Better frac jobs with careful fluid design
Wide-ranging field experience supports the idea that developing adequate fluid viscosity prior to entering perforations improves overall fracture geometry, alleviates premature propant screenouts and improves proppant distribution within the fracture. This discussion shows that the current fracturing fluid design and execution process needs re-evaluation. In many instances, it is not only the fracture geometry (i.e., near-wellbore tortuosity, multiple fractures, etc.) that is responsible for poor results; but also inadequate fluid system design that limits the ability to transport and place proppant. The most important variable in propped fracture stimulations is to optimize proppant placement and fracture conductivity laterally adjacent to the pay interval. The longer the effective propped fracture length, the better the resultant production response. Despite the recent developments in hydraulic fracture technology, it is still common for production and pressure buildup data to show relatively short conductive fractures in wells that were designed to have longer fractures. The technique discussed in this article is intended to improve the near-wellbore and far-field fracture geometries and achieve the best proppant transport and placement for the given fracture dimensions.
- OSTI ID:
- 438976
- Journal Information:
- Petroleum Engineer International, Journal Name: Petroleum Engineer International Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 70; ISSN 0164-8322; ISSN PEEID4
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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