Tip screenout fracturing: A technique for soft, unstable formations

Journal Article · Fri May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1987 · SPE (Society of Petroleum Engineers) Product. Eng.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2118/13273-PA· OSTI ID:6776470

Smith, M B; Miller, W K; Haga, J

Several special stimulation techniques have been proposed for soft, unstable formations. One example is a combination of acid and proppant, which leaves the acid channels full of sand. This paper discusses an alternative completion technique that involves only normal sand fracture procedures and is effective where acid is ineffectual or undesirable. Because the procedure is aimed primarily at creating short, high-conductivity fractures in soft formations, its use can be extended to any formation where such a treatment is practical and economically feasible. The fracture design is based on intentionally screening out the tip of the fracture with sand and then continuing to pump slurry to increase the fracture width and to pack the fracture with proppant to obtain high conductivity. Because this involves severe risk of a premature screenout, and because failure to achieve the tip screenout will not yield the desired stimulation, special prefracture tests are required to determine fracture design variables. The implementation and analysis of these tests are discussed, along with the theory behind the fracture design schedule. This theory is then compared with fracture pressure data and production performance from two wells completed in an Upper Cretaceous chalk formation in the Norwegian Sector of the North Sea.

• Research Organization: NSI Technologies Inc., Tulsa, OK
• OSTI ID: 6776470
• Journal Information: SPE (Society of Petroleum Engineers) Product. Eng.; (United States), Journal Name: SPE (Society of Petroleum Engineers) Product. Eng.; (United States) Vol. 2:2; ISSN SPENE
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
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03 NATURAL GAS
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58 GEOSCIENCES
580300 -- Mineralogy
Petrology
& Rock Mechanics-- (-1989)
ACIDIZATION
ATLANTIC OCEAN
COMMINUTION
CRETACEOUS PERIOD
DESIGN
DIMENSIONS
DISPERSIONS
ENERGY SOURCES
ENHANCED RECOVERY
FAILURES
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FRACTURES
FRACTURING
FUEL GAS
FUELS
GAS FUELS
GASES
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY
HYDRAULIC FRACTURES
HYDRAULIC FRACTURING
MESOZOIC ERA
MINERAL RESOURCES
MIXTURES
NATURAL GAS
NATURAL GAS WELLS
NORTH SEA
OIL FIELDS
OIL WELLS
PETROLEUM
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
PROPPING AGENTS
PUMPS
RECOVERY
RESOURCES
SAND
SEAS
SLURRIES
STIMULATION
SURFACE WATERS
SUSPENSIONS
WELL COMPLETION
WELL STIMULATION
WELLS
WIDTH