The gel residues left behind in the pore spaces can significantly reduce the conductivity and effective propped fracture length of proppant packs placed in a formation.

Lower gel loadings have been utilized as a method to minimize polymer damage. This places less polymer into the formation but may also bring the treatment dangerously close to the lower limit of viscosity needed to transport proppant away from the wellbore and into the formation. This is significant in low perm gas wells where propped fracture length is the key to efficiently draining the reservoir. A carboxymethyl guar (CMG) polymer system is another means of reducing the amount of polymer we place into the formation. The CMG gives equivalent viscosity of a carboxymethyl hydrapropal guar (CMHPG) system with about half the polymer loading1 . This system can be applied with the same computer controlled chemical pumps and precise metering devices being used for conventional fluid systems.

This paper will look at the application of the CMG system in the Mid-Continent area consisting of Arkansas, Oklahoma and the Texas Panhandle and compare the production results to offset wells.

Keywords:
production result, application, fluid system, upstream oil & gas, sebastian, fracturing materials, oklahoma, fluid job, production comparison, information
Subjects:
Hydraulic Fracturing, Fracturing materials (fluids, proppant)
Copyright 2003, Society of Petroleum Engineers
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