Aqueous Polyacrylamide Concentrate Fracturing Fluid
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current fracturing processes, particularly slickwater fracturing, face challenges in achieving optimal performance due to issues with proppant settlement and turbulence, leading to inefficient fluid flow rates and excessive pumping pressures.
Innovation Solution
The use of a homogeneous aqueous polyacrylamide concentrate with a concentration of 3.1 to 10% polyacrylamides, manufactured through radical polymerization and comminution, is injected into the wellbore to enhance friction reduction and improve fluid flow, allowing for effective proppant suspension and fracture maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If high flow rates are used to prevent proppant settlement, then proppant suspension is improved, but pumping pressure becomes excessively high due to turbulence
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical-chemical parameters of the fracturing fluid by incorporating friction reducers (surfactants, polymers, or their combinations) to modify the fluid's rheological properties. This allows the fluid to maintain proppant suspension at lower flow rates while reducing turbulent pressure drops, thereby resolving the contradiction between proppant suspension reliability and pumping pressure
Solution Approach 2:
The friction reducers act as intermediary substances that mediate between the proppant particles and the fracturing fluid. These additives create a stable dispersion system where proppant remains suspended without requiring excessively high flow rates, thus preventing turbulent flow conditions while maintaining suspension stability
2Productivity
If friction reducers are added to reduce turbulence and pumping pressure, then fluid flow efficiency is improved, but proppant suspension capability may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs composite friction reduction systems combining multiple types of friction reducers (surfactants, polymers, or their combinations) to achieve synergistic effects. This composite approach maintains low turbulence and pumping pressure while simultaneously ensuring adequate proppant suspension capability through the combined actions of different friction reduction mechanisms
3Loss of energy
If conventional polyacrylamide solutions are used as friction reducers, then turbulence is reduced, but the concentration is limited to up to 3% by weight
Solution Approach 1:
The patent fundamentally changes the concentration parameter of polyacrylamide solutions by developing preparation methods that enable concentrations exceeding 3% by weight (specifically 3.1-10%). This parameter change allows for more effective friction reduction with higher polymer concentrations while maintaining solution stability and effectiveness in reducing pressure drops 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
This approach significantly enhances the performance of friction reducers in slickwater fracturing by improving fluid flow rates and reducing turbulence, thereby increasing the effectiveness of fracture initiation and extension in subterranean formations.
Implementation Method 1
The use of a homogeneous aqueous polyacrylamide concentrate with a concentration of 3.1 to 10% polyacrylamides, manufactured through radical polymerization and comminution, is injected into the wellbore to enhance friction reduction and improve fluid flow
Implementation Method 2
Because the density of proppants, such as sand particles usually is significantly higher than that of aqueous fluids, the suspension of the proppants in the fluid and the transport by the fluid requires particular attention. It is necessary to avoid that proppant settle in course of transport
Implementation Method 3
an aqueous fracturing fluid is injected into the well at a pressure sufficient to penetrate into the subterranean formation and to generate new fractures or fissures in the subterranean formation
Data Source
AI summary
Process of fracturing subterranean, oil-and/or gas-bearing formations by injecting an aqueous fracturing fluid into a wellbore at a rate and pressure sufficient to penetrate into the formation, and to initiate or extend fractures in the formation, wherein the aqueous fracturing fluid is obtained by mixing at least an aqueous base fluid and an aqueous polyacrylamide concentrate having a concentration of 3.1 to 14.9% by weight of polyacrylamides, relating to the total of all components of the aqueous polyacrylamide concentrate, and wherein at least a part of the aqueous fracturing fluid injected additionally comprises a proppant.