Resin-Coated Proppant for Acid Fracturing Flowback Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hydraulic fracturing operations face challenges with proppant crushing and flowback, especially in high stress formations, which reduce fracture conductivity and affect the success of acid fracturing methods.
Innovation Solution
The use of a viscous emulsified acid system with epoxy resin-coated proppant is introduced to inhibit proppant crushing and flowback, enhancing the proppant's compressive strength and resistance to closure stress, while maintaining the ability to form conductive channels in subterranean formations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If proppant fracturing is used to maintain fracture conductivity, then fracture conductivity is improved, but proppant crushing and flowback occur under high closure stress
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by coating proppant particles with a resin composition that combines an organometallic compound and a silane-modified polymer. This composite structure provides both the mechanical strength needed to resist closure stress and the chemical reactivity to bond with the formation, preventing proppant crushing and flowback while maintaining fracture conductivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the chemical parameters of the proppant surface by applying a resin coating containing specific chemical compounds. This modification transforms the proppant from a passive support material to an active bonding material that chemically attaches to the formation, fundamentally changing its interaction with the formation under stress.
2Reliability
If acid fracturing is used to create conductive channels, then fracture conductivity is improved, but proppant flowback reduces the effectiveness of the treatment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary anti-action by pre-coating proppant particles with a resin composition designed to prevent flowback before the fracturing operation begins. The coating creates a protective layer and chemical bonding capability that counteracts the tendency of proppant to flow back during and after the acid fracturing process.
Solution Approach 2:
The resin-coated proppant creates a composite material system where the proppant core provides mechanical support and the resin coating provides chemical bonding and flowback prevention, combining the benefits of both proppant fracturing and acid fracturing approaches.
3Stability of the object's composition
If resin coating is applied to proppant to prevent flowback, then proppant stability is improved, but the complexity of the fracturing system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the flowback prevention function from the bulk proppant material and concentrates it in a thin resin coating layer applied only to the proppant surface. This separation allows the proppant to maintain its primary function of providing mechanical support while the coating handles the chemical bonding and flowback prevention.
Solution Approach 2:
The resin coating is applied locally to the proppant surface rather than requiring modification of the entire proppant structure or the bulk fracturing fluid. This localized application provides the necessary stability enhancement with minimal impact on the overall system complexity.
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 resin-coated proppant system effectively reduces proppant flowback and crushing, sustaining fracture conductivity and facilitating the formation of stable, conductive channels that resist collapse under high closure stress, thereby improving the efficiency of acid fracturing operations.
Implementation Method 1
a crosslinked resin coating formed from the silane-modified polymer and the organometallic compound
Implementation Method 2
coating comprising a crosslinked resin coating formed from the silane-modified polymer and the organometallic compound
Implementation Method 3
enhancing the proppant's compressive strength and resistance to closure stress
Data Source
AI summary
A method for wellbore stimulation of a subterranean formation that includes preparing an emulsified acid, preparing a resin coated proppant, combining the emulsified acid and the resin coated proppant, mixing to form an acid fracturing slurry and performing a fracturing stimulation of a subterranean formation with the acid fracturing slurry containing the resin coated proppant.