Fractional sands — New instrument for hydraulic fracturing optimization

Background. For maintain and increasing oil production, in modern world it is required to development of hard-to-recover reservoirs, at the same time costs of building wells are increasing and barrel price is at a low level. All of that leads oil Companies to find new solutions and optimize costs. In this article, the authors show one of direction for optimization hydraulic fracturing, where they saw the potential for partial replacement ceramic proppant agent to a cheaper option, fractional sand. The work demonstrates the entire process, from finding suitable materials and suppliers to conducting calculations in various simulation tools and launching experimental work.

Materials and methods. The paper describes the entire process of investigating relationships, from the initial idea to its implementation in practice. It gives a basic assessment of the choice of a solution based on the geological conditions at the development sites and the properties of available proppant agents. This work allowed identifying boundary criteria for fractional sand and outlining a strategy for its implementation. Computational modeling and analytical sok ware, as well as production forecasting using a hydrodynamic model, became additional tools for experimental work. 

Results. The evaluation of the results from the fractional sand research has allowed establishing the criteria for its use, as well as formulating requirements for product suppliers. A method for evaluating potential has been developed, which allows for calculating the possibility of replacing proppant with sand in any geological settings. To reduce the risk of failing to achieve the desired production level, a strategy has been chosen to gradually increase the proportion of sand used in experimental work, with long-term monitoring of well performance and comparison with other wells in the area. At some facilities, a 30% replacement of the ceramic proppant agent with fractional sand has been achieved without loss of production, which is a strong indicator of the effectiveness of the approach and validity of the initial theory.

Conclusion. The direction of optimizing the cost of hydraulic fracturing using fractional sand has become an effective solution for the company. At the same time, the authors note that, in addition to product quality, an important and fundamental element of further development of this solution is its cost. 

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