Investigation of the effect of polymer concentration in fracturing fluid on crack size and permeability during hydraulic fracturing

Abstract

This article aims to investigate the impact of polymer type and concentration in the fracturing fluid on the size and permeability of fractures during hydraulic fracturing. The aim is to predict the conductivity and productivity of the formed fractures in order to evaluate the cumulative gas production.The influence of polymer concentration in the fracturing fluid on the size and permeability of fractures was studied using the GOHFER software from Haliburton.The results of the study show that by combining the effect of increasing fracture size and decreasing the permeability of the proppant, a gas flow rate increase of 3.5 times was achieved.High polymer concentrations lead to reduced permeability due to the accumulation of polymer residues and polymer skin.The conducted study on the impact of polymer concentration in the fracturing fluid on the size and permeability of fractures will allow for a more qualitative hydraulic fracturing process.This article presents how the concentration and type of polymer affect the width, thickness, length, and conductivity of fractures during hydraulic fracturing.