Fundamentals

of Fracturing Engineering
Material Balance

Material Balance

Data Collection
Uncontrollable parameters
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

K, h &
and their orientation
Formation temperature
Reservoir pressure
Type of Reservoir fluid
Rock Properties

Controllable parameters
1.
2.
3.
4.

Casing, Tubing, & Completion

configuration
Downhole equipment
Perforation ID and Length & SPF &
Phasing
Fracture treatment (Rate, Prop
Concentration, Fluid, Proppant, etc)
2

Material Balance

Controlling Parameters: Stresses

Tectonic stress
component

Lithostatic stress model

Stress Contrast for

Frac Model

Lit = (/1-)*( - pr) + pr

Shale static
Over
hydrostatic
gas

Virgin

oil

Slight
depletion

Depleted

Overburden Lithology Poisons

ratio

Pore Pressure

Tectonic
Strain

Elastic
Modulus

Closure Pressure
calibration through:
Microfrac, DataFRAC
3

Material Balance

Properties Affecting Frac Geometry

Rock Mechanic
Properties

Reservoir
Properties

Fracture Properties

wmax

OB

wf
h

pc

cf

min
E

L
xf

kh/
pr
ct
cR

ho
CL

CL

w
Hydraulic geometry (Dynamic)
Propped geometry
4

Material Balance

Fracture Engineering fundamentals

Basis for frac modeling and analysis
Volume balance
: V in = V frac + V loss
Elasticity
: width -vs- pressure ( E)
Elasticity
: containment vs- height growth
Frictional fluid flow : frac fluid pressure drop inside the fracture
And a few more: proppant transport ..
Analysis and evaluation :
based on pressure response after a constant rate injection

Material Balance

Volume balance
Qi ti = Af ( wh + 2 vL )

based on volumes: Vin= Vfrac+ Vlost

Vfrac = Af (area) * wh (width)
Vlost from G function go ,leakoff CL , Spurt Sp

vL~ go CL ti + Sp , go ~1.5

2L
Af = (2 L) hf

Af = Qi ti / ( wh+ 2 vL )

hf

L = Af / 2 hf

Know hf then how do we get L? .

6

Material Balance

Elasticity 1: width ~ Pnet

Relation between Pressure and width
need modulus E And height hf

wh

cf ~ h f / E

pnet = pf - pc = (E / 2 hf ) wmax (PKN)

or wmax = (2 hf / E) pnet

(wellbore)

pf

pc

need L the ratio of average width over the frac length to wmax at the well:

wh is <w>A= (/4)h L wmax ~ 0.55 wmax

Introduce definition of compliance cf = L hf / 2 E
Provides the average frac width wh for given Pnet

wh =( L hf / 2 E) pnet=(cf) pnet

Material Balance

The ratio = average / wellbore values

There is a gradient of pressure along the fracture, therefore need ratio for
calculating length-averaged values in terms of p at the wellbore

pnet
pnet,w

pf - pc
pw - pc

Material Balance

Material Balance: governs placement and cost

How much fluid to get L ?

Af = Qi ti / (wh + 3 CL ti ), L= Af / 2 hf

fluid cost

How much prop can we put ? prop width/ hydraulic with

wp = Vp / Ap = Vp / (2 Lp hp ); wp / < wh> = cf / (1-) Prop cost

wp / wh ~ 1/6 (3 ppa) and 1/2 (10 ppa)
How many pump we need ?
pnet = pf - pc = E wmax / 2 hf

Psp*Q

HHP

Material Balance

Elasticity 2: height growth, and h/ho

Relation between initial height ho and hf total frac height
Insight from ideal equal barrier

ho
pnet

hf

h / ho: ideal 3-layer

5.0

2.0

4.0

1.5

2x
3.0

1.0
h~
ho/10

2.0

0.5

1.0

h / ho: ~ general 3-layer

hf ~ ho . f ( pnet / )

0.0
0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

0.8

0.9

pnet /

Barrier depends on : (1) (2) thickness /initial height h/ho

10

Material Balance

Coupling elasticity fluid frictional drop

Pnet at the wellbore = Frac fluid frictional flow ( pressure drop in the frac )
pnet (elasticity) = p(frictional drop)
Frictional flow from 1D (linear ) Darcy with x-section area =height .width , hf wh
Qi = k (hf wh )/ a p/L ; with k ~ w 2
rearrange

p/L = a [Qi /(hf wh )] / wh 2

equate

pnet / L ~ E wh / hf L

solve for average width wh

= p/L = a [ Qi / (hf wh )] / wh 2

wh ~ ( a Qi L / E )1/4, pnet = (E / 2 hf ) wh

Rate or viscosity double (a Qi ): effect on wh & pnet?

(21/4 = 1.2)

11

Material Balance

Width equation for Power law

Use more complex but actual power law frac fluid
a, PL = / = K/ 1- n; ~ Q/hw2

Even less dependent on rate

pnet =

E
w max , w max
2h

h Q
3 (K L )

E h

1 /e

e = 2 n + 2 ~ 3 ; n ~ 0 .5

w max ( L) 0.33 Q 0.17 ;

, pnet

2
Q
Q , pnet
2

0 .8
0 . 9, t p

2
12

Material Balance

Frac design for L
quadratic equation of ti

Summary

Mass balance
Elasticity (width)

: Vin= Vfrac+ Vlost

Af = Qi ti / ( wh+ 2 vL), L= Af / 2 hf
: pnet = pf - pc = E wmax / 2 hf = (1/cf) wh

Elasticity (Height)

: hf ~ ho . f ( pnet / )

Frictional drop

: wh ~ ( a Qi L / E )1/4

All information to solve

Af = (2 hf L) = Qi ti

[ wh+ 2 (1.5 CL ti + Sp ) ]

The design solution : quadratic equation of ti for any given L !

Qi ti - (2 hf L) [ wh+ 2 (1.5 CL ti + Sp ) ] = 0
Get ti , wh , Vfrac, efficiency and pnet = (1/cf) wh = (2 E /hf L ) wh

Basic input: Qi , L, CL , Sp, a , E , ho ,

Note : to get L for a given ti an iterative convergence is required
13

Material Balance

Key Role of Efficiency: proppant scheduling no TSO

fluid efficiency: = Vfrac / Vin < 1; cin = cfrac

cD =cin/cf,EOJ
segment or total

segment or total
Vf
cf

Vi
ci

VL

cD

fp

1-
1+

pad
V / VEOJ

uL

frac
x/ L

pad

V / VEOJ

x/ L

uL leakoff velocity ft/min goes to infinity at tip

SPE 13278 Determination of Proppant and Fluid Schedules From Fracturing-Pressure Decline (Nolte 1986)

14

Material Balance

proppant scheduling with TSO

Base on relation for no TSO
but noting
Vin Vin,so
so

cin/cf,EOJ

fp

1-
1+

pad
V / VEOJ

after TSO no loss at tip

EOJ > so
and

f p, EOJ = f p,tso

Vin,tso
Vin,EOJ

fp,so 1- so

EOJ

1+ so

cin/cf,EOJ

pad

so
V in,so/ VEOJ

15

Material Balance