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Numerical Simulation of Proppant Dynamics in a Rough Inclined Fracture

by Tiankui Guo1,*, 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: email

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

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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APA Style
Guo, T., Luo, Z., Mou, S., Chen, M., Gong, Y. et al. (2022). Numerical simulation of proppant dynamics in a rough inclined fracture. Fluid Dynamics & Materials Processing, 18(2), 431-447. https://doi.org/10.32604/fdmp.2022.017861
Vancouver Style
Guo T, Luo Z, Mou S, Chen M, Gong Y, Qin J. Numerical simulation of proppant dynamics in a rough inclined fracture. Fluid Dyn Mater Proc. 2022;18(2):431-447 https://doi.org/10.32604/fdmp.2022.017861
IEEE Style
T. Guo, Z. Luo, S. Mou, M. Chen, Y. Gong, and J. Qin, “Numerical Simulation of Proppant Dynamics in a Rough Inclined Fracture,” Fluid Dyn. Mater. Proc., vol. 18, no. 2, pp. 431-447, 2022. https://doi.org/10.32604/fdmp.2022.017861



cc Copyright © 2022 The Author(s). Published by Tech Science Press.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License , which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
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