Doctoral Dissertations

Abstract

"In unconventional reservoirs, proppant transport during hydraulic fracturing treatments could be successful when the proppant is placed further within the reservoir's fracture networks. This could increase the reservoir formation conductivities and improve the productivity of the wells. This job of improving the reservoir conductivity by distributing and transporting proppant can be conducted by reliable fracture fluids with excellent fluid rheology (e.g., viscosity and elasticity). However, several challenges, including the high temperatures and the presence of high TDS in produced water, may limit the capability of fracture fluids to transport proppant. Additionally, the use of fracture fluid has raised fears regarding formation damage. This study started with an in-depth literature review of high viscosity friction reducer (HVFR) and linear guar as fracture fluids to transport proppant, as well as a review of the formation damage caused by these fluids, and a measurement of the formation's regained permeability. Following this, comprehensive experimental works were performed for the purpose of understanding the factors that influence the proppant transport performance using HVFR, which include the effect of HVFR concentration, temperature, and present of TDS. In addition, a comprehensive experimental work of the formation damage inside low-permeability sandstone cores using HVFRs was conducted, also measuring the regained formation permeability after using breakers for investigating the ability of breakers in eliminating HVFR from formation cores in order to provide an enhanced regained permeability compared to the initial formation cores permeability"-- Abstract, p. iv

Advisor(s)

Dunn-Norman, Shari
Imqam, Abdulmohsin

Committee Member(s)

Flori, Ralph E.
Liu, Kelly H.
Elsharafi, Mahmoud Omran
Britt, Larry K.

Department(s)

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering

Degree Name

Ph. D. in Petroleum Engineering

Publisher

Missouri University of Science and Technology

Publication Date

Summer 2024

Pagination

xxii, 245 pages

Note about bibliography

Includes_bibliographical_references_(pages 53, 103, 142, 186, 230 and 238-244)

Rights

©2024 Ghith Ali Ahmed Biheri , All Rights Reserved

Document Type

Dissertation - Open Access

File Type

text

Language

English

Thesis Number

T 12440

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