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Collaborating Authors
Hydraulic Fracturing
Abstract A new polymer based gel system has been developed to address the excessive water production problem in fractured unconventional gas wells. Currently available polymer based water shut-off agents are unsuitable for treating high temperature hydraulically-fractured tight gas and shale reservoirs, where some fractures connect to water rich zones. The new gel developed is a low-concentration, low-viscosity delayed-crosslink polymeric gel system and is a significant improvement over traditional flowing gels used for fracture water shutoff in conventional reservoirs. The gel uses high molecular weight hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (HPAM) at low concentrations with a delayed organic crosslinker that is more environmentally benign, provides much longer gelation time (up to several days at temperatures well above 100 °C) and stronger final gels than comparable polymer loadings with chromium carboxylate crosslinkers. Results indicate that gelant with a few tens of centipoise viscosity can have gelation delayed to 12 hours or longer at temperatures of 100 °C and higher. Gels prepared with 4000 to 7000 ppm of HPAM and Polyethylenimine (PEI) were significantly stronger than those prepared with the Chromium(III) Acetate crosslinker for the same HPAM concentrations. This new gel system allows low-pressure extrusion of gelant into narrow-aperture fractures. The system is especially promising for deeper, hotter formations where rapid pressure buildup or gel instability prevents the use of current flowing gel systems. The gelant can be pumped with low pressures due to low concentration of polymer and delayed gelation to effectively seal problem water zones thereby reducing operational costs and increasing recovery. By impeding water production, the gel system developed here can be used to delay water loading and subsequent premature abandonment (or installation of expensive equipment), thereby extending life and reserves of unconventional gas wells. Potential applications include the Barnett Shale, where 15 percent of wells produce more water than injected during drilling and stimulation, presumably due to hydraulic fracture growth into underlying water zones.
- Geology > Rock Type > Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Rock > Mudrock > Shale (0.45)
- Geology > Petroleum Play Type (0.34)
- North America > United States > Texas > Fort Worth Basin > Barnett Shale Formation (0.99)
- North America > United States > Texas > East Texas Salt Basin > Cotton Valley Group Formation (0.99)
- North America > United States > Louisiana > East Texas Salt Basin > Cotton Valley Group Formation (0.99)
- (6 more...)
- Well Completion > Hydraulic Fracturing (1.00)
- Reservoir Description and Dynamics > Unconventional and Complex Reservoirs > Shale gas (1.00)
- Reservoir Description and Dynamics > Improved and Enhanced Recovery > Chemical flooding methods (1.00)
- Production and Well Operations > Production Chemistry, Metallurgy and Biology > Downhole chemical treatments and fluid compatibility (1.00)
Simulation of Gel Filter Cake Formation, Gel Cleanup, and Post-Frac Well Performance in Hydraulically Fractured Gas Wells
Charoenwongsa, S.. (Colorado School of Mines) | Kazemi, H.. (Colorado School of Mines) | Fakcharoenphol, P.. (Colorado School of Mines) | Miskimins, J. L. (Colorado School of Mines)
Abstract Polymer and gel damage is a major issue in the cleanup of hydraulically fractured gas wells. This paper addresses this issue by using a gas-water flow model which simulates fracture propagation with gel filter cake formation as mechanical trapping of polymer molecules on the fracture face and filtrate transport into the adjacent matrix. The model accounts for polymer as a chemical component. This approach is different than treating polymer as a highly viscous gel phase, which is the common method in most literature. In this model, the gel filter cake thickness is calculated based on experimental data. For leakoff, the model allows only the sheared polymer molecules, which are the major cause of formation permeability reduction, to cross the fracture face into the formation and adsorb on the matrix. Other features of the model include water blockage, non-Newtonian flow, non-Darcy flow, and proppant and reservoir compaction.
- North America > United States (1.00)
- Europe (1.00)