Proppant transport in dynamically propagating hydraulic fractures using CFD-XFEM approach.

Suri, Yatin; Islam, Sheikh Zahidul; Hossain, Mamdud

Abstract

Numerically modelling the fluid flow with proppant transport and fracture propagation together are one of the significant technical challenges in hydraulic fracturing of unconventional hydrocarbon reservoirs. The existing models either model the proppant transport physics in static predefined fracture geometry or account for the analytical models for defining the fracture propagation. Furthermore, the fluid leak-off effects are usually neglected in the hydrodynamics of proppant transport in the existing models. In the present paper, a dynamic and integrated numerical model is determined that uses computational fluid dynamics (CFD) technique to model the fluid flow with proppant transport and Extended finite element method (XFEM) to model the fracture propagation. The results of fracture propagation were validated with the real field results and analytical models, and the results of proppant transport are validated with the experimental results. The integrated model is then used to comprehensively investigate the hydrodynamical properties that directly affect the near-wellbore stress and proppant distribution inside the fracture. The model can accurately model the proppant physics and also propose a solution to a frequent challenge faced in the petroleum industry of fracture tip screen out. Thus, using the current model allows the petroleum engineers to design the hydraulic fracturing operation successfully, model simultaneously fracture propagation and fluid flow with proppant transport and gain confidence by tracking the distribution of proppants inside the fracture accurately.

Citation

SURI, Y., ISLAM, S.Z. and HOSSAIN, M. 2020. Proppant transport in dynamically propagating hydraulic fractures using CFD-XFEM approach. International journal of rock mechanics and mining sciences [online], 131, article ID 104356. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijrmms.2020.104356

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Apr 22, 2020
• Online Publication Date: May 22, 2020
• Publication Date: Jul 31, 2020
• Deposit Date: Apr 23, 2020
• Publicly Available Date: May 23, 2021
• Journal: International journal of rock mechanics and mining sciences
• Print ISSN: 1365-1609
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 131
• Article Number: 104356
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijrmms.2020.104356
• Keywords: Hydraulic fracturing; XFEM-based cohesive law; Computational fluid dynamics; Proppant transport; Fluid leak-off; Fracture propagation; Fracture tip screen-out
• Public URL: https://rgu-repository.worktribe.com/output/899234