Enhancing Friction Reducer Performance in High Salt Conditions

摘要

Friction reducers are an essential part of hydraulic fracturing, allowing pumps to push fluids at faster rates using less horsepower. The polyacrylamide friction reducers typically used in this application are sensitive to dissolved solids, which is particularly important as operators begin to use more produced water and freshwater sources become more expensive or unavailable. This study details a series of experiments using a friction flow loop to observe the effect of dissolved cations on friction reducer performance. A surfactant system was shown to be effective in preventing performance degradation in saline water. Sodium and potassium brines were tested to observe the effects of monovalent cations, and calcium and magnesium brines were tested to observe the effects from divalent cations. The surfactant system was then tested with brines based on Permian produced waters to understand how the surfactant- aided friction reducer system would perform in conditions similar to those seen in the field. The results showed that the addition of suitable surfactants can improve performance and extend the salt tolerance of a friction reducer.