Resin Proppant Consolidation in Plug and Perf Completions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hydraulically fractured wells, especially unconventional wells, face proppant flowback issues that impact production and damage artificial lift equipment, as existing methods fail to effectively control proppant flowback during hydraulic fracturing treatments.
Innovation Solution
The plug and perf method is employed, which involves pumping a resin and activator into the wellbore using separate pump-down equipment, followed by a pre-flush and spacer, to consolidate proppant and prevent flowback, keeping frac equipment resin-free and allowing for efficient hydraulic fracturing operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional hydraulic fracturing methods are used, then production stimulation is achieved, but proppant flowback occurs damaging equipment and reducing production
Solution Approach 1:
The resin is pumped into the wellbore before the proppant, allowing it to be disposed into the formation and consolidate the proppant in place before flowback can occur. This preliminary consolidation action prevents the harmful flowback effect rather than addressing it after it occurs.
Solution Approach 2:
A resin intermediary substance is introduced between the proppant and the wellbore environment. The resin acts as a binding agent that mediates between the proppant particles and the formation, holding the proppant in place and preventing it from flowing back into the wellbore.
2Reliability
If resin is used to control proppant flowback, then proppant consolidation is improved, but frac equipment becomes contaminated with resin
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into separate functional components: pump-down equipment for delivering resin and activator, and frac equipment for delivering proppant. This segmentation allows the resin treatment to be applied separately through different equipment, preventing resin contamination of the frac equipment while maintaining effective proppant consolidation.
Solution Approach 2:
The resin delivery function is extracted from the frac equipment and assigned to separate pump-down equipment. By taking out the resin dispensing function, the frac equipment remains dedicated to proppant delivery only, avoiding resin contamination while the resin still performs its proppant consolidation function in the formation.
3Ease of manufacture
If separate pump-down equipment is used for resin delivery, then resin-free frac equipment is maintained, but equipment complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pump-down equipment is designed to perform multiple functions: delivering both the resin and the activator, and potentially the pre-flush and spacer fluids. By making the pump-down system multi-functional, the overall number of separate equipment systems is reduced, offsetting the initial complexity increase with operational versatility.
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 method effectively reduces proppant flowback, enhances production by maintaining equipment integrity, and allows for resin-free frac equipment operation, improving the efficiency and longevity of hydraulic fracturing treatments.
Implementation Method 1
a resin is pumped into the wellbore... to consolidate proppant and prevent flowback
Implementation Method 2
an activator for the resin is disposed into the stage... displacing the activator from the wellbore and into the at least one cluster of the stage
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques of the present disclosure relate to proppant flowback control using a plug and perf completion. A method comprises disposing a resin in at least one cluster of fractures of a stage; disposing an activator for the resin in the stage; displacing the activator from the wellbore and into the at least one cluster of the stage with a plug attached to a perforating apparatus; setting the plug such that the resin and the activator are contained in the stage; and perforating a subsequent stage.