Application of Micro-Proppant in Liquids-Rich, Unconventional Reservoirs to Improve Well Production: Laboratory Results, Field Results, and Numerical Simulations

Abstract

Abstract This paper discusses a study of condensate-rich Barnett Shale stimulation treatments with designs incorporating a micro-proppant (MP). By placing this proppant early during treatment, it can enter into the narrow natural fracture network where proppant even as small as 100 mesh cannot access. A description of the MP, area regional formation and fracture modeling, stimulation designs, reservoir simulation production results, and production comparisons to offsets are presented. In present day shale plays, maximizing communication between natural fracture systems and the wellbore while also avoiding any damage to those natural fractures are two pillars of optimized stimulation. Increased proppant volume in primary fractures and helping ensure the near-wellbore (NWB) area of these fractures is open are two important stimulation concepts. Further improvements depend on: Communicating with a greater number of natural fractures. Enhancing the number of secondary fractures opened. Increasing the number of these secondary fractures that remain open for the long term. Of these three items listed, the third is probably the most challenging. This paper presents a study of MP use with the goal of propping natural fractures in a liquids-rich area of the Barnett, wherein the first and second items listed have already been addressed and provided significant production improvement. A well-to-well comparison of MP use revealed another step-change in an otherwise optimized drilling and completion program. Production history matching using advanced discrete fracture network (DFN) simulations of hydraulic fractures with the complexity of natural fractures included helped provide insight into how relatively small conductivity improvement to the natural fractures significantly improved well productivity. A new complex fracture design simulator successfully predicted the most favorable method within the fracturing design to include a MP entering these narrow natural fractures and thus improving conductivity. With the understanding gained from these new modeling tools, the MP was then field tested and proven to enhance production response.