Simulation and Analysis of Proppant Transport Patterns in Wellbore-Fracture Systems

Jingchen Zhang (), Yan Li, Huilu Yang and Xiaodong Guo
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Jingchen Zhang: Unconventional Oil and Gas Science and Technology Research Institute, China University of Petroleum (Beijing), Beijing 102249, China
Yan Li: Unconventional Oil and Gas Science and Technology Research Institute, China University of Petroleum (Beijing), Beijing 102249, China
Huilu Yang: Unconventional Oil and Gas Science and Technology Research Institute, China University of Petroleum (Beijing), Beijing 102249, China
Xiaodong Guo: Unconventional Oil and Gas Science and Technology Research Institute, China University of Petroleum (Beijing), Beijing 102249, China

Energies, 2023, vol. 16, issue 11, 1-20

Abstract: Staged multi-cluster fracturing of horizontal wells is one of the most important tools to achieve efficient development of unconventional oil and gas reservoirs. The multi-stage fracturing technique forms complex fractures with multiple clusters and branches in the formation, causing competing diversions leading to more complex proppant transport patterns, and the proppant placement method determines the flow conductivity of complex fractures, so it is necessary to investigate the proppant transport patterns in complex fractures. To address this issue, a field-scale geometric model is established for numerical simulation, and the multiphase flow diversion pattern in the wellbore, the proppant distribution pattern under different network conditions, and the optimization of different construction parameters are investigated. The results are obtained as follows: the distribution of solid and liquid phases in each cluster of the well conforms to the trend of variable mass flow; the proppant is distributed at the heel end in multiple clusters of fractures, and the sand and liquid are unevenly distributed among clusters of fractures, and the number of branching affects the proppant transport; through sensitivity analysis of the influencing factors, the pumping displacement, fracturing fluid viscosity and proppant particle size are optimized, and the construction parameters of 14 m 3 /min, 5 mPa·s, 70/140 mesh, 12% sand ratio are determined. This study has a certain guiding significance for the optimization of fracturing parameters in this block.

Keywords: proppant migration; staged multi-cluster fracturing; complex fractures; 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: 2023
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