Reservoir Fracturing Fluid Viscosifier Proppant Delivery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for enhancing hydrocarbon production in high modulus reservoirs, such as tight gas shales and unfractured carbonates, face challenges in maintaining fracture conductivity, especially in complex fracture systems where proppant delivery is inadequate, leading to reduced production rates and recovery efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A method that determines the textural complexity and induced fracture complexity of the reservoir to optimize fracture design, using shear stress introduction to promote self-propping of fractures and improve proppant distribution, thereby maintaining conductivity and enhancing production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If proppant is used to maintain fracture conductivity, then fracture conductivity is improved, but in complex fracture systems proppant delivery becomes inadequate leading to reduced production rates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical-chemical parameters of the fracturing fluid by introducing a viscosifier to increase fluid viscosity. This parameter change allows the fluid to carry proppant deeper into complex fracture systems, improving proppant delivery and maintaining fracture conductivity throughout the entire fracture network, thereby resolving the contradiction between fracture conductivity and production rate
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite fracturing fluid system by combining base fluid with viscosifier and proppant. This composite material has enhanced carrying capacity and can effectively deliver proppant to complex fracture regions, ensuring both fracture conductivity maintenance and high production rates are achieved simultaneously
2Quantity of substance
If simple fractures are created, then proppant delivery is adequate, but fracture surface area is limited reducing production potential
Solution Approach 1:
By increasing the viscosity parameter of the fracturing fluid through viscosifier addition, the fluid gains enhanced proppant carrying capability that enables adequate proppant delivery even in complex, high-surface-area fractures. This resolves the contradiction by allowing complex fracture geometries to be maintained with sufficient proppant support
3Productivity
If multiple simpler fractures are created to match production rates, then fracture surface area increases, but the approach becomes expensive and logistically complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables a single complex fracture to serve multiple functions that would otherwise require multiple simpler fractures. The viscosified fluid with enhanced proppant carrying capacity allows one fracture to achieve the cumulative production effect of multiple fractures while reducing operational complexity and cost, as the single fracture system self-optimizes through improved fluid mechanics
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 increases fracture conductivity and overall hydrocarbon recovery by ensuring that fractures remain open, even in complex systems, leading to higher production rates and more efficient reservoir drainage.
Implementation Method 1
maintaining the conductivity of the fractures through the introduction of shear stress into the reservoir
Data Source
AI summary
A method for stimulating production of a first wellbore associated with a reservoir. The method includes determining a textural complexity of a formation in which the reservoir is located, determining an induced fracture complexity of the formation using the textural complexity, determining a first operation to perform within the formation to maintain conductivity of the formation based on the induced fracture complexity and the textural complexity, performing the first operation within the formation, and fracturing the formation to create a first plurality of fractures.