Transport and placement patterns and application of micronized proppant

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1006-6535.2025.01.018

Abstract

Abstract: To address the issue of inadequate support for numerous micro-fractures during reservoir volumetric fracturing, this study has identified micronized proppant with smaller particle sizes and superior suspension performance as the preferred choice. The transport and placement patterns of this proppant within complex fractures were investigated using Fluent software, and the fracturing effects were compared between 70/140-mesh ceramic proppant and micronized proppant using FracMan software. The study shows that: micronized proppant is predominantly placed within secondary fractures, exhibiting a distribution pattern characterized by a "high in the front and low in the back" morphology. In primary branch fractures, a significant amount of micronized proppant remains in suspension, with only the 200-mesh micronized proppant undergoing sedimentation. The equilibrium height and area of the sandbanks formed are relatively small, failing to create effective sandbanks. The placement pattern of micronized proppant is significantly influenced by particle size. As the mesh size of the proppant increases from 200 to 600 meshes, the equilibrium height and area of sandbanks in secondary and tertiary branch fractures gradually increase. When the mesh size reaches 800 mesh, the particle size is so small that a large number of proppant particles remain in suspension and do not settle to form effective sandbanks, leading to potential under-support in the near-well micro-fractures. Compared to 70/140 mesh ceramic proppant, micronized proppant travels a greater distance and more readily penetrates into secondary and micro-fractures. The use of micronized proppant can increase the complexity of the fracture network, enhancing the shale reservoir stimulation volume by 17.71%, resulting in a significant improvement in reservoir stimulation effectiveness. This study can provide valuable insights for the application of micronized proppant.

Key words: micro-fracture, volumetric fracturing, proppant transport, conductivity, micronized proppant, shale

CLC Number:

TE348

LI Ting, WU Qingmiao, YANG Dan, ZENG Sijia, ZHAO Jiale, HE Meiqi, ZHOU Zhuo, YANG Jiahao. Transport and placement patterns and application of micronized proppant[J]. Special Oil & Gas Reservoirs, 2025, 32(1): 153-160.

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