Alternating Foam and Base Fluid Injection for Hydraulic Fracturing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Hydraulic fracturing faces challenges such as proppant screenout, which leads to reduced proppant pack conductivity and increased water consumption, particularly in deep wells, where traditional methods like crosslinked materials and high polymer loading can damage formations and result in inefficient proppant placement.
Innovation Solution
A method involving alternating injections of a base fluid and a foam fluid with varying gas content and stability, using a gelling agent and proppant, to create heterogeneous proppant distribution and channels with faster flowback, reducing water usage and minimizing formation damage, while utilizing nitrogen for its advantages in shallow wells and extending applicability to deeper formations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional crosslinked materials or high polymer loading are used to keep proppant suspended, then proppant transport is improved, but formation damage occurs and proppant pack conductivity is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical and chemical parameters of the fracturing fluid by using foam instead of traditional polymer-based fluids. The foam fluid has different rheological properties, viscosity characteristics, and suspension capabilities that allow effective proppant transport without the harmful polymer residuals that damage formation and reduce conductivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The foam fluid acts as a temporary carrier for proppant during the fracturing process. The foam collapses after delivering the proppant to the formation, leaving no persistent polymer residuals behind. This disposable nature of the foam carrier eliminates the long-term formation damage associated with traditional polymer-based fracturing fluids.
2Loss of substance
If foam is used as fracturing fluid to reduce water consumption, then water usage is reduced, but proppant screenout risk increases due to heterogeneous proppant placement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs periodic injection of foam fluid in alternating pulses with base fluid. This periodic action creates cyclic variations in fluid velocity and pressure that prevent proppant from settling and forming screens. The alternating flow patterns keep proppant suspended and distributed more uniformly throughout the fracture network, reducing screenout risk while maintaining the water-reduction benefits of foam fracturing.
3Manufacturing precision
If heterogeneous proppant placement is achieved through alternating foam and base fluid injection, then proppant distribution is improved, but fluid injection complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fracturing fluid is segmented into two distinct components: foam fluid containing proppant and base fluid without proppant. These segmented fluid streams are injected in alternating sequences through the same wellbore infrastructure. This segmentation allows precise control over proppant placement patterns and distribution heterogeneity while utilizing existing equipment without requiring completely new injection systems.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach reduces the risk of screenout, minimizes water consumption, enhances proppant transport and conductivity, and facilitates deeper well stimulation with improved hydrocarbon production by maintaining stable fluid flow and controlled proppant distribution within the fracture network.
Implementation Method 1
Foam is a fluid composed from two immiscible liquid and gas phases. Gas is dispersed inside an aqueous (continuous) phase forming bubbles.
Implementation Method 2
Gas is dispersed inside an aqueous (continuous) phase forming bubbles
Implementation Method 3
mixing a gelling agent and water to form a base fluid
Implementation Method 4
One of the significant issues is that polymer residuals tend to be damaging for the formation resulting in reduced proppant pack conductivity
Implementation Method 5
alternating injecting into the formation the base fluid and the foam fluid, repeating the alternating injecting, forming regions of higher proppant concentration
Implementation Method 6
Foam comprises of large amount of gas and small amount of liquid. Thus, the interest of service companies and operators toward foam fracturing fluid as water-conservative well stimulation solution keeps rising.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, compositions, apparatus, and methods for hydraulically fracturing a subterranean formation traversed by a wellbore including mixing a gelling agent and water to form a base fluid, adding a gas and a proppant to the base fluid to form a foam fluid, alternating injecting into the formation the base fluid and the foam fluid, repeating the alternating injecting, forming regions of higher proppant concentration, and forming channels adjacent to the regions. Systems, compositions, apparatus, and methods for hydraulically fracturing a subterranean formation traversed by a wellbore including forming a base fluid with a gelling agent, forming a foam fluid with a gas and a proppant, injecting into the formation the base fluid, injecting into the formation the foam fluid, repeating the injecting the base fluid and foam fluid, and forming channels in the base fluid with faster flow than flow in the foam fluid.