Quality Control

Printed: 3/1/2007

EDC, Tomball, TX
 Quality Control

• What is it?
• Quality control is the process of evaluating the
materials and equipment on location to ensure the
fracture treatment is performed as designed

• Why is quality control important?

• Each well represents a large capital investment
that should not be put at risk due to a substandard
fracture treatment

Revised 01/13/2004 Slide 2

EDC, Tomball, TX
 Pre-Treatment Preparation

• Prior to arriving on location

• Review fracture treatment design and determine

equipment requirements

• Evaluate well information

• Pilot test fracture fluids

Revised 01/13/2004 Slide 3

EDC, Tomball, TX
 Pre-Treatment Fluid Testing

• Pilot tests
• Viscosity ~ base gel (pH, temp)
• Crosslink time (at surface temp)
• Stable viscosity at bottomhole temperature
• Crosslinked viscosity (pH, temp)
• Break tests additive type and amount required
• pH sensitivity
• Breaker schedule (concentration)
Revised 01/13/2004 Slide 4

EDC, Tomball, TX
 On Location Immediately
Before Treatment

• Review safety guidelines

• Review proper rig up procedures
• Confirm treatment schedule
• Conduct material inventory
• Analyze fluid properties
• Analyze proppant properties

Revised 01/13/2004 Slide 5

EDC, Tomball, TX
 Review Treatment Proposal

Confirm with company supervisor

• Treatment procedure
• Proppant schedule ~ displacement volume
• Chemical additives
• Pumping equipment and standby
• Clarify any discrepancies prior to performing
the treatment

Revised 01/13/2004 Slide 6

EDC, Tomball, TX
 Material Inventory

• Determine the amounts of all materials on location

• Fluid
• Proppant
• Chemicals
• Compare required amounts of material for design
with inventory on location

Revised 01/13/2004 Slide 7

EDC, Tomball, TX
 Water Analysis

• Almost all fracture treatments require some quantity

of water
• Clean, contaminant free water is critical to achieving
proper fracture fluid properties

Revised 01/13/2004 Slide 8

EDC, Tomball, TX
 Acceptable Levels
on Water Analysis

• pH 6-8
• Iron <10 ppm
• Oxidizing Agents None
• Reducing Agents None
• Carbonate* <300 ppm
• Bicarbonate* <300 ppm
• Bacteria None
• Cleanliness Reasonable

Revised 01/13/2004 Slide 9

EDC, Tomball, TX
 Fluid Testing

• Test multiple samples during the treatment to confirm

fluid rheology
• Perform conventional quality control testing
• Viscosity
• pH
• Crosslink time
• Advanced fluid testing
• Viscosity at downhole temperature

Revised 01/13/2004 Slide 10

EDC, Tomball, TX
 Crosslink Time
and Appearance
• Generally
• Chunky crosslink that breaks apart indicates over-
crosslinking
• Very wet - low viscosity crosslink indicates under-
crosslinking
• Realistically
• Appearance of crosslink tells little or nothing about
final viscosity at in-situ conditions
• Viscosity should be measured

Revised 01/13/2004 Slide 11

EDC, Tomball, TX
 Analyze Proppant Properties

• Acquire samples of all proppants on location

• Analyze properties
• Sieve analysis (mesh size)
• Turbidity (contaminants)
• pH change in water (contaminants)

Revised 01/13/2004 Slide 12

EDC, Tomball, TX
 Treatment Parameters
• Monitor volumes throughout treatment
• Fluid
• Proppant
• Additives
• Compare design volumes
• Flowmeters
• Physical inventory
• Record injection rate, pressure at every stage
change and significant event
• If an event occurs that results in a pressure
change, it is significant.
Revised 01/13/2004 Slide 13

EDC, Tomball, TX
 Post Treatment Operation
• Post-treatment monitoring
• Determine time to closure (shut-in and forced closure)
• Document volume and rate of fluid recovery
• Material inventory
• Determine the amount of materials (fluid, proppant and
chemicals)
• Compare to design volumes
• Summarize treatment parameters
• Fluid volumes, injection rates, and treating pressures

Revised 01/13/2004 Slide 14

EDC, Tomball, TX
 Quality Control On-Site

• Laboratory Vans
• Foxboro inline meter
(pH / temperature)
• Crosslink time configuration

Revised 01/13/2004

EDC, Tomball, TX
 Quality Control On-Site
Laboratory Vans
• On-site fluid quality control
• Water analysis
• Hydration and crosslink pilot testing
• Continuous flow sample stream of dirty side fluid
• Continuous flow sample stream of clean side fluid
• Brookfield inline viscometer
• Fann 35 viscosity confirmation
• Three minute hydration verification
• High temperature rheology
• Data acquisition programs
• Sand sieve analysis

Revised 01/13/2004

EDC, Tomball, TX
Revised 01/13/2004 Slide 17

EDC, Tomball, TX