Abstract

This paper presents a new criterion to select particle size distribution (PSD) for an effective fracture sealing. The method was developed based on a comprehensive laboratory investigation that was conducted to determine the relationship between effectiveness of different lost circulation material (LCM) treatments in terms of the sealing efficiency and PSD. The results were compared with the current selection methods, which were developed to enhance the bridging capabilities for drill-in fluid, to investigate their applicability in designing effective treatments for fracture sealing. A statistical investigation was carried out to develop new criteria that suggest PSD based on the expected fracture width for an effective fracture sealing. The criteria suggest that both D50 and D90 should be equal or greater than 3/10 and 6/5 the fracture width, respectively. The suggested method showed a 90% match between the actual and predicted seal quality.

Department(s)

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering

Keywords and Phrases

Fluid losses; Laboratory investigation; Lost circulation; Lost circulation material; Particle size distribution

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

0920-4105

Document Type

Article - Journal

Document Version

Citation

File Type

text

Language(s)

English

Rights

© 2024 Elsevier, All rights reserved.

Publication Date

01 Jan 2017

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