Tracer-Based Proppant Placement Assessment in Hydraulic Fractures
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Solution Overview
Problem
Assessing the placement of proppant within fractures formed during hydraulic fracturing is challenging, affecting the effectiveness of resource recovery from subterranean formations.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a tracer chemical into the hydraulic fracturing fluid and proppant that interacts physico-chemically, allowing for the analysis of proppant placement by measuring tracer concentrations in recovered fluid samples, which reflects the proppant's interaction and placement within the formation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If hydraulic fracturing is performed to create fractures in subterranean formations, then resource recovery is enhanced, but assessment of proppant placement becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
A tracer chemical is introduced as an intermediary substance that couples to proppant particles. The tracer serves as a detectable mediator that allows indirect measurement of proppant placement by measuring tracer concentration in produced fluids, thereby solving the difficulty of directly assessing proppant placement while maintaining enhanced resource recovery
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces direct mechanical measurement or visual inspection methods with chemical tracing and concentration analysis. Instead of attempting to directly observe or mechanically measure proppant placement, the system uses chemical tracers and measures their concentration in fluids to infer proppant distribution, substituting a chemical-analytical approach for mechanical-detection approaches
2Measurement precision
If tracer chemical is incorporated into hydraulic fracturing fluid and proppant, then proppant placement can be assessed, but fluid composition becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces tracer chemicals with specific detectable parameters (concentration, chemical signature) into the fracturing fluid and proppant system. By changing the chemical composition to include these tracer substances, the system enables precise measurement of proppant placement through tracer concentration analysis in produced fluids, while the complexity is managed through selective tracer selection and analysis
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
Provides valuable insights into proppant placement, enabling informed decisions on well stimulation and improving resource recovery by identifying causes of poor production and optimizing hydraulic fracturing procedures.
Implementation Method 1
Incorporating a tracer chemical into the hydraulic fracturing fluid and proppant that interacts physico-chemically
Implementation Method 2
measuring tracer concentrations in recovered fluid samples, which reflects the proppant's interaction and placement within the formation
Data Source
AI summary
Placement of proppant in subterranean formations during hydraulic fracturing is assessed. A method of one aspect includes introducing a hydraulic fracturing fluid including a proppant into a subterranean formation through a well. Samples of the hydraulic fracturing fluid are recovered through the well over a period of time. A concentration of at least one tracer in each of the samples is determined. The concentrations of the at least one tracer in the samples are analyzed to assess placement of the proppant in the subterranean formation. Other methods, apparatus, and systems are also disclosed.