Green Dry Powder Friction Reducers Improve Environmental Aspects and Reduce Hydraulic Fracturing Costs

Abstract

Abstract The dry powder delivery operations of polyacrylamide (PAM) polymers have recently received great attention due to their hydraulic fracturing efficiency operations and low health, safety, and environmental (HSE) risks. This paper aims to evaluate the performance of a Green Dry Friction Reducer (GDFR) in high salinity-produced water. It also describes GDFR delivery processes and the field operations advantages over the liquid versions of FRs. Five dosages at 0.25, 0.4, 1, 2, and 4 gpt of GDFR were investigated at surface and reservoir temperature (152 °F) conditions. Premier Corex lab flow loop with a tubing size of 0.5 inch was used to determine the friction reduction performance. A rheometer was used to determine the viscosity profiles of GDFR and its compatibility with formation-produced water and reservoir crude oil. Proppant settling studies using ceramic 40/70 mesh sizes were also conducted using different dosages of GDFR. The performance of GDFR was compared with three commercial FRs. GDFR shows fast hydration and superior friction reduction in tested brine conditions even at very low dosages of 0.25 gpt. A stable friction reduction rate was observed at 80% across 11 minutes of testing. Superior viscosity and high thermal stability performance were observed with a slight drop in viscosity profile at high reservoir temperature conditions. GDFR suspended the proppant for very long periods of time, in low salinity water GDFR can keep the proppant fully suspended in the solution without deposition for a couple of hours. GDFR was shown better rheological and proppant transport performance than all the three tested commercial FRs. UltraX Dry on the Fly System Unit enables using the GDFR on the field. With the increasing demand for re-cycled and flow-back water use in fracturing fluid systems, GDFR has shown unique advantages in these harsh brine salinity environments. The development of GDFR will lead to several unique advantages including cost savings, improved HSE, and better fracturing treatment performance.