Effect of Proppant Size and Surface Characteristics on the Critical Velocity Required for the Effective Transport of Proppants in Hydraulic Fracturing of Horizontal Wells

支撑剂输送效率是水力压裂作业的一个重要方面。支撑剂必须放置在适当的位置，以保持裂缝打开并增加碳氢化合物产量。工业上使用最广泛的支撑剂是砂和陶瓷等高密度颗粒。这些颗粒在水基流体中沉淀下来，它们在裂缝中的放置成为一项任务，需要高强度的泵送功率和大量的水基流体来确保这些重颗粒进入储集层中的特定区域。虽然使用化学方法使水力压裂液增粘以便于颗粒输送，但不希望使用化学品。泥水(非增粘流体)含有最少量的化学物质，是水力压裂作业的首选方案之一，但由于支撑剂沉淀在这些流体中，在实现有效的支撑剂输送方面遇到了困难。更好地理解支撑剂输送背后的驱动因素(即近壁湍流、流体流变性、支撑剂尺寸、密度和表面特性等)。根据该项目的结果，将有助于设计优化的压裂作业，通过避免过早沉降和支撑剂的筛选来确保支撑剂的正确放置。这将有助于开发新的、更可靠的支撑剂表面改性产品，从而实现更高效、更安全的压裂作业设计，以提高油藏产量。加拿大石油和天然气行业进行更高效、更经济的水力压裂工作的能力将从这项拟议的研究中受益匪浅。改进支撑剂运输的好处可能会减少作业中的水和能源消耗。此外，改进的浮水压裂作业将导致水力压裂市场使用更少的化学物质，为加拿大带来积极的环境优势。

Proppant transport efficiency is a critical aspect of hydraulic fracturing operations. Proppants must be properlyplaced to hold fractures open and enable increased hydrocarbon production. Proppants most widely used byindustry are high density particles like sand and ceramics. These particles settle down in water-based fluids andtheir placement to fractures becomes a task that requires high intensity pumping power and large amount ofwater-based fluids to ensure these heavy particles travel to specified zones in the reservoir. Although chemistryis used to viscosify fracking fluids to facilitate transport of particles, the use of chemicals is not desirable.Slickwater (non-viscosified fluid) contains a minimum amount of chemicals and is one of the preferred optionsfor hydraulic fracturing operations but difficulties are encountered in achieving efficient proppant transport dueto proppant settling in these fluids. An improved understanding of the drivers behind proppant transport (i.e.near wall turbulence, fluid rheological properties, proppant size, density, and surface characteristics, etc.) basedon the results from this project, will be useful for designing optimum fracturing operations which ensuresproper placement of proppants by avoiding premature settling and screening of proppants. This will helpdeveloping new, more reliable proppant surface modification products, resulting in more efficient and securefrac job designs for improved reservoir production. Canada's Oil and gas industry's capacity to conduct moreefficient and economical hydraulic fracturing jobs will benefit tremendously from this proposed study. Thebenefits in improved proppant transport will potentially lead to reduction of water and energy consumption inthe operations. In addition, improved slick-water fracturing jobs will result in use of less chemistry in thehydraulic fracturing market with positive environmental advantages for Canada.