Monitoring Fracturing Fluid Flowback and Optimizing Fracturing Fluid Cleanup Using Chemical Frac Tracers

摘要

Proper fluid and proppant placement are crucial to successfulrnpropped fracture stimulation. Numerous completion diagnosticrntechnologies are available to characterize the placement of therntreatment. Until recently, characterization of fracturing fluidrncleanup could only be simulated in the laboratory andrnanecdotally monitored in the field. A technique utilizing arnfamily of unique, environmentally friendly, fracturing fluidrncompatible, chemical tracers has now been developed forrnquantifying segment-by-segment recovery for individualrnfracturing treatments and stage-by-stage recovery for multistagernfracturing treatments. Case histories demonstrate thatrnindividual, chemically-differentiated and/or proppantdifferentiated,rnfracturing treatment segments and/or individualrnfracturing treatment stages are often not being effectivelyrnrecovered. It has also been demonstrated that the chemicalrnmake-up and/or the proppant scheduling of these individualrnfracturing fluid segments may not only be detrimentallyrnaffecting their incremental cleanup but ultimately thernproduction contribution from the corresponding portions of thernfractured reservoir. The validation of improvements inrnfracturing fluid cleanup and production enhancement resultingrnat least in part from changes in the chemistry of the fracturingrnfluids and/or changes in proppant scheduling are demonstratedrnusing the tracer technology.