Understanding Geochemical Interaction of Proppant-Formation For Improved Conductivity of Hydraulic Fractures

This paper presents proppant-pack-permeability and proppant crush-strength data collected from a selection of hydrothermal tests performed in sealed test cells packed with a specific ceramic alumnia proppant and formation material with no flow and no mechanical closure stress. Proppant performance was determined by evaluating the proppant after a set number of days of hydrothermal exposure at 300 and 450°F. These tests were performed both with and without formation material present to demonstrate the impact of reservoir/proppant compatibility. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) analyses verified that dynamic molecular rearrangement occurs even at 300°F, but at an accelerated rate when the temperature was higher. Extensive efforts to quantify both the accuracy and repeatability of testing procedures used in this study were made and are presented.