Fracturing Fluid Fiber Surface Defects Proppant Settling
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional hydraulic fracturing techniques face challenges with proppant settling, leading to reduced fracture conductivity and increased proppant flowback, which limits hydrocarbon production and causes equipment issues.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating fibers with increased surface friction into the fracturing fluid to prevent proppant settling and ensure uniform distribution, forming a 3D network that stabilizes the proppant pack and maintains fracture openness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional hydraulic fracturing techniques are used without fiber modification, then the fracturing fluid can be easily pumped and injected, but proppant settling occurs leading to reduced fracture conductivity and increased proppant flowback
Solution Approach 1:
The fiber surface properties are modified by changing physical parameters such as surface roughness, hydrophobicity, or chemical composition through treatments like plasma, corona, or chemical etching. This alters the fiber's interaction with proppant and fluid, improving suspension stability and preventing settling without requiring complete system redesign
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines fibers with surface treatments that create composite structures at the interface between fiber and proppant/fluid. The treated fiber surface forms a composite system that enhances proppant suspension capability while maintaining fluid pumpability, resolving the contradiction between reliability and complexity
2Reliability
If fibers are added to prevent proppant settling, then fracture conductivity is improved, but the fluid viscosity increases making pumping more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
By modifying fiber surface parameters (roughness, charge, hydrophobicity), the fibers achieve better proppant suspension at lower concentrations. This reduces the overall fiber content needed in the fracturing fluid, thereby limiting viscosity increase and pumping energy requirements while maintaining suspension stability
Solution Approach 2:
The treated fiber surface acts as an intermediary that enhances proppant-fiber interaction efficiency. This allows fewer fibers to achieve the same suspension effect, reducing the impact on fluid viscosity and pumping energy while maintaining proppant suspension stability
3Manufacturing precision
If untreated fibers are used in fracturing fluid, then the system remains simple and cost-effective, but proppant distribution becomes non-uniform and settling increases
Solution Approach 1:
Surface treatment processes modify fiber parameters such as surface area, roughness, or chemical functionality in a controlled manner. These changes enhance proppant distribution uniformity through improved fiber-proppant interactions, while the treatment processes themselves are integrated into existing manufacturing workflows to maintain ease of manufacture
Solution Approach 2:
Fiber surface treatment is performed in advance during fiber manufacturing or prior to fluid mixing, ensuring uniform proppant distribution characteristics are built into the fibers before they enter the fracturing system. This preliminary action prevents settling issues without requiring complex real-time adjustments during fracturing operations
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
The use of fibers with enhanced surface friction effectively reduces proppant flowback, maintains fracture conductivity, and enhances hydrocarbon production by immobilizing proppants within the fracture, thereby improving well productivity.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of altered fiber particles having a plurality of defects on a surface of the fiber particles
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments disclosed herein relate to a fluid for use in well treatment having a carrier fluid and a plurality of altered fiber particles having a plurality of defects on a surface of the fiber particles. The fluid may be used for a method of fracturing a subterranean formation. The method includes injecting a fracturing fluid into a wellbore through the subterranean formation, thereby creating a fracture network in the subterranean formation, the fracturing fluid comprising a proppant and a plurality of fibers having a plurality of defects on a surface of the fibers.