Coupled Hydraulic Fracture and Proppant Transport Simulation

Morteza Roostaei, Alireza Nouri, Vahidoddin Fattahpour and Dave Chan
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Morteza Roostaei: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R3, Canada
Alireza Nouri: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R3, Canada
Vahidoddin Fattahpour: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R3, Canada
Dave Chan: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R3, Canada

Energies, 2020, vol. 13, issue 11, 1-33

Abstract: This paper focuses on the study of proppant transport mechanisms in fractures during frac-packing operation. A multi-module, numerical proppant, reservoir and geomechanics simulator has been developed, which improves the current numerical modeling techniques for proppant transport. The modules are linked together and tailored to capture the processes and mechanisms that are significant in frac-pack operations. The proposed approach takes advantage of a robust and sophisticated numerical smeared fracture simulator and incorporates an in-house proppant transport module to calculate propped fracture dimensions and concentration distribution. In the development of software capability, the propped fracture geometry and proppant concentration, which are the output of the proppant module, are imported to the hydraulic fracture simulator through mobility modification. Complex issues of proppant transport in fractures that are addressed in the literature and captured by the current model are: hindered settling velocity (terminal velocity of proppant in the injection fluid), the effect of fracture walls, proppant concentration and inertia on settling (due to extra drag forces applied on particles, compared to single-particle motion in Stokes regime in unbounded medium), possible propped fracture porosity and also mobility change due to the presence of proppant, and fracture closure or extension during proppant injection. A sensitivity analysis is conducted using realistic parameters to provide guidelines that allow more accurate predictions of the proppant concentration and fluid flow. The main objective of this study is to link a numerical hydraulic fracture model to a proppant transport model to study the fracturing response and proppant distribution and to investigate the effect of proppant injection on fracture propagation and fracture dimensions.

Keywords: proppant transport; hydraulic fracturing; numerical simulation (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: 2020
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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