Partial Monolayer Fracture Proppant Placement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional hydraulic fracturing methods often result in proppant particulates crushing or becoming compacted, leading to non-permeable masses that choke fluid flow and embed in soft formations, while methods to address relative density issues exacerbate filter cake problems, reducing fracture permeability.
Innovation Solution
The use of a clean fluid with degradable fluid loss additives, such as collagen, and optimized pumping schedules to create a partial monolayer fracture with proppant particulates at low concentrations, reducing filter cake buildup and increasing permeability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If traditional hydraulic fracturing uses high concentration proppant particulates to hold fracture open, then fracture support is improved, but proppant particulates crush and compact forming non-permeable masses that reduce fluid flow
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the concentration parameter of proppant particulates from traditional high concentration to low concentration (partial monolayer), fundamentally altering the fracture structure from a tight proppant pack to a sparse distribution that maintains fracture openness while preventing proppant crushing and compaction
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies partial monolayer proppant placement instead of full monolayer or packed proppant configurations. This partial action provides sufficient fracture support while maintaining adequate spacing between proppant particles to prevent crushing and maintain permeability
2Quantity of substance
If methods increase viscosity of fracturing fluid or add weighting agents to address relative density, then proppant transport is improved, but filter cake buildup increases reducing fracture permeability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the problematic additives (viscosifiers and weighting agents) from the fracturing fluid system, using a clean fluid without these substances. This eliminates the source of filter cake buildup while maintaining adequate proppant transport through optimized pumping schedules and clean fluid properties
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the fluid composition parameters by eliminating viscosifiers and weighting agents, using a clean fluid with different rheological properties. This parameter change reduces filter cake formation while maintaining proppant transport capability through alternative mechanisms
3Strength
If traditional fracturing places large volume of proppant particulates in fracture, then fracture openness is maintained, but porosity decreases to 26-46% reducing fluid flow capacity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the proppant concentration parameter from high to low, creating a partial monolayer configuration that increases porosity to 50-60% or higher while maintaining fracture openness through the strategic placement of fewer, widely spaced proppant particles
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 permeability by maintaining larger flow channels and reducing filter cake residue, achieving porosity between 50% to 60% or higher, enhancing fluid flow and reducing non-Darcy effects.
Implementation Method 1
clean fluid with degradable fluid loss additives, such as collagen
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are methods that include a method comprising: placing a clean fluid comprising proppant particulates into a portion of a fracture in a subterranean formation, and depositing one or more of the proppant particulates into the fracture to form a partial monolayer. In another aspect, the invention provides methods that include placing a degradable fluid loss additive comprising collagen into a subterranean formation.