The field data of shale fracturing demonstrate that the flowback performance of fracturing fluid is different from that of conventional reservoirs,where the flowback rate of shale fracturing fluid is lower than that o...The field data of shale fracturing demonstrate that the flowback performance of fracturing fluid is different from that of conventional reservoirs,where the flowback rate of shale fracturing fluid is lower than that of conventional reservoirs.At the early stage of flowback,there is no single-phase flow of the liquid phase in shale,but rather a gas-water two-phase flow,such that the single-phase flow model for tight oil and gas reservoirs is not applicable.In this study,pores and microfractures are extracted based on the experimental results of computed tomography(CT)scanning,and a spatial model of microfractures is established.Then,the influence of rough microfracture surfaces on the flow is corrected using the modified cubic law,which was modified by introducing the average deviation of the microfracture height as a roughness factor to consider the influence of microfracture surface roughness.The flow in the fracture network is simulated using the modified cubic law and the lattice Boltzmann method(LBM).The results obtained demonstrate that most of the fracturing fluid is retained in the shale microfractures,which explains the low fracturing fluid flowback rate in shale hydraulic fracturing.展开更多
The stability and mobility of proppant packs in hydraulic fractures during hydrocarbon production are numerically investigated by the lattice Boltzmann-discrete element coupling method(LB-DEM).This study starts with a...The stability and mobility of proppant packs in hydraulic fractures during hydrocarbon production are numerically investigated by the lattice Boltzmann-discrete element coupling method(LB-DEM).This study starts with a preliminary proppant settling test,from which a solid volume fraction of 0.575 is calibrated for the proppant pack in the fracture.In the established workflow to investigate proppant flowback,a displacement is applied to the fracture surfaces to compact the generated proppant pack as well as further mimicking proppant embedment under closure stress.When a pressure gradient is applied to drive the fluid-particle flow,a critical aperture-to-diameter ratio of 4 is observed,above which the proppant pack would collapse.The results also show that the volumetric proppant flowback rate increases quadratically with the fracture aperture,while a linear variation between the particle flux and the pressure gradient is exhibited for a fixed fracture aperture.The research outcome contributes towards an improved understanding of proppant flowback in hydraulic fractures,which also supports an optimised proppant size selection for hydraulic fracturing operations.展开更多
The pivotal areas for the extensive and effective exploitation of shale gas in the Southern Sichuan Basin have recently transitioned from mid-deep layers to deep layers.Given challenges such as intricate data analysis...The pivotal areas for the extensive and effective exploitation of shale gas in the Southern Sichuan Basin have recently transitioned from mid-deep layers to deep layers.Given challenges such as intricate data analysis,absence of effective assessment methodologies,real-time control strategies,and scarce knowledge of the factors influencing deep gas wells in the so-called flowback stage,a comprehensive study was undertaken on over 160 deep gas wells in Luzhou block utilizing linear flow models and advanced big data analytics techniques.The research results show that:(1)The flowback stage of a deep gas well presents the characteristics of late gas channeling,high flowback rate after gas channeling,low 30-day flowback rate,and high flowback rate corresponding to peak production;(2)The comprehensive parameter AcmKm1/2 in the flowback stage exhibits a strong correlation with the Estimated Ultimate Recovery(EUR),allowing for the establishment of a standardized chart to evaluate EUR classification in typical shale gas wells during this stage.This enables quantitative assessment of gas well EUR,providing valuable insights into production potential and performance;(3)The spacing range and the initial productivity of gas wells have a significant impact on the overall effectiveness of gas wells.Therefore,it is crucial to further explore rational well patterns and spacing,as well as optimize initial drainage and production technical strategies in order to improve their performance.展开更多
A deep understanding of the geometric impacts of fracture on fracturing fluid flowback efficiency is essential for unconventional oil development. Using nuclear magnetic resonance and 2.5-dimensional matrix-fracture v...A deep understanding of the geometric impacts of fracture on fracturing fluid flowback efficiency is essential for unconventional oil development. Using nuclear magnetic resonance and 2.5-dimensional matrix-fracture visualization microfluidic models, qualitative and quantitative descriptions of the influences of connectivity between primary fracture and secondary fracture on flowback were given from core scale to pore network scale. The flow patterns of oil-gel breaking fluid two-phase flow during flowback under different fracture connectivity were analyzed. We found some counterintuitive results that non-connected secondary fracture (NCSF, not connect with artificial primary fracture and embedded in the matrix) is detrimental to flowbackefficiency. The NCSF accelerates the formation of oil channeling during flowback, resulting in a large amount of fracturing fluid trapped in the matrix, which is not beneficial for flowback. Whereas the connected secondary fracture (CSF, connected with the artificial primary fracture) is conducive to flowback. The walls of CSF become part of primary fracture, which expands the drainage area with low resistance, and delays the formation of the oil flow channel. Thus, CSF increases the high-speed flowback stage duration, thereby enhancing the flowback efficiency. The fracturing fluid flowback efficiency investigated here follows the sequence of the connected secondary fracture model (72%) > the matrix model (66%) > the non-connected secondary fracture model (38%). Our results contribute to hydraulic fracturing design and the prediction of flowback efficiency.展开更多
To address proppant flowback issues during post-fracturing treatments and production,self-healing elastomer modified proppants(SMPs)are proposed.Owing to their inherent self-aggregation behavior,the SMPs can aggregate...To address proppant flowback issues during post-fracturing treatments and production,self-healing elastomer modified proppants(SMPs)are proposed.Owing to their inherent self-aggregation behavior,the SMPs can aggregate together spontaneously to prevent proppant flowback and increase the pack porosity.It is noteworthy that the SMPs have a firm and dry self-healing elastomer(SE)coating,making their storage,transport and use as conventional proppants possible.The SE synthesized through polymerization is rich in amidogens and carbonyl groups as characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and the proton nuclear magnetic resonance.Thermal and thermomechanical properties of the SE coating are revealed by the thermogravimetric analysis,the differential scanning calorimetry and the rheological tests.The self-aggregation behavior of the SMPs is demonstrated by the adhesion force tests.The reversible hydrogen bonding interactions in SE coating contribute to the self-aggregation behavior of the SMPs,which is revealed by the thixotropy test and the FTIR analysis at different temperatures.With the self-aggregation behavior,the crushed proppants can aggregate in situ to form a stable structure again and therefore reduce the threat of narrowing down the fracture and proppant flowback,which has an important practical significance during oil and gas production.展开更多
We aim at the development of a general modelling workflow for design and optimization of the well flowback and startup operation on hydraulically fractured wells.Fracture flowback model developed earlier by the author...We aim at the development of a general modelling workflow for design and optimization of the well flowback and startup operation on hydraulically fractured wells.Fracture flowback model developed earlier by the authors is extended to take into account several new fluid mechanics factors accompanying flowback,namely,viscoplastic rheology of unbroken cross-linked gel and coupled“fracture-reservoir”numerical submodel for influx from rock formation.We also developed models and implemented new geomechanical factors,namely,(i)fracture closure in gaps between proppant pillars and in proppant-free cavity in the vicinity of the well taking into account formation creep;(ii)propagation of plastic deformations due to tensile rock failure from the fracture face into the fluid-saturated reservoir.We carried out parametric calculations to study the dynamics of fracture conductivity during flowback and its effect on well production for the set of parameters typical of oil wells in Achimov formation of Western Siberia,Russia.The first set of calculations is carried out using the flowback model in the reservoir linear flow regime.It is obtained that the typical length of hydraulic fracture zone,in which tensile rock failure at the fracture walls occurs,is insignificant.In the range of rock permeability in between 0.01 mD and 1 D,we studied the effect of non-dimensional governing parameters as well as bottomhole pressure drop dynamics on oil production.We obtained a map of pressure drop regimes(fast,moderate or slow)leading to maximum cumulative oil production.The second set of parametric calculations is carried out using integrated well production modelling workflow,in which the flowback model acts as a missing link in between hydraulic fracturing and reservoir commercial simulators.We evaluated quantitatively effects of initial fracture aperture,proppant diameter,yield stress of fracturing fluid,pressure drop rate and proppant material type(ceramic and sand)on long-term well production beyond formation linear regime.The third set of parametric calculations is carried out using the flowback model history-matched to field data related to production of four multistage hydraulically fractured oil wells in Achimov formation of Western Siberia,Russia.On the basis of the matched model we evaluated geomechanics effects on fracture conductivity degradation.We also performed sensitivity analysis in the framework of the history-matched model to study the impact of geomechanics and fluid rheology parameters on flowback efficiency.展开更多
Multiple fractured horizontal wells (MFHWs) currently are the only possible means of commercial production from the low and ultra-low permeability unconventional gas reservoirs. In early production time, flowback flui...Multiple fractured horizontal wells (MFHWs) currently are the only possible means of commercial production from the low and ultra-low permeability unconventional gas reservoirs. In early production time, flowback fluid, which constitutes of hydraulic water and gas flow within fractures, is collected and analyzed. Flowback analysis has been shown to be a useful tool to estimate key properties of the hydraulic fracture such as conductivity and pore volume. Until date, most tools of flowback analysis rely on empirical and approximate methods. This study presents an improved Green-function-based semi-analytical solution for performance analysis of horizontal gas wells during flowback and early production periods. The proposed solution is derived based on coupling the solutions of two domains: a rigorously derived Green’s function-based integral solution for single-phase gas flow in matrix, and a finite-difference, multiphase solution for gas–water two-phase flow in the fracture. The validity of proposed semi-analytical solution is verified by finely gridded numerical models built in a commercial simulator for a series of synthetic cases considering a variety of fluid and reservoir property combinations, as well as various different production constraints. Comparisons against available empirical and approximate methods are also provided for these cases.展开更多
CO_(2) dry fracturing is a promising alternative method to water fracturing in tight gas reservoirs,especially in water-scarce areas such as the Loess Plateau.The CO_(2) flowback efficiency is a critical factor that a...CO_(2) dry fracturing is a promising alternative method to water fracturing in tight gas reservoirs,especially in water-scarce areas such as the Loess Plateau.The CO_(2) flowback efficiency is a critical factor that affects the final gas production effect.However,there have been few studies focusing on the flowback characteristics after CO_(2) dry fracturing.In this study,an extensive core-to-field scale study was conducted to investigate CO_(2) flowback characteristics and CH_(4) production behavior.Firstly,to investigate the impact of core properties and production conditions on CO_(2) flowback,a series of laboratory experiments at the core scale were conducted.Then,the key factors affecting the flowback were analyzed using the grey correlation method based on field data.Finally,taking the construction parameters of Well S60 as an example,a dual-permeability model was used to characterize the different seepage fields in the matrix and fracture for tight gas reservoirs.The production parameters after CO_(2) dry fracturing were then optimized.Experimental results demonstrate that CO_(2) dry fracturing is more effective than slickwater fracturing,with a 9.2%increase in CH_(4) recovery.The increase in core permeability plays a positive role in improving CH_(4) production and CO_(2) flowback.The soaking process is mainly affected by CO_(2) diffusion,and the soaking time should be controlled within 12 h.Increasing the flowback pressure gradient results in a significant increase in both CH_(4) recovery and CO_(2) flowback efficiency.While,an increase in CO_(2) injection is not conducive to CH_(4) production and CO_(2) flowback.Based on the experimental and field data,the important factors affecting flowback and production were comprehensively and effectively discussed.The results show that permeability is the most important factor,followed by porosity and effective thickness.Considering flowback efficiency and the influence of proppant reflux,the injection volume should be the minimum volume that meets the requirements for generating fractures.The soaking time should be short which is 1 day in this study,and the optimal bottom hole flowback pressure should be set at 10 MPa.This study aims to improve the understanding of CO_(2) dry fracturing in tight gas reservoirs and provide valuable insights for optimizing the process parameters.展开更多
Hydraulic fracturing facilitates the development and exploitation of unconventional reservoirs.In this study,the injected hydraulic fracturing fluid(HFF)and flowback and produced water(FPW)in tight oil reservoirs of t...Hydraulic fracturing facilitates the development and exploitation of unconventional reservoirs.In this study,the injected hydraulic fracturing fluid(HFF)and flowback and produced water(FPW)in tight oil reservoirs of the Lucaogou Formation in the Junggar Basin are temporally sampled from day 1 to day 64.Freshwater is used for fracturing,and HFF is obtained.The chemical and isotopic parameters(including the water type,total salinity,total dissolved solids(TDS),pH,concentrations of Na^(+),Cl^(-),Ba^(+),K^(+),Fe^(2+)+Fe^(3+),and CO_(3)^(2-),dD,and δ^(18)O)are experimentally obtained,and their variations with time are systematically analyzed based on the flowback water.The results show that the water type,Na/Cl ratio,total salinity,and TDS of the FPW change periodically primarily due to the HFF mixing with formation water,thus causing δD and δ^(18)O to deviate from the meteoric water line of Xinjiang.Because of watererock interaction(WRI),the concentrations of Fe^(2+)+Fe^(3+)and CO_(3)^(2-)of the FPW increase over time,with the solution pH becoming more alkaline.Furthermore,based on the significant changes observed in the geochemistry of the FPW,three separate time intervals of flowback time are identified:Stage Ⅰ(<10 days),where the FPW is dominated by the HFF and the changes in ions and isotopes are mainly caused by the WRI;Stage Ⅱ(10-37 days),where the FPW is dominated by the addition of formation water to the HFF and the WRI is weakened;and finally,Stage Ⅲ(>37 days),where the FPW is dominated by the chemistry of the formation water.The methodology implemented in this study can provide critical support for the source identification of formation water.展开更多
Hydrogeochemical processes that would occur in polluted groundwater and aquifer system,may reduce the sensitivity of Sr isotope being the indicator of hydraulic fracturing flowback fluids(HFFF)in groundwater.In this p...Hydrogeochemical processes that would occur in polluted groundwater and aquifer system,may reduce the sensitivity of Sr isotope being the indicator of hydraulic fracturing flowback fluids(HFFF)in groundwater.In this paper,the Dameigou shale gas field in the northern Qaidam Basin was taken as the study area,where the hydrogeochemical processes affecting Sr isotope was analysed.Then,the model for Sr isotope in HFFF-polluted groundwater was constructed to assess the sensitivity of Sr isotope as HFFF indicator.The results show that the dissolution can release little Sr to polluted groundwater and cannot affect the εSr(the deviation of the 87Sr/86Sr ratio)of polluted groundwater.In the meantime,cation exchange can considerably affect Sr composition in the polluted groundwater.The Sr with low εSr is constantly released to groundwater from the solid phase of aquifer media by cation exchange with pollution of Quaternary groundwater by the HFFF and it accounts for 4.6% and 11.0% of Sr in polluted groundwater when the HFFF flux reaches 10% and 30% of the polluted groundwater,respectively.However,the Sr from cation exchange has limited impact on Sr isotope in polluted groundwater.Addition of Sr from cation exchange would only cause a 0.2%and 1.2% decrease in εSr of the polluted groundwater when the HFFF flux reaches 10% and 30% of the polluted groundwater,respectively.These results demonstrate that hydrogeochemical processes have little effect on the sensitivity of Sr isotope being the HFFF indicator in groundwater of the study area.For the scenario of groundwater pollution by HFFF,when the HFFF accounts for 5%(in volume percentage)of the polluted groundwater,the HFFF can result in detectable shifts of εSr(Δ_(εSr)=0.86)in natural groundwater.Therefore,after consideration of hydrogeochemical processes occurred in aquifer with input of the HFFF,Sr isotope is still a sensitive indicator of the Quaternary groundwater pollution by the HFFF produced in the Dameigou shale of Qaidam Basin.展开更多
In this paper, the methods developed by?[1] are used to analyze flowback data, which involves modeling flow both before and after the breakthrough of formation fluids. Despite the versatility of these techniques, achi...In this paper, the methods developed by?[1] are used to analyze flowback data, which involves modeling flow both before and after the breakthrough of formation fluids. Despite the versatility of these techniques, achieving an optimal combination of parameters is often difficult with a single deterministic analysis. Because of the uncertainty in key model parameters, this problem is an ideal candidate for uncertainty quantification and advanced assisted history-matching techniques, including Monte Carlo (MC) simulation and genetic algorithms (GAs) amongst others. MC simulation, for example, can be used for both the purpose of assisted history-matching and uncertainty quantification of key fracture parameters. In this work, several techniques are tested including both single-objective (SO) and multi-objective (MO) algorithms for history-matching and uncertainty quantification, using a light tight oil (LTO) field case. The results of this analysis suggest that many different algorithms can be used to achieve similar optimization results, making these viable methods for developing an optimal set of key uncertain fracture parameters. An indication of uncertainty can also be achieved, which assists in understanding the range of parameters which can be used to successfully match the flowback data.展开更多
New developments in lab technologies help us to explore problems that were less understood in the past due to the limitations and technological constraints. One such problem of assessing the formation damage created b...New developments in lab technologies help us to explore problems that were less understood in the past due to the limitations and technological constraints. One such problem of assessing the formation damage created by the invasion of fracture fluid into the matrix at lab scale is the visualization of fluid saturation distributions inside the matrix. According to the current understanding, the high capillarity contrast between the fracture and the matrix creates a non-uniform saturation distribution of invaded fluid phase during flowback, with the saturations mostly concentrated at the fracture face. With the advent of microfluidics, their application has become more feasible to visually analyze the effectiveness of surfactants to mitigate the invasion-created formation damage and understand the impact of depth of invasion on the characteristics of flowback and oil productivity. Through our previous work, we have successfully demonstrated the capability of this new visualization tool in studying the factors of the presence of surfactant in the fracture fluid and its depth of invasion, to understand the flowback efficiencies and later oil productivities in oil-wet fractured formations. Since the substrate for flooding was a proxy model of an actual rock, the chip flooding results need to be validated with conventional core flooding experiments. In contemporary times, when the new advancements in technology are driving the research progress in all industries, it is mandatory to take a well informed decision by imposing a comparative check on the results with accessible conventional means, wherever possible. The success of validation of chip flooding approach with the core flooding approach in this work instates a strong belief over the application of microfluidics to pursue more research in related fields of oil recovery.展开更多
A numerical model of hydraulic fracture propagation is introduced for a representative reservoir(Yuanba continental tight sandstone gas reservoir in Northeast Sichuan).Different parameters are considered,i.e.,the inte...A numerical model of hydraulic fracture propagation is introduced for a representative reservoir(Yuanba continental tight sandstone gas reservoir in Northeast Sichuan).Different parameters are considered,i.e.,the interlayer stress difference,the fracturing discharge rate and the fracturing fluid viscosity.The results show that these factors affect the gas and water production by influencing the fracture size.The interlayer stress difference can effectively control the fracture height.The greater the stress difference,the smaller the dimensionless reconstruction volume of the reservoir,while the flowback rate and gas production are lower.A large displacement fracturing construction increases the fracture-forming efficiency and expands the fracture size.The larger the displacement of fracturing construction,the larger the dimensionless reconstruction volume of the reservoir,and the higher the fracture-forming efficiency of fracturing fluid,the flowback rate,and the gas production.Low viscosity fracturing fluid is suitable for long fractures,while high viscosity fracturing fluid is suitable for wide fractures.With an increase in the fracturing fluid viscosity,the dimensionless reconstruction volume and flowback rate of the reservoir display a non-monotonic behavior,however,their changes are relatively small.展开更多
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.52022087).
文摘The field data of shale fracturing demonstrate that the flowback performance of fracturing fluid is different from that of conventional reservoirs,where the flowback rate of shale fracturing fluid is lower than that of conventional reservoirs.At the early stage of flowback,there is no single-phase flow of the liquid phase in shale,but rather a gas-water two-phase flow,such that the single-phase flow model for tight oil and gas reservoirs is not applicable.In this study,pores and microfractures are extracted based on the experimental results of computed tomography(CT)scanning,and a spatial model of microfractures is established.Then,the influence of rough microfracture surfaces on the flow is corrected using the modified cubic law,which was modified by introducing the average deviation of the microfracture height as a roughness factor to consider the influence of microfracture surface roughness.The flow in the fracture network is simulated using the modified cubic law and the lattice Boltzmann method(LBM).The results obtained demonstrate that most of the fracturing fluid is retained in the shale microfractures,which explains the low fracturing fluid flowback rate in shale hydraulic fracturing.
基金Funding support from Heilongjiang"Open Competition"project(Grant No.DQYT2022-JS-758)is greatly acknowledgedFinancial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.52304025 and 52174025)is acknowledged+1 种基金supports from Northeast Petroleum University and Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundationsupport from the Heilongjiang Touyan Innovation Team Program.
文摘The stability and mobility of proppant packs in hydraulic fractures during hydrocarbon production are numerically investigated by the lattice Boltzmann-discrete element coupling method(LB-DEM).This study starts with a preliminary proppant settling test,from which a solid volume fraction of 0.575 is calibrated for the proppant pack in the fracture.In the established workflow to investigate proppant flowback,a displacement is applied to the fracture surfaces to compact the generated proppant pack as well as further mimicking proppant embedment under closure stress.When a pressure gradient is applied to drive the fluid-particle flow,a critical aperture-to-diameter ratio of 4 is observed,above which the proppant pack would collapse.The results also show that the volumetric proppant flowback rate increases quadratically with the fracture aperture,while a linear variation between the particle flux and the pressure gradient is exhibited for a fixed fracture aperture.The research outcome contributes towards an improved understanding of proppant flowback in hydraulic fractures,which also supports an optimised proppant size selection for hydraulic fracturing operations.
文摘The pivotal areas for the extensive and effective exploitation of shale gas in the Southern Sichuan Basin have recently transitioned from mid-deep layers to deep layers.Given challenges such as intricate data analysis,absence of effective assessment methodologies,real-time control strategies,and scarce knowledge of the factors influencing deep gas wells in the so-called flowback stage,a comprehensive study was undertaken on over 160 deep gas wells in Luzhou block utilizing linear flow models and advanced big data analytics techniques.The research results show that:(1)The flowback stage of a deep gas well presents the characteristics of late gas channeling,high flowback rate after gas channeling,low 30-day flowback rate,and high flowback rate corresponding to peak production;(2)The comprehensive parameter AcmKm1/2 in the flowback stage exhibits a strong correlation with the Estimated Ultimate Recovery(EUR),allowing for the establishment of a standardized chart to evaluate EUR classification in typical shale gas wells during this stage.This enables quantitative assessment of gas well EUR,providing valuable insights into production potential and performance;(3)The spacing range and the initial productivity of gas wells have a significant impact on the overall effectiveness of gas wells.Therefore,it is crucial to further explore rational well patterns and spacing,as well as optimize initial drainage and production technical strategies in order to improve their performance.
基金supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China(Grant No.2019YFA0708700).
文摘A deep understanding of the geometric impacts of fracture on fracturing fluid flowback efficiency is essential for unconventional oil development. Using nuclear magnetic resonance and 2.5-dimensional matrix-fracture visualization microfluidic models, qualitative and quantitative descriptions of the influences of connectivity between primary fracture and secondary fracture on flowback were given from core scale to pore network scale. The flow patterns of oil-gel breaking fluid two-phase flow during flowback under different fracture connectivity were analyzed. We found some counterintuitive results that non-connected secondary fracture (NCSF, not connect with artificial primary fracture and embedded in the matrix) is detrimental to flowbackefficiency. The NCSF accelerates the formation of oil channeling during flowback, resulting in a large amount of fracturing fluid trapped in the matrix, which is not beneficial for flowback. Whereas the connected secondary fracture (CSF, connected with the artificial primary fracture) is conducive to flowback. The walls of CSF become part of primary fracture, which expands the drainage area with low resistance, and delays the formation of the oil flow channel. Thus, CSF increases the high-speed flowback stage duration, thereby enhancing the flowback efficiency. The fracturing fluid flowback efficiency investigated here follows the sequence of the connected secondary fracture model (72%) > the matrix model (66%) > the non-connected secondary fracture model (38%). Our results contribute to hydraulic fracturing design and the prediction of flowback efficiency.
基金the support from the National Key R&D Program of China(grant number 2018YFA0702400)the Major Scientific and Technological Projects of CNPC(grant number ZD2019-183-007)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(grant number No.19CX02017A)。
文摘To address proppant flowback issues during post-fracturing treatments and production,self-healing elastomer modified proppants(SMPs)are proposed.Owing to their inherent self-aggregation behavior,the SMPs can aggregate together spontaneously to prevent proppant flowback and increase the pack porosity.It is noteworthy that the SMPs have a firm and dry self-healing elastomer(SE)coating,making their storage,transport and use as conventional proppants possible.The SE synthesized through polymerization is rich in amidogens and carbonyl groups as characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and the proton nuclear magnetic resonance.Thermal and thermomechanical properties of the SE coating are revealed by the thermogravimetric analysis,the differential scanning calorimetry and the rheological tests.The self-aggregation behavior of the SMPs is demonstrated by the adhesion force tests.The reversible hydrogen bonding interactions in SE coating contribute to the self-aggregation behavior of the SMPs,which is revealed by the thixotropy test and the FTIR analysis at different temperatures.With the self-aggregation behavior,the crushed proppants can aggregate in situ to form a stable structure again and therefore reduce the threat of narrowing down the fracture and proppant flowback,which has an important practical significance during oil and gas production.
文摘We aim at the development of a general modelling workflow for design and optimization of the well flowback and startup operation on hydraulically fractured wells.Fracture flowback model developed earlier by the authors is extended to take into account several new fluid mechanics factors accompanying flowback,namely,viscoplastic rheology of unbroken cross-linked gel and coupled“fracture-reservoir”numerical submodel for influx from rock formation.We also developed models and implemented new geomechanical factors,namely,(i)fracture closure in gaps between proppant pillars and in proppant-free cavity in the vicinity of the well taking into account formation creep;(ii)propagation of plastic deformations due to tensile rock failure from the fracture face into the fluid-saturated reservoir.We carried out parametric calculations to study the dynamics of fracture conductivity during flowback and its effect on well production for the set of parameters typical of oil wells in Achimov formation of Western Siberia,Russia.The first set of calculations is carried out using the flowback model in the reservoir linear flow regime.It is obtained that the typical length of hydraulic fracture zone,in which tensile rock failure at the fracture walls occurs,is insignificant.In the range of rock permeability in between 0.01 mD and 1 D,we studied the effect of non-dimensional governing parameters as well as bottomhole pressure drop dynamics on oil production.We obtained a map of pressure drop regimes(fast,moderate or slow)leading to maximum cumulative oil production.The second set of parametric calculations is carried out using integrated well production modelling workflow,in which the flowback model acts as a missing link in between hydraulic fracturing and reservoir commercial simulators.We evaluated quantitatively effects of initial fracture aperture,proppant diameter,yield stress of fracturing fluid,pressure drop rate and proppant material type(ceramic and sand)on long-term well production beyond formation linear regime.The third set of parametric calculations is carried out using the flowback model history-matched to field data related to production of four multistage hydraulically fractured oil wells in Achimov formation of Western Siberia,Russia.On the basis of the matched model we evaluated geomechanics effects on fracture conductivity degradation.We also performed sensitivity analysis in the framework of the history-matched model to study the impact of geomechanics and fluid rheology parameters on flowback efficiency.
基金support from National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.52174042)China University of Petroleum Beijing(No.2462021YXZZ011,No.PRP/indep-4-2113)for the completion of this study.
文摘Multiple fractured horizontal wells (MFHWs) currently are the only possible means of commercial production from the low and ultra-low permeability unconventional gas reservoirs. In early production time, flowback fluid, which constitutes of hydraulic water and gas flow within fractures, is collected and analyzed. Flowback analysis has been shown to be a useful tool to estimate key properties of the hydraulic fracture such as conductivity and pore volume. Until date, most tools of flowback analysis rely on empirical and approximate methods. This study presents an improved Green-function-based semi-analytical solution for performance analysis of horizontal gas wells during flowback and early production periods. The proposed solution is derived based on coupling the solutions of two domains: a rigorously derived Green’s function-based integral solution for single-phase gas flow in matrix, and a finite-difference, multiphase solution for gas–water two-phase flow in the fracture. The validity of proposed semi-analytical solution is verified by finely gridded numerical models built in a commercial simulator for a series of synthetic cases considering a variety of fluid and reservoir property combinations, as well as various different production constraints. Comparisons against available empirical and approximate methods are also provided for these cases.
基金support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.51904324,No.51974348)the Prospective Basic Major Science and Technology Projects for the 14th Five Year Plan(No.2021DJ2202).
文摘CO_(2) dry fracturing is a promising alternative method to water fracturing in tight gas reservoirs,especially in water-scarce areas such as the Loess Plateau.The CO_(2) flowback efficiency is a critical factor that affects the final gas production effect.However,there have been few studies focusing on the flowback characteristics after CO_(2) dry fracturing.In this study,an extensive core-to-field scale study was conducted to investigate CO_(2) flowback characteristics and CH_(4) production behavior.Firstly,to investigate the impact of core properties and production conditions on CO_(2) flowback,a series of laboratory experiments at the core scale were conducted.Then,the key factors affecting the flowback were analyzed using the grey correlation method based on field data.Finally,taking the construction parameters of Well S60 as an example,a dual-permeability model was used to characterize the different seepage fields in the matrix and fracture for tight gas reservoirs.The production parameters after CO_(2) dry fracturing were then optimized.Experimental results demonstrate that CO_(2) dry fracturing is more effective than slickwater fracturing,with a 9.2%increase in CH_(4) recovery.The increase in core permeability plays a positive role in improving CH_(4) production and CO_(2) flowback.The soaking process is mainly affected by CO_(2) diffusion,and the soaking time should be controlled within 12 h.Increasing the flowback pressure gradient results in a significant increase in both CH_(4) recovery and CO_(2) flowback efficiency.While,an increase in CO_(2) injection is not conducive to CH_(4) production and CO_(2) flowback.Based on the experimental and field data,the important factors affecting flowback and production were comprehensively and effectively discussed.The results show that permeability is the most important factor,followed by porosity and effective thickness.Considering flowback efficiency and the influence of proppant reflux,the injection volume should be the minimum volume that meets the requirements for generating fractures.The soaking time should be short which is 1 day in this study,and the optimal bottom hole flowback pressure should be set at 10 MPa.This study aims to improve the understanding of CO_(2) dry fracturing in tight gas reservoirs and provide valuable insights for optimizing the process parameters.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.U2003102).
文摘Hydraulic fracturing facilitates the development and exploitation of unconventional reservoirs.In this study,the injected hydraulic fracturing fluid(HFF)and flowback and produced water(FPW)in tight oil reservoirs of the Lucaogou Formation in the Junggar Basin are temporally sampled from day 1 to day 64.Freshwater is used for fracturing,and HFF is obtained.The chemical and isotopic parameters(including the water type,total salinity,total dissolved solids(TDS),pH,concentrations of Na^(+),Cl^(-),Ba^(+),K^(+),Fe^(2+)+Fe^(3+),and CO_(3)^(2-),dD,and δ^(18)O)are experimentally obtained,and their variations with time are systematically analyzed based on the flowback water.The results show that the water type,Na/Cl ratio,total salinity,and TDS of the FPW change periodically primarily due to the HFF mixing with formation water,thus causing δD and δ^(18)O to deviate from the meteoric water line of Xinjiang.Because of watererock interaction(WRI),the concentrations of Fe^(2+)+Fe^(3+)and CO_(3)^(2-)of the FPW increase over time,with the solution pH becoming more alkaline.Furthermore,based on the significant changes observed in the geochemistry of the FPW,three separate time intervals of flowback time are identified:Stage Ⅰ(<10 days),where the FPW is dominated by the HFF and the changes in ions and isotopes are mainly caused by the WRI;Stage Ⅱ(10-37 days),where the FPW is dominated by the addition of formation water to the HFF and the WRI is weakened;and finally,Stage Ⅲ(>37 days),where the FPW is dominated by the chemistry of the formation water.The methodology implemented in this study can provide critical support for the source identification of formation water.
基金This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.41302192)Natural Science Foundation of Hebei Province of China(No.D2018504011)+1 种基金China Geological Survey(No.DD20190555)the Ministry of land and resources of the People’s Republic of China(No.201411052).
文摘Hydrogeochemical processes that would occur in polluted groundwater and aquifer system,may reduce the sensitivity of Sr isotope being the indicator of hydraulic fracturing flowback fluids(HFFF)in groundwater.In this paper,the Dameigou shale gas field in the northern Qaidam Basin was taken as the study area,where the hydrogeochemical processes affecting Sr isotope was analysed.Then,the model for Sr isotope in HFFF-polluted groundwater was constructed to assess the sensitivity of Sr isotope as HFFF indicator.The results show that the dissolution can release little Sr to polluted groundwater and cannot affect the εSr(the deviation of the 87Sr/86Sr ratio)of polluted groundwater.In the meantime,cation exchange can considerably affect Sr composition in the polluted groundwater.The Sr with low εSr is constantly released to groundwater from the solid phase of aquifer media by cation exchange with pollution of Quaternary groundwater by the HFFF and it accounts for 4.6% and 11.0% of Sr in polluted groundwater when the HFFF flux reaches 10% and 30% of the polluted groundwater,respectively.However,the Sr from cation exchange has limited impact on Sr isotope in polluted groundwater.Addition of Sr from cation exchange would only cause a 0.2%and 1.2% decrease in εSr of the polluted groundwater when the HFFF flux reaches 10% and 30% of the polluted groundwater,respectively.These results demonstrate that hydrogeochemical processes have little effect on the sensitivity of Sr isotope being the HFFF indicator in groundwater of the study area.For the scenario of groundwater pollution by HFFF,when the HFFF accounts for 5%(in volume percentage)of the polluted groundwater,the HFFF can result in detectable shifts of εSr(Δ_(εSr)=0.86)in natural groundwater.Therefore,after consideration of hydrogeochemical processes occurred in aquifer with input of the HFFF,Sr isotope is still a sensitive indicator of the Quaternary groundwater pollution by the HFFF produced in the Dameigou shale of Qaidam Basin.
文摘In this paper, the methods developed by?[1] are used to analyze flowback data, which involves modeling flow both before and after the breakthrough of formation fluids. Despite the versatility of these techniques, achieving an optimal combination of parameters is often difficult with a single deterministic analysis. Because of the uncertainty in key model parameters, this problem is an ideal candidate for uncertainty quantification and advanced assisted history-matching techniques, including Monte Carlo (MC) simulation and genetic algorithms (GAs) amongst others. MC simulation, for example, can be used for both the purpose of assisted history-matching and uncertainty quantification of key fracture parameters. In this work, several techniques are tested including both single-objective (SO) and multi-objective (MO) algorithms for history-matching and uncertainty quantification, using a light tight oil (LTO) field case. The results of this analysis suggest that many different algorithms can be used to achieve similar optimization results, making these viable methods for developing an optimal set of key uncertain fracture parameters. An indication of uncertainty can also be achieved, which assists in understanding the range of parameters which can be used to successfully match the flowback data.
文摘New developments in lab technologies help us to explore problems that were less understood in the past due to the limitations and technological constraints. One such problem of assessing the formation damage created by the invasion of fracture fluid into the matrix at lab scale is the visualization of fluid saturation distributions inside the matrix. According to the current understanding, the high capillarity contrast between the fracture and the matrix creates a non-uniform saturation distribution of invaded fluid phase during flowback, with the saturations mostly concentrated at the fracture face. With the advent of microfluidics, their application has become more feasible to visually analyze the effectiveness of surfactants to mitigate the invasion-created formation damage and understand the impact of depth of invasion on the characteristics of flowback and oil productivity. Through our previous work, we have successfully demonstrated the capability of this new visualization tool in studying the factors of the presence of surfactant in the fracture fluid and its depth of invasion, to understand the flowback efficiencies and later oil productivities in oil-wet fractured formations. Since the substrate for flooding was a proxy model of an actual rock, the chip flooding results need to be validated with conventional core flooding experiments. In contemporary times, when the new advancements in technology are driving the research progress in all industries, it is mandatory to take a well informed decision by imposing a comparative check on the results with accessible conventional means, wherever possible. The success of validation of chip flooding approach with the core flooding approach in this work instates a strong belief over the application of microfluidics to pursue more research in related fields of oil recovery.
文摘A numerical model of hydraulic fracture propagation is introduced for a representative reservoir(Yuanba continental tight sandstone gas reservoir in Northeast Sichuan).Different parameters are considered,i.e.,the interlayer stress difference,the fracturing discharge rate and the fracturing fluid viscosity.The results show that these factors affect the gas and water production by influencing the fracture size.The interlayer stress difference can effectively control the fracture height.The greater the stress difference,the smaller the dimensionless reconstruction volume of the reservoir,while the flowback rate and gas production are lower.A large displacement fracturing construction increases the fracture-forming efficiency and expands the fracture size.The larger the displacement of fracturing construction,the larger the dimensionless reconstruction volume of the reservoir,and the higher the fracture-forming efficiency of fracturing fluid,the flowback rate,and the gas production.Low viscosity fracturing fluid is suitable for long fractures,while high viscosity fracturing fluid is suitable for wide fractures.With an increase in the fracturing fluid viscosity,the dimensionless reconstruction volume and flowback rate of the reservoir display a non-monotonic behavior,however,their changes are relatively small.
