas industry resulted in the research being redirected also to shale and other tight rock formations. To meet the thriving energy demand (Speight 2016). The fracture conductivity and closure pressure data of different formations (siltstone, mudstone, conglomerate, and shale) were obtained by Wen et al (2007), and Gou et al (2017), to investigate the effect of embedment.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Preliminary Studies on the Proppant Embedment in Baltic Basin Shale Rock

Masłowski

Labus

2021

Rock Mech Rock Eng

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Proppant embedment is a serious issue that reduces fracture width and conductivity. The paper presents the results of experiments on embedment phenomena on a shale rock from the region of the Baltic Basin, which is regarded as an unconventional gas deposit. A novel laboratory imaging procedure was implemented to the proppant embedment visualization. The tests were performed for conditions corresponding to the average reservoir conditions occurring in the studied deposit formation. The parameters characterizing damage of the surface of the fracture faces by the grains of proppant material, after the application of axial compressive stress to two shale core samples with proppant placed in between, are presented. The tests were carried out for rock samples pre-saturated with fracturing fluid. The obtained results of relatively low total effective penetration depth of proppant grains into the walls of the fracture (0.293 mm), and high effective width of fracture with proppant material after hydraulic fracturing (87.9%), indicate the proper selection of proppant and fracturing fluid for the properties of the rock and the reservoir conditions. The results of the experiments present a range of embedment parameters, that have not been widely described before. The test procedure presented in the article is a good method for assessing the vulnerability of a deposit rock to embedment phenomenon.

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Major factors influencing proppant behaviour and proppant-associated damage mechanisms during hydraulic fracturing

Cited by 21 publications

References 106 publications

Transport and Retention of Coal Fines in Proppant Packs during Gas–Water Two-Phase Flow: Insights from Interface, Pore, to Laboratory Scales

Transport and Retention of Coal Fines in Proppant Packs during Gas–Water Two-Phase Flow: Insights from Interface, Pore, to Laboratory Scales

Carbon dots enhanced ultra‐low‐density fluorescence proppants with both high‐compressive strength and anti‐deformation ability

Preliminary Studies on the Proppant Embedment in Baltic Basin Shale Rock

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