Flowback of Fracturing Fluids with Upgraded Visualization of Hydraulic Fractures and its Implications on Overall Well Performance

摘要

The increasing popularity of hydraulic fracturing follows some achievements in the USA, where it has become a proven technology in the stimulation of tight reservoirs. Nevertheless, the physics behind the process are not completely understood, particularly in the domain of post fracturing fluid recovery. In many instances, the recovery of large portions of injected fracturing fluid has not been successful. In this research, the goal was to identify and evaluate the responsible factors. The scope of our study includes determining the fate of the fracturing fluid within the reservoir, and calculating the loss in incremental production as a consequence of that outcome. The information can be used to more effectively predict the performance of stimulated wells with hydraulic fractures over time. Also, an estimation of incremental oil recovery post treatment can be calculated more accurately. This new knowledge is beneficial to many of the participants - service provider companies will enjoy a clear understanding of the treatment; operating companies should perform more reliable economic analyses; the individual states could realize increased accuracy in the quantification of reserves; and regulatory agencies can better determine the probability of these fluids in groundwater contamination.