Structural Stabilizer for Fiber-Proppant Complex in Fracturing
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Solution Overview
Problem
In SRV fracturing, the separation of fiber and proppant during migration due to low-density polyester fiber and high-density proppant in low-viscosity slick water leads to a high escape rate of fibers, which fails to improve proppant settlement and causes plugging issues in oil and gas operations.
Innovation Solution
A structural stabilizer comprising water, nitrogen-doped modified graphene oxide, kaolin, anionic surfactant, non-ionic short-chain alkyl polyglucoside, and polyacrylamide is used to enhance the interaction between polyester fibers and proppants, forming a stable complex that reduces fiber escape and improves proppant placement height.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If low-viscosity slick water is used to carry proppant in SRV fracturing, then the fracturing process is simple and cost-effective, but the fiber and proppant separate during migration due to density differences, causing high fiber escape rate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a structural stabilizer as an intermediary substance that mediates between the fiber and proppant. This stabilizer forms a bridge structure through its molecular structure, with one end interacting with fiber surfaces and the other end interacting with proppant surfaces, preventing their separation in low-viscosity slick water while maintaining the simplicity of the fracturing process
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite material system consisting of fiber-proppant-stabilizer complex. The structural stabilizer forms a composite structure with fiber and proppant through physical and chemical interactions, enhancing the overall stability of the complex while allowing the use of simple low-viscosity slick water for fracturing
2Productivity
If fibers are added to increase proppant migration distance and placement height, then proppant settlement profile is improved, but fiber escape rate increases due to low density of polyester fiber and high density of proppant
Solution Approach 1:
The structural stabilizer acts as a mediator that binds low-density polyester fibers and high-density proppants together through its molecular structure. The stabilizer's molecular chains interact with both fiber surfaces and proppant surfaces, creating a stable composite complex that prevents fiber escape while maintaining enhanced proppant placement height
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical-chemical parameters of the fiber-proppant system by introducing the structural stabilizer. This modifies the density distribution, surface properties, and interaction forces within the complex, enabling stable suspension in low-viscosity slick water and preventing fiber escape while maintaining high proppant placement
3Reliability
If fibers are used to prevent proppant backflow, then proppant placement effect is improved, but escaped fibers plug the oil nozzle causing bridge plug pumping incidents
Solution Approach 1:
The structural stabilizer serves as a mediator that prevents fiber escape while maintaining proppant placement effectiveness. By forming a stable bridge structure between fiber and proppant, the stabilizer ensures fibers remain bound to proppant during migration and placement, preventing them from escaping to plug oil nozzles or cause bridge plug pumping incidents
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 stabilizer significantly reduces the fiber escape rate from 80% to about 5% and increases proppant placement height by 40-50% in slick water systems, preventing plugging and enhancing the effectiveness of proppant migration and placement.
Implementation Method 1
the strong π-electron induced effect of graphene can effectively act on polyester fiber and proppant to adsorb the ester groups in polyester fiber and the hydroxyl groups on proppant surface respectively
Implementation Method 2
anionic surfactant and non-ionic shortchain alkyl polyglucoside act as functional additives, which promote the dispersion of nitrogen-doped modified graphene oxide and calcined kaolin in the system on the one hand
Implementation Method 3
a stable and complex microscopic three-dimensional dispersion structure is generated by nitrogen-doped modified graphene oxide with calcined kaolin, anionic surfactant and non-ionic short-chain alkyl polyglucoside through interface effect, charge induced effect and steric hindrance effect
Implementation Method 4
inorganic salt as an anti-swelling agent
Data Source
AI summary
A structural stabilizer for a fiber and proppant complex to enhance proppant migration and placement in a fractured well during propping and a preparation method thereof are provided. The structural stabilizer consists of: water, inorganic salt, kaolinite, nitrogen-doped modified graphene oxide, anionic surfactant, non-ionic alkyl polyglucoside, and polyacrylamide. The structural stabilizer improves bonding between a proppant and a fiber when slick water is used in stimulated reservoir volume (SRV) fracturing, prevents separation of the fiber and the proppant during migration, thereby reducing escape rate of the fiber from the fiber and proppant complex.