The influence of fracturing fluid temperature and viscosity on the migration and distribution of proppants within a fracture

Abstract

This work presents a numerical study incorporating the impact of temperature variations along the fracture on the viscosity of fracturing fluids and consequently on proppant distribution in hydraulic fracturing. Traditional models have not considered non-uniform temperature distributions, resulting in less accurate predictions of proppant migration and distribution. The proposed model integrates the thermal variations to enhance the understanding of proppant dynamics under realistic field conditions. The proposed model is validated through physical experiments, demonstrating significant differences in proppant placement due to temperature- induced viscosity changes. Our results show that proppant distribution is substantially affected by lower temperatures at the fracture opening and higher temperatures at the distal end, contrasting sharply with distribution patterns observed under uniform viscosity conditions. As the temperature at the fracture opening decreases, the viscosity of the fracturing fluid increases, enhancing its capacity to transport proppant. The increased viscosity facilitates the transport of proppant deeper into the fracture, resulting in a reduction of the total amount of proppant near the fracture opening and a smaller stacking angle compared to those observed at fixed viscosities of 10, 100, and 200 mPa sThe findings offer critical insights into the mechanics of proppant flow, holding substantial theoretical and practical implications for optimizing hydraulic fracturing treatments.