Open Access

ARTICLE

Numerical Simulation of Proppant Dynamics in a Rough Inclined Fracture

Tiankui Guo^1,*, Zhilin Luo¹, Shanbo Mou², Ming Chen¹, Yuanzhi Gong³, Jianhua Qin⁴

1 College of Petroleum Engineering, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao, 266580, China
2 Xinjiang Zhengtong Petroleum and Natural Gas Co., Ltd., Karamay, 834000, China
3 Dongxin Oil Production Plant, Shengli Oil Field Branch, SINOPEC, Dongying, 257100, China
4 Research Institute of Exploration and Development, Xinjiang Oilfield Company, Karamay, 457001, China

* Corresponding Author: Tiankui Guo. Email:

Fluid Dynamics & Materials Processing 2022, 18(2), 431-447. https://doi.org/10.32604/fdmp.2022.017861

Received 11 June 2021; Accepted 12 August 2021; Issue published 16 December 2021

Abstract

Although the dynamics of proppant (small ceramic balls used to prevent opened fractures from closing on the release of pressure) have been the subject of several numerical studies over recent years, large-scale inclined fractures exist in unconventional reservoirs for which relevant information is still missing. In the present study, this problem is investigated numerically considering the influence of several relevant factors such as the fracture roughness, inclination, the proppant particle size, the injection rate and the fluid viscosity. The results show that a rough wall enables the proppant to travel farther and cover larger areas. The inclination angle has little effect on the dune but a significant influence on the suspension zone. The area of this zone increases with a decrease in the inclination angle, and its value for an inclination of 15° is 20 times that at 90°. Small particle size, high injection rate, and high fracturing fluid viscosity have a beneficial influence on proppant transport; vice versa they hinder settling phenomena.

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Keywords

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