Experimental and Numerical Study on Proppant Transport in a Complex Fracture System

Zhaopeng Zhang, Shicheng Zhang, Xinfang Ma, Tiankui Guo, Wenzhe Zhang and Yushi Zou
Additional contact information
Zhaopeng Zhang: State Key Laboratory of Petroleum Resource and Prospecting, China University of Petroleum (Beijing), Changping, Beijing 102249, China
Shicheng Zhang: State Key Laboratory of Petroleum Resource and Prospecting, China University of Petroleum (Beijing), Changping, Beijing 102249, China
Xinfang Ma: State Key Laboratory of Petroleum Resource and Prospecting, China University of Petroleum (Beijing), Changping, Beijing 102249, China
Tiankui Guo: College of Petroleum Engineering, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266580, China
Wenzhe Zhang: PetroChina Oil & Gas Pipeline Control Center, Beijing 100028, China
Yushi Zou: State Key Laboratory of Petroleum Resource and Prospecting, China University of Petroleum (Beijing), Changping, Beijing 102249, China

Energies, 2020, vol. 13, issue 23, 1-29

Abstract: Slickwater fracturing can create complex fracture networks in shale. A uniform proppant distribution in the network is preferred. However, proppant transport mechanism in the fracture network is still uncertain, which restricts the optimization of sand addition schemes. In this study, slot flow experiments are conducted to analyze the proppant placement in the complex fracture system. Dense discrete phase method is used to track the particle trajectories to study the transport mechanism into the branch. The effects of the pumping rate, sand ratio, sand size, and branch angle and location are discussed in detail. Results demonstrate that: (1) under a low pumping rate or coarse proppant conditions, the dune development in the branch depends on the dune geometry in the primary fracture, and a high proportion of sand can transport into the branch; (2) using a high pumping rate or fine proppants is beneficial to the uniform placement in the fracture system; (3) sand ratio dominates the proppant placement in the branch and passing-intersection fraction of a primary fracture; (4) more proppants may settle in the near-inlet and large-angle branch due to the size limit. Decreasing the pumping rate can contribute to a uniform proppant distribution in the secondary fracture. This study provides some guidance for the optimization of proppant addition scheme in the slickwater fracturing in unconventional resources.

Keywords: slickwater fracturing; proppant transport; slot flow experiment; dense discrete phase method (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 (1)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/13/23/6290/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/13/23/6290/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jeners:v:13:y:2020:i:23:p:6290-:d:453104

Access Statistics for this article

Energies is currently edited by Ms. Agatha Cao

More articles in Energies from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().