Coupling of Elasticity, Flow and

Material Balance

1
 Ingredient 1:
Line Crack in 2D

4 p0 2
w( x) = c -x 2

E'
4 p0 c
w0 =
E'

2
 Ingredient 2:
Flow in Limiting Ellipsoid Xsection

Power law Newtonian

Constitutive t = Kg! n t = µg!
equation
Pressure
Dp é1 + (p - 1)n ù
n
Dp 16µuavg
drop = 2 3+n p -1 ê ú
n
Kuavg w0-( n+1) = =
L ë n û L w02
Dp 64 µ (q / h )
=
L pw03

Fanning 2p 2 2p 2
friction factor f = f =
¢
N Re N Re
Reynolds pw0uavg r pw0uavg r
number ¢ =
N Re N Re =
2 µe 2µ

Equivalent
é1 + ( p - 1) n ù
n
Newtonian µe = 2 n -1
p ê
-1
ú Kw01-n uavg
n -1
µe = µ
viscosity ë n û
3
 Ingredient 3:
Formal Material Balance

qi te = Vi = V + k (2A)C L te + (2 A)S p

4
 Design Form
(How long do we have to pump?)

Vi = qi te = we x f h f + k (2h f x f )C L te + (2h f x f )S p

Width equation width = f (length)

qi te
- 2kC L te - ( we + 2 S p ) = 0
hf x f

5
 Width Equations

Early 2D Models

width = f (length)

quasi static snapshot

pressure width (elasticity, from length)

width pressure (from flow, flowrate, endpoint)

6
Basic 2D Models: hf is constant

PKN
qi
ww,0 pn(x) w = gww ,0

qi KGD
w = gww
ww

wellbore tip

7
Derivation of the Original Perkins-
Kern Width Equation

8
 Derivation of the Original Perkins-
Kern Width Equation

o Assumptions
§ Height is constant
§ Elasticity: Vertical plane strain (but decoupled)
§ Flow in limiting ellipsoid cross section
§ Newtonian fluid
§ Net pressure is zero at tip
§ No leakoff

9
Derivation of the Original Perkins-Kern Width
Equation

Elasticity: Vertical plane Newtonian flow in

strain (but decoupled) limiting ellipsoid cross
section+no leakoff
2h f p n ( x ) Dp 64 µqi
w0 ( x ) = =
E' L p w03 h f
dpn 8µqi E '3
=-
dx ph 4f pn3

Net pressure zero at tip

10
 4 p0 c Dp 16 µuavg
w0 = =
E' Perkins-Kern Width Eq. L w02

2h f pn Dp 64 µqi
Elasticity: w ( x ) = Flow: =
0
E' L p w03 h f

dpn 8µqi E '3 32 E '3 µqi ( x f - x)

=-
net pressure zero
at tip p n4, w - p 4 =
dx ph 4f pn3 ph 4f
1/ 4
æ xf - x ö
w0 ( x ) = ww, 0 ç ÷
ç x ÷
è f ø
1/ 4 1/ 4
æ µqi x f æ µqi x f
1/ 4
æ 512 ö ö ö
ww, 0 = ç ÷ çç ÷÷ = 3.57çç ÷÷
è p ø è E' ø è E' ø
PK - constant
p 4 p
w = g ww , 0 g = = = 0.628
45 5
11
 PKN - width equation
Note the difference: PK 3.57 PKN: 3.27
1/ 4
æ µqi x f ö
ww, 0 = 3.27çç ÷÷
è E' ø
PKN – constant
Remains the same

w = 0.628ww,0
Note: PK is Perkins-Kern; PKN is Perkins-Kern-Nordgren,
the difference is only in the constant!

12
 PKN width equation: Power Law version
“derivation”
1/ 4
æ µqi x f ö
ww, 0 = 3.27çç ÷÷
è E' ø
é1 + ( p - 1) n ù
n

µe = 2 n -1
p ê
-1
ú
1- n n -1
Kw0 uavg
ë n û
w = 0.628ww, 0
13
 PKN width equation: Power Law version
(result)

1
n
1 n
é1 + 2.14n ù 2n+2
1 æ qi n h1f- n x f ö 2n+2
ww, 0 = 9.15 2n+2
´ 3.98 2n+2
K 2n+2 ç ÷
ê n ú ç E' ÷
ë û è ø

w = 0.628ww, 0
Remains the same

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First phase of Frac Design

15
Pumping time, fluid volume, Design
of frac treatments

Pumping time and fluid volume:

Injected = contained in frac + lost
length reached, width created

Given:
Mass of proppant + frac height, target length,
inj rate, rheology, elasticity modulus, leakoff coeff

16
1 Calculate the wellbore width at the end of pumping from the
PKN (Power Law version) n
1
1 n
é1 + 2.14n ù 2n+2
1 æ q h xf ö
n 1- n 2n+2
ww, 0 = 9.15 2n+2
´ 3.98 2n+2
K 2n+2 ç i f ÷
ê n ú ç E ' ÷ø
ë û è
2 Convert max wellbore width into average width
we = 0.628ww, 0

3 Assume a k = 1. 5 and solve the mat balance for inj time,

(selecting sqrt time as the new unknown)
æ qi ö
ç ÷ t - (2κ C ) t - (we + 2 S p ) = 0
çh x ÷ L
è f f ø
4 Calculate injected volume Vi = qi te
V fe h f x f we
5 Calculate fluid efficiency he = =
Vi Vi
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 2D Design Continued:
Second part: Proppant Schedule

18
Stages at end of pumping
Proppant
Settling

5 4 to 5 lb/gal
2 to
lb/gal 1 lb/gal
5 lb/gal
concentrated
3 to 5 lb/gal to 5 lb/gal

19
 First Part of Design was:

o Injection time : te
o Injected volume of slurry : Vi
(or 2 Vi for the total job)
o Fluid efficiency: h

20
 Second Stage of Design
o Proppant Schedule: means concentration as function of
time
o Concentration:
c: mass proppant in unit volume of slurry
in unit "dirty volume” kg/m3, lbm/gal, lbm/ft3
ce is the value at the end of pumping
o Another "concentration" is mass proppant added to unit
volume of clean fluid ( ppga ) We will call it “added
proppant concentration”
cae is the added proppant concentration at the end of
pumping

21
 Proppant Schedule
C/Ce
1

y = xe

slurry

0 1 V/Vi
fpad
x
1
0
te

M = ce ´h ´ Vi M = qi ò c(t )dt
0 22
 A little math:
two parameters(e and fpad)
te 1 1
1
M = ce ´h ´ Vi M = qi ò c(t )dt = Vi ce ò y (x )dx ò dx =
e
x
0 f pad 0
1+ e

1
h = (1 - f pad )
1+ e

Nolte's proposition: select fpad = e

1- e 1 -h
h= e=
1+ e 1 +h

23
Area proportional to mass injected
C/Ce
1 1- e
h=
1+ e
y =xe
Final result:
slurry 1-h
e=
1+h
0 1 V/Vi
fpaD x
0 1

We got both the pad portion and the proppant exponent as e

24
 Proppant Schedule
5. The required proppant concentration
1. Calculate the injected slurry (mass/unit injected slurry volume) is
volume æ t - t pad ö
e

c = ce çç ÷÷ where ce is the maximum

Vi = qi te è t e - t pad ø
proppant concentration.
2. Calculate the exponent of the
proppant concentration curve STAGES
1- h 6. Convert concentration into proppant
e= added to frac fluid
1+ h cadded =
c
c
3. Calculate the pad volume and 1-
rp
the time needed to pump it cadded
V pad = eVi 7. Frac fluid rate qi (1 -
rp
)

8. Checks
t pad = et e
4. Calculate required final Sum of pumped proppant should be M
Sum of volume of proppant and volume
proppant concentration:
of clean liquid should be Vi
M
ce = M
hVi wp =
(1 - f )r x h
p p f f

You can do all these calculations for 1 wing or for 2 wings, but you have to be consistent! 25
What will be the proppant and fluid
schedule?

•Calculate as a continuous function

•Discretize according to the technical possibilities
•Stages
(by time,
by volume of fluid,
by volume of slurry,
by proppant mass)
Checks: Total mass injected, total fluid injected, total slurry injected

26
Stage Start End Slurry Prop. conc, Added Prop, Clean liquid in Proppant in
3
min min Volume, kg/m lbm/gal of stage Stage,
3
m neat fluid
gal lbm

Pad 0 0 0

Sum 150,000

27
Max proppant concentration

o Cae is limited by the equipment

12 -16 ppga

o Strategy to change design goals

§ Relax optimality - longer frac in medium -
high perm
§ Relax optimality - shorter frac in low perm

28
 Width to accept proppant,
propped length, etc.

o Width to accept proppant

§ At the end of pad stage the created width has
to be at least 2-3 times the proppant
diameter
o Propped length
§ At the end of pumping the proppant reaches
only that part which has a width at least 2-3
times the proppant diameter

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