Hydraulic Fracturing and Sand Control

Author: M. Sharma

Venue: Industry Workshop, Austin, Texas, May 7, 2008 (http://www.cpge.utexas.edu)

Abstract: The Hydraulic Fracturing and Sand Control project consists of a set of 9 projects (5 related to fracturing and 4 related to sand control) that are currently underway. The project began in 2006 and is planned to continue for at least 2 years (2008). Each member company contributes $50,000 per year as a grant to the University and in return receives all the research results from the projects underway.

F1. Energized fractures in tight gas sands/ gas shales (Kyle Freihof, Mukul Sharma)

F2. Refracturing and stress reorientation in sands / shales (Vasudev Singh, Nicolas Rousell, Mukul Sharma)

F3. Proppant placement / transport in fractures (Nicolas Rousell, Mukul Sharma)

F4. Removal of water blocks in tight rocks (K. Lee, Mukul Sharma)

F5. Improving the conductivity of proppant packs (Harry Linnemeyer, Vishal Bang, Mukul Sharma, Gary Pope)

S1. Fracture mechanics and frac-packs in poorly consolidated sands (Farshad Lalerokh, Mukul Sharma)

S2. Experimental measurements of mechanical and flow properties of poorly consolidated sands (Jon Olson, Mukul Sharma)

S3. Micro-mechanical models for mechanical, failure and flow properties of sands (Fatmir Likrama, Steve Bryant, Jon Olson)

S4. Sand control strategies in water/waste injection wells (Ajay Suri, Mukul Sharma)

Related NETL Project:
This presentation is related to the NETL project DE-FC26-06NT42955, “Design and Implementation of Energized Fracture Treatments in Tight Gas Sands.” The objective of this project is to develop a fracture design tool that incorporates thermal as well as compositional effects into a fully 3-dimensional hydraulic fracture simulator. This includes models for proppant transport in energized fluids (including light weight proppants) as well as models for flowback. In addition, the developed simulator will be field tested by optimizing the design and application of energized CO2 fracs in tight gas reservoirs operated by Anadarko Petroleum Corporation. It is expected that the developed simulator will significantly expand the use of energized fracs and improve their design and implementation in tight gas sands.

NETL Project Contacts
NETL – Virginia (Ginny) Weyland (Virginia.WEYLAND@netl.doe.gov or 918-699-2041)
University of Texas– Mukul M. Sharma (msharma@mail.utexas.edu or 512 471-3257)