Computer Simulations of Proppant Transport in a Hydraulic Fracture

摘要

Equations of motion of a slurry in a narrow slot, such as a hydraulic fracture, are presented and solved numerically to obtain an estimate of the amount of gravity-driven vertical motion of proppant that can occur within a fracture during placement. Two types of gravity-driven motion are studied: settling of Heavy-proppant particles; and convective proppant transport, Which refers to the motion driven by large-scale density differences Between regions of different proppant concentration.