Abstract
The purpose of a hydraulic fracturing treatment is to provide a continuous path to the wellbore for hydrocarbon flow. The conductivity of this path has been shown to be effected by many factors including proppant size and physical properties, proppant fracture face concentration, closure pressure on the proppant and proppant pack damage. However, these studies have tended to investigate higher concentrations, typically in the range of 2 lbm/ft2 at closure pressures greater than 1,500 psi and temperatures in excess of 125° F. These criteria are generally outside the conditions experienced in typical Appalachian Basin applications.
This study investigates fracture face proppant concentrations less than 1.25 lbm/ft2, closure pressures less than 1,500 psi and temperatures below 125° F. In addition, the effects of polymer residue (actually polymer recovery) on low concentration proppant packs will be presented. The modified conductivity values are used in a production simulator to show the productivity effects exhibited by polymer residue in low fracture face proppant concentration wells.
