FRACTURE DESIGN

VARIABLES
FLUID VISCOSITY
H , E , C , KIc

m,Q

Fluid Viscosity
Why is it important ?
What is it ?
How do we measure it ?
How much do we need ?
How is it affected by time,
temperature, proppant, ?

Fracturing - Fluid Viscosity

Why we WANT Viscosity
Net Pressure/
1
,
0
0
0
5
0
0
c
p
Geometry
5
0
0

3
0
c
p
2
0
0

NetPresure(psi)

PNet

Q m xf

E'

1
0
0
c
p

1/ 4

Proppant Transport

(Prop Settling to m)
Fluid Loss Control

1
c
p

1
0
0

=
1
5
0
'
5
0H

E
=
6
e
6
p
s
i
Q
=
3
0
b
p
m

5 1
02
0

5
01
0
0

P
u
m
p
T
i
m
e
(
m
i
n
)
"
T
i
m
e
0
"
W
h
e
n
G
e
l
O
n
P
e
r
f
s

Viscosity

FluidTemperature

Strongly Changed
By Conditions

F
o
r
m
a
t
i
o
n
T
e
m
p
e
r
a
t
u
r
e

W
e
l
l
b
o
r
e
T
e
m
p
e
r
a
t
u
r
e
D
i
s
t
a
n
c
e
A
l
o
n
g
F
r
a
c

Must know viscosity

as a function of time
& temperature !

Viscosity

T
e
m
p
e
r
a
t
u
r
e
D
e
g
r
a
d
a
t
i
o
n

T
i
m
e
/
S
h
e
a
r
D
e
g
r
a
d
a
t
i
o
n
D
i
s
t
a
n
c
e
A
l
o
n
g
F
r
a
c

How Do We Measure It ?
Rotating Cup
& Bob

Ideal Test

Torque

A
d

F,
velocity

v (x)

t , Shear Stress = F / A (psi)

(pressure drop or drag)
g , Shear Rate = vel / d (1/sec)
(for fracture = vel / (w/2)

w (RPM)

What Do We Measure ?
N
e
w
t
o
n
i
a
n
t
m
g
=
m

i
s
v
i
s
c
o
s
i
t
y

B
i
n
g
h
a
m
P
l
a
s
t
i
c

S
l
o
p
e
=
P
l
a
s
t
i
c
V
i
s
c
o
s
i
t
y

Shearts(pi)

ShearStes(pi)

S
l
o
p
e
=
m

log t

S
h
e
a
r
R
a
t
e
(
1
/
s
e
c
)

t
m
g
=
Y
+
P
P
S
h
e
a
r
R
a
t
e
(
1
/
s
e
c
)

P
o
w
e
r
L
a
w

S
l
o
p
e
=
n
'
n
'

t
g
=
K
'
l
o
g
g

Most Common
Rheological Model
for Fracturing
Fluids

Apparent Viscosity
t
mapp (depends on g )
g

1 n'

mapp 48000 K ' / g

Slope = m app

m (cp ), K ' ( lb f secn'/ ft 2 ),

g (sec1 )

Example
Power Law Fluid

n=0.6, ma=100 cp (at 170 sec-1)

Find: K and ma at 50 sec

-1

K ' 100 170(10.6 ) / 48000

0.0163 ( lb secn' / ft 2 )
(10.6 )

170
ma ( 50)

50
163 cp

100

Slurry Viscosity
1
0
7
5

ViscoityMultiper

3
2

2 4 6 81
01
21
4

l
b
S
a
n
d
/
L
i
q
u
i
d
G
a
l
l
o
n

Fracturing - Fluid Viscosity

Why we DO NOT WANT Viscosity
COSTS

Net Pressure/Geometry
Proppant Pack Damage

(10 to 70% KFW Loss)

Everything that increases viscosity
costs money & does damage!

Photo Courtesy of StimLab

How Much Viscosity Is Needed

300_to_40_over_4_hours

(@ 170 1/sec)

45 55 70 90

150 200

100s of cp NOT required

for near perfect proppant
transport !
1

How Much Viscosity

TVD
ft

Shale

7800

Gas

7900

8000

Shale

0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9

N'

Time at Formation Temperature (hrs)

8100

5000 6000 7000

Stress (psi)

444.40 min

Proppant Volume Fraction PVOL

Wellbore Temp

500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000

Fracture Penetration (ft)

0.000
0.060
0.120
0.180
0.240
0.300
0.360
0.420
0.480
0.540
0.600
0.760 m/sec

Where Do We Get Data ?

Lab Tests
Routine data acceptable for

preliminary designs, scoping studies,

etc.
SPECIFIC data required for final

design, mini-frac analysis, etc.

The End

How Much Viscosity Is Needed

Assume a fluid with 50 cp viscosity (at
170 sec-1) at the end of the job, just as
prop laden fluid is reaching the frac tip,
after being in the fracture for 4 hours.
-1, the final reference

If n=0.6 and g=50 sec

apparent viscosity is

81 cp

1 PPG --> 10 PPG gives an average concentration

of 5 PPG, viscosity multiplier of 2 -->

162 cp

How Much Viscosity Is Needed

Fluid enters fracture with 500 cp and degrades to

50, average of about 225 cp or a multiple of 4.5 -->

729 cp
For many fluids (cross link gels, foams) settling is

much slower than predicted by Stokes Law,

assume a factor of 2
-->

1,458 cp

How Much Viscosity Is Needed

Use 1,450 cp in Stokes Law gives

a predicted proppant settling of

only 15 feet during the four hour
period

Near perfect transport using

a fluid with a final lab viscosity
of only 50 cp !