Systems and methods for optimizing formation fracturing operations

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10001769-B2
Application number	US-201414546301-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 18, 2014
Priority date	Nov 18, 2014
Publication date	Jun 19, 2018
Grant date	Jun 19, 2018

Abstract

Systems and methods generate optimized formation fracturing operational parameters by iteratively optimizing bottom hole temperature design, perforation design, fracturing fluid pulse design, and proppant design based on formation properties, proppant properties, candidate selection, flow and geomechanical modeling, and engineering design, where the systems and methods as implemented on a digital processing unit.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method of optimizing proppant placement in a subterranean formation; comprising the steps of:
(a) obtaining:
(1) formation, site and well properties and characteristics including formation depth, formation pore pressure gradient, formation temperature, formation natural fractures, formation cohesion, formation friction angle, formation anisotropy, formation zones, formation shale play zones, formation permeability, formation porosity, formation Young's modulus, formation Poisson's ratio, and formation effective stress,
(2) proppant properties and characteristics including type, zeta potential, coating type, diameter, and strength, and
(3) fracturing fluid properties and characteristics including base fluid type, viscosity, elasticity, proppant density, proppant diameter, proppant concentration, aggregating composition type, aggregating composition concentration, coating crosslinking composition concentration type, and coating crosslinking composition concentration;

(b) generating response surfaces for different proppant island and flow channel configurations based on the obtained properties and characteristics, a bottom hole pressure (BHP) design, a perforation design, a fracturing fluid rate and pulse design, and a proppant design;
(c) simulating island transport properties based on the obtained properties and characteristics, the BHP design, the perforation design, the fracturing fluid rate and pulse design, and the proppant design;
(d) simulating island embedment and fracture closure properties based on the obtained properties and characteristics, the BHP design, the perforation design, and the fracturing fluid rate and pulse design;
(e) generating fracturing operational parameters based on the simulated island transport properties and the simulated island embedment and fracture closure properties to determine flow channels and fracture lengths;
(f) adjusting the BHP design, the perforation design, and the fracturing fluid rate and pulse design;
(g) repeating steps (e) through (f), until the generated fracturing operational parameters are optimized to generate optimized fracturing operational parameters that are designed to produce an optimized proppant island and flow channel configuration;

wherein:
the optimized perforation design includes perforation hole diameter, perforation hole density, perforation length, perforation spacing, and total perforation length,
the optimized fracturing fluid rate and pulse design includes a series of proppant-free fracturing fluid pulses and proppant-containing fluid pulses, inlet velocities, pulse rates, pulse frequencies, and pulse intervals,
the optimized BHP design includes bottom hole pressure and temperature,
at least one of the fracturing fluids includes an aggregating composition comprising: 1) an amine/phosphate reaction product, 2) an amine component and an amine/phosphate reaction product, 3) a polymeric amine; 4) a polymeric amine and an amine/phosphate reaction products, 5) a polymeric amine, an amine component, and an amine/phosphate reaction product, 6) an amine component, 7) a coacervate aggregating composition, or 8) mixtures and combinations thereof,
at least one of the fracturing fluids includes a coating crosslinking composition comprising inorganic crosslinking agents, organic crosslinking agents, or mixtures and combinations thereof,
at least one of the fracturing fluid types include proppants,
the aggregating composition forms a coating on the proppant causing the coated proppant to aggregate into pillars in the fractures in accord with the proppant island and flow channel configuration, and
the coating crosslinking composition forms crosslinks in the coating stabilizing and strengthening the pillars within the proppant island and flow channel configuration.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
(h) transmitting the optimized fracturing operational parameters to a field location for implementation;
(i) fracturing the formation utilizing the optimized fracturing operational parameters;
(j) collecting near real time data while fracturing; and
(k) adjusting one, some or all of the optimized fracturing operational parameters while fracturing.

3. A system for fracturing a subterranean formation comprising:
a fracturing parameter generation subsystem implemented on a digital and/or analog processing unit that:
(a) obtains:
(1) formation, site and well properties and characteristics including formation depth, formation pore pressure gradient, formation temperature, formation natural fractures, formation cohesion, formation friction angle, formation anisotropy, formation zones, formation shale play zones, formation permeability, formation porosity, formation Young's modulus, formation Poisson's ratio, and formation effective stress,
(2) proppant properties and characteristics including type, zeta potential, coating type, diameter, and strength,
(3) fracturing fluid properties and characteristics including base fluid type, viscosity, elasticity, proppant density, proppant diameter, proppant concentration, aggregating composition type, aggregating composition concentration, coating crosslinking composition concentration type, and coating crosslinking composition concentration;

(b) generates response surfaces for different proppant island and flow channel configurations based on the obtained properties and characteristics, a bottom hole pressure (BHP) design, a perforation design, and a fracturing fluid rate and pulse design;
(c) simulates island transport properties based on the obtained properties and characteristics, the BHP design, the perforation design, and the fracturing fluid rate and pulse design;
(d) simulates island embedment and fracture closure properties based on the obtained properties and characteristics, the BHP design, the perforation design, and the fracturing fluid rate and pulse design;
(e) generates fracturing operational parameters based on the simulated island transport properties and the simulated island embedment and fracture closure properties to determine flow channels and fracture lengths;
(f) adjusts the BHP design, the perforation design, and the fracturing fluid rate and pulse design;
(g) repeats steps (e) through (f), until the generated fracturing operational parameters are optimized to produce optimized fracturing operational parameters,
wherein:
the optimized perforation design includes perforation hole diameter, perforation hole density, perforation length, perforation spacing, and total perforation length,
the optimized fracturing fluid rate and pulse design includes a series of proppant-free fracturing fluid pulses and proppant-containing fluid pulses, inlet velocities, pulse rates, pulse frequencies, and pulse intervals,
the optimized BHP design includes bottom hole pressure and temperature,
at least one of the fracturing fluids includes an aggregating composition comprising: 1) an amine/phosphate reaction product, 2) an amine component and an amine/phosphate reaction product, 3) a polymeric amine; 4) a polymeric amine and an amine/phosphate reaction products, 5) a polymeric amine, an amine component, and an amine/phosphate reaction product, 6) an amine component, 7) a coacervate aggregating composition, or 8) mixtures and combinations thereof,
at least one of the fracturing fluids includes a coating crosslinking composition comprising inorganic crosslinking agents, organic crosslinking agents, or mixtures and combinations thereof,
the aggregating composition forms a coating on the proppant causing the coated proppant to aggregate into pillars in the fractures in accord with the proppant island and flow channel configuration, and
the coating crosslinking composition forms crosslinks in the coating stabilizing and strengthening the pillars within the proppant island and flow channel configura

Assignees

• Weatherford Tech Holdings Llc

Inventors

• Huang Jian
• Deshpande Kedar M
• Safariforoshani Mohammad Reza
• Mutlu Ovunc
• Hwang Chih-Chau
• Saini Rajesh K
• Vigderman Leonid
• Treybig Duane
• Smith Clayton S
• Samuel Mathew M
• Smith Kern L

Classifications

• E21B43/267 Primary

  reinforcing fractures by propping · CPC title

• G05B2219/45129

  Boring, drilling · CPC title

• G05B19/406 Primary

  characterised by monitoring or safety (G05B19/19 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G05B19/19

  characterised by positioning or contouring control systems, e.g. to control position from one programmed point to another or to control movement along a programmed continuous path · CPC title

• E21B43/26

  by forming crevices or fractures · CPC title