Materials

Fluid Systems
Fluid “Breakers”

1
 Fracture Design Decisions
Multiple, Conflicting Desires
 Pad Volume  Pump Rate
 FluidLoss  Fracture PNet
 Fracture Width  Proppant

 Fluid Viscosity Transport

 Fluid Loss
 Fracture PNet
 Surface Pressure
 Proppant
Transport & HHP
 Fluid Loss
 Materials -- Fluids
Multiple, Conflicting Desires
 Breaking  Easy to Mix
 Cheap  Additive Sensitivity
 Cleanliness  Environmentally
 Compatibility Friendly
 Formation  Fluid Loss
 Formation Fluid  Low Pump Pressure
 Reservoir Pressure  Safety
 Viscosity ???
 Materials -- Fluids
Fluid “Types”
1 - BAD
5 - Excellant
Table 1 - Qualitative Fluid Selection
Fluid Prop Pack Low Pump VISCOSITY Break- Compatibility Fluid
System KfW Pressure Prop-Transport Stable Life ing Formation/Fluid Reservoir Pres Loss Cheap
Linear Gel HPG/Guar (<130-150 F) 4 5 3 3 3 5 3 3 3 5 37
Linear HEC Gel (< 180 F) 5 5 3 3 3 4 3 3 1 4 34
Borate X-Link (<180 F) 4 3 4 3 5 5 3 3 4 4 38
Delay Borate X-Link (160-280 F) 4 4 4 4 5 5 3 3 4 4 40
Delay Metallic X-Link (180 to 220 F) 2 4 5 4 5 2 3 3 4 4 36
Delay Metallic X-Link (220 to 280 F) 3 4 5 3 5 3 3 3 4 4 37
Delay Metallic X-Link (280 to 350 F) 3 4 4 2 4 4 3 3 4 4 35
Nitrogen Foam (< 5000 ft) 5 1 4 4 ? 5 5 5 5 (*) 2 39
CO2 Foam (5000-10000 ft) 5 1 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 (*) 2 40
Poly Emulsion (up to 280 F) 4 2 4 4 4 4 4 4 5 (*) 3 40
Lease Crude 4 3 2 3 3 5 5 4 2 3 34
Gelled Oil 2 4 4 4 4 3 5 4 4 3 37

(*) - Good loss control for permeability < 1md (+/-)

 Materials -- Fluids
Fluid “Recipe”
1) Base Fluid (Water or Oil) (1 cp)
2) Clay Control (2% KCl)
3) Gelling Agent (10’s of cp)
a) Guar Gum b) HPG
c) CMHPG d) HEC
4) Bacteriacide
(protect fluid, NOT formation)
5) pH Buffer (aid in mixing)
6) Breaker
 Materials -- Fluids
Fluid “Recipe”
7) Viscosifier ( --> 100’s of cp)
- Chemical Cross-Linker
- Heavy metal (titinate, zirconate)
- borate ion
- Surfactant + 70% Something
8) Temperature Stabilizer
(never included with “raw” breaker)
8 Basic Ingredients !
Fracturing Fluid Additives (Overview)
 Biocides*  Temperature Stabilizers*
 Breakers**  Friction Reducers?
 Buffers*  Polymer
 Surfactants? And  Diverting Agents? /
Non-Emulsifiers? Fluid Loss Additives ?
 Flowback
 Foaming
 Clay Stabilizers*
 2% (or more) KCl
 KCl Substitute?
 Materials -- Fluids
Basic Fluid Quality
 Choose Appropriate Fluid
 Desired/Required Viscosity
 Proppant Pack “Cleanliness”
 Compatibility
 Establish Basic, General
Familiarity With This Fluid
 Pre-Frac Lab Tests
 Using ACTUAL Source Water Samples
 Need Tests for Fluid Suitability, Breaker
Scheduling, Additive Sensitivities,
& Base Rheology Data
 Materials -- Fluids
Basic Fluid Quality
 Base Fluid Quality
 Delivery, Filtration if Required,
Storage
 Gel Pilot Tests on Location
 Does Fluid Cross-Link/Foam
120
 Is Breaker “Active”

(@ 511 sec-1, cp)

Fann Viscosity
100

 Base Fluid Quality 80

60
 Appearance/pH/Viscosity 40
o

 SAMPLING 20
60 F
HPG Gel

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
Polymer Conc. (lb/1000 gals)
 Materials

Fluid Systems
Fluid “Breakers”

10
Materials -- Fluid “Breakers”
Three Types
 Enzymes
 Rate of Breaking Depends on Concentration
 Final “Cleanliness” Not too Dependent on
Concentration
 Temperature & pH Limits
 “Raw” Oxidizers
 Both “Reaction Rate” & Final “Cleanliness
Depend on Concentration
 Encapsulated Oxidizers
 Need to Consider 5 to 10% “Leakage”
 Materials -- Fluid “Breakers”
Two Definitions of “Breaking”

Retained Permeability (%)

after Brannon & Pulsinelli, 1992
90
80
 Reduce 70
Non-Cross Linked Guar or HPG

Viscosity 60
50
40
 “Cleanliness” 30 Borate Cross Linked Guar or HPG
20
10 o
160 F

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
Persulfate Conc (lbm/1000 gal)
 Materials -- Fluid “Breakers”
Conc/Type Vary With Time
Table E-1 – Sample Fracture Treatment Schedule with
“Raw” & Encapsulated Breaker Ramps
Fluid Fluid Vol Raw Brkr Enc Brkr Prop Conc Rate
Type (gals) (ppt) (ppt) (ppg) (bpm)
Example: 30# Guar 3,500 0 5.0 -- 20
- Moderate Borate XL
“ 500 0 5.0 1 20
Temperature “ 300 0.5 4.0 2 20
150 F “ 300 0.5 4.0 3 20
“ 300 1.0 3.0 4 20
- Moderate “ 300 2.0 3.0 5 20
Permeability “ 300 3.0 2.0 6 20
“ 400 4.0 2.0 7 20
25 md “ 600 5.0 2.0 8 20
Note – Raw breaker ramped up & encapsulated breaker ramped
down based on field-generated lab tests in heat bath at
expected bottomhole temperature.