Proppant transport

Conference · Sat Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1977 · Soc. Pet. Eng. AIME, Pap.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6687165

Novotny, E J

A method is presented for predicting (1) the transport of proppant in a vertical fracture during a hydraulic fracturing treatment, (2) the settling of the proppant during closure of the fracture following the treatment, and (3) from the final distribution of proppant, the increase in well productivity that results from the treatment. The examples given illustrate that proppant settling during fracture closure can be important in the design of a hydraulic fracturing treatment. Field data illustrate the time required for fracture closure. The computer program which models the fracturing process uses proppant settling velocities obtained from extensive laboratory data collected under simulated fracturing conditions. Proppant settling predictions include the effects of non-Newtonian fluids, concentrated slurries or proppant, fracture walls, and changes in fluid temperatures along the fracture. These substantially affect the settling velocity of the proppant and must be considered to obtain a realistic prediction of proppant transport. (20 refs.)

• Research Organization: Exxon Production Res Co
• OSTI ID: 6687165
• Report Number(s): CONF-771014-
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Soc. Pet. Eng. AIME, Pap.; (United States) Journal Volume: SPE-6813
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020300* -- Petroleum-- Drilling & Production
42 ENGINEERING
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58 GEOSCIENCES
580300 -- Mineralogy
Petrology
& Rock Mechanics-- (-1989)
COMMINUTION
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
FAILURES
FIELD TESTS
FLUID FLOW
FRACTURES
FRACTURING
HYDRAULIC FRACTURING
OIL WELLS
PRODUCTIVITY
PROPPING AGENTS
SIMULATION
TESTING
TRANSPORT
WELLS