Development of Chelating Agent-Based Polymeric Gel System for Hydraulic Fracturing

Muhammad Shahzad Kamal, Marwan Mohammed, Mohamed Mahmoud and Salaheldin Elkatatny
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Muhammad Shahzad Kamal: Center for Integrative Petroleum Research, King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals, Dhahran 31261, Saudi Arabia
Marwan Mohammed: Department of Petroleum Engineering, King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals, Dhahran 31261, Saudi Arabia
Mohamed Mahmoud: Department of Petroleum Engineering, King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals, Dhahran 31261, Saudi Arabia
Salaheldin Elkatatny: Department of Petroleum Engineering, King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals, Dhahran 31261, Saudi Arabia

Energies, 2018, vol. 11, issue 7, 1-15

Abstract: Hydraulic Fracturing is considered to be one of the most important stimulation methods. Hydraulic Fracturing is carried out by inducing fractures in the formation to create conductive pathways for the flow of hydrocarbon. The pathways are kept open either by using proppant or by etching the fracture surface using acids. A typical fracturing fluid usually consists of a gelling agent (polymers), cross-linkers, buffers, clay stabilizers, gel stabilizers, biocide, surfactants, and breakers mixed with fresh water. The numerous additives are used to prevent damage resulting from such operations, or better yet, enhancing it beyond just the aim of a fracturing operation. This study introduces a new smart fracturing fluid system that can be either used for proppant fracturing (high pH) or acid fracturing (low pH) operations in sandstone formations. The fluid system consists of glutamic acid diacetic acid (GLDA) that can replace several additives, such as cross-linker, breaker, biocide, and clay stabilizer. GLDA is also a surface-active fluid that will reduce the interfacial tension eliminating the water-blockage effect. GLDA is compatible and stable with sea water, which is advantageous over the typical fracturing fluid. It is also stable in high temperature reservoirs (up to 300 °F) and it is also environmentally friendly and readily biodegradable. The new fracturing fluid formulation can withstand up to 300 °F of formation temperature and is stable for about 6 h under high shearing rates (511 s ?1 ). The new fracturing fluid formulation breaks on its own and the delay time or the breaking time can be controlled with the concentrations of the constituents of the fluid (GLDA or polymer). Coreflooding experiments were conducted using Scioto and Berea sandstone cores to evaluate the effectiveness of the developed fluid. The flooding experiments were in reasonable conformance with the rheological properties of the developed fluid regarding the thickening and breaking time, as well as yielding high return permeability.

Keywords: fracturing fluid; rheology; chelating agent; viscosity; polymer (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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