Understanding and predicting proppant bedload transport in hydraulic fracture via numerical simulation

Wang，Duo1,2; Li，Sanbai2,3; Zhang，Dongxiao2,3; Pan，Zhejun1

2023-03-01

10.1016/j.powtec.2023.118232

POWDER TECHNOLOGY   Impact Factor & Quartile

0032-5910

1873-328X

The transport mechanism of densely-packed proppant bed is numerically investigated by the lattice Boltzmann-discrete element coupling method (LB-DEM). While many of the previous studies aimed at proppant-laden slurry flow, this study focuses on the bedload transport of the settled proppant in the primary fracture. By constructing an ideal horizontal fracture, a detailed study on proppant bed motion induced by shearing flow is performed. The results show that the particle flux increases quadratically with the fluid flux, from which a nonlinear relationship is concluded. Further investigations on sediment rheology indicate that the shear-thinning property of the proppant bed leads to such nonlinear variation. With the decrease of shear viscosity, an increasing portion of the proppant bed is driven by the fluid. The current research devotes to an optimised design for fracturing fluid injection scheme as well as a better proppant flowback control, which further contributes to an improved hydraulic fracturing operation.

Hydraulic fracturing Numerical simulation Proppant flowback Proppant transport Sediment movement

SCI

English

Others

Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation[2020A1515110301]

Engineering

Engineering, Chemical

WOS:000923136000001

ELSEVIER

CHEMISTRY

2-s2.0-85146296095

Scopus

1.Key Laboratory of Continental Shale Hydrocarbon Accumulation and Efficient Development,Ministry of Education,Northeast Petroleum University,Daqing,163318,China
2.School of Environmental Science and Engineering,Southern University of Science and Technology,Shenzhen,518055,China
3.National Center for Applied Mathematics Shenzhen (NCAMS),Southern University of Science and Technology,Shenzhen,518055,China

Wang，Duo,Li，Sanbai,Zhang，Dongxiao,et al. Understanding and predicting proppant bedload transport in hydraulic fracture via numerical simulation[J]. POWDER TECHNOLOGY,2023,417.

Wang，Duo,Li，Sanbai,Zhang，Dongxiao,&Pan，Zhejun.(2023).Understanding and predicting proppant bedload transport in hydraulic fracture via numerical simulation.POWDER TECHNOLOGY,417.

Wang，Duo,et al."Understanding and predicting proppant bedload transport in hydraulic fracture via numerical simulation".POWDER TECHNOLOGY 417(2023).