OilFieldGeomechanics Why 100 Mesh ? Neal B. Nagel, Ph.D. Chief Engineer, OilField Geomechanics LLC October 17, 2017 | Ill What is Our Objective? 30,000 ft View: + Maximize well value through optimized stimulations (hydraulic fracturing, HF) A Little Deeper: + Optimize fracture surface area and fracture conductivity Deeper Still: * Optimize fracture creation vs. natural fracture access (leakoff control); maintain access (proppant placement); and optimize HF flow capacity L (proppant placement and conductivity) tie What is Our Objective? 30,000 ft View: + Maximize well value through o} (hydraulic fracturin intain access (proppant plac optimize HF flow capacity rroppane placement and conductivity) sexe ahWhat is Hydraulic Fracturing? Hydraulic Fracturing (HF) is the process of using pressurized fluids (hydraulic energy) to generate a crack (fracture) in the reservoir rock that is then filled with material (often proppant). HE consists of: 1) generation of the fracture; and 2) filling the fracture with proppant to keep it open and make it highly conductive. + An HFis created only when the i the formation. ‘+ We control the hydraulic energy only to the well (or perfs); past this, control of the omni-directional hydraulic energy Is largely controlled by the reservoir. iiection rate exceeds the flow capacity of Objective: Xf or Effective Perm? cHEEEEEES Tigh Factored aor Soong eS oneal Limited or no HE streatas ‘sereated comentiona HE + Characteise NF sEconomicsot setsfor multiple stapes Optimization of aferences, lengthvareain optimize eo Sees sstressShadows parameters. ieee ‘etormation. ‘hale Gas and Teh Sond Gos Fault Zones. ee onsUnconventional Play Scenarios Partially Open NFS Cemented NFS Limited orno HE iscreated, characte Stree Shadows casing ‘etormation. ‘Shale Gas and Tiaht Sand Gas jes zones) ‘Shale OW and Shales I H=Hydraulic Fracture NF=Natural Fracturesiweakness planes The Role of Proppant The Hierarchy of Conductivity Mignest EUR, Production, IRR Mighest Conductivity Hon trent Untorm se and shape ‘inerma roustant Mecium strength seguir size and shape Low strength 7 ko are ners eoaarsce ee Low Conavciney aroanace, $0.02 to $0.08nb & ‘Sona ‘Sect: 0a Old-School: Why Use 100-Mesh Sand? + Control leakoff to fissure or fracture system + Prevent near-well slurry dehydration + Maintain slurry mobility (low viscosity) + Induce a low-mobility or low-permeability “settled bank” * Bridge “complex multiple fractures” to increase width of a dominant crack + Sand “scour” to open perfs or erode near-well restriction * To delay or eliminate premature screenoutOld-School: Why Not Use 100-Mesh? It’s “basketballs and golf balls” Everybody “knows” it will destroy conductivity and pack perm Damages post-frac production and effective frac length, stimulation, cleanup, etc Fines will migrate through the proppant pack and be produced It causes early screenouts Is 100-Mesh The Silver Bullet? Eagle Ford Public Production Data EvaluationEagle Ford Public Production Data Evaluation SSE emp SST py, 1. Suspension 2. Saltation 3. Traction ——=—=——_—Key Take Aways: 1. Flowis right to left (left inset is middle model) 2. Suspension and deposition evident 3. Dune formation and saltation evident 4, Dune collapse and reforming ‘cst: ya Key Take Aways: 1.Flow is left to right 2.Anitial, Suspension and then deposition 3.Velocity peak ‘above dune 4.Dune formation, saltation, and dune migration q Settling Velocity a. ZOmesh=6 cm/s 40mesh=3em/s J Suspension |- 1200mesh-tem/s 3 zm fy 200mesh=0.5 m/s it i Sediment ize (mm) ‘etc h1st Simply Velocity end Sie Ca te | red ese (i) = ean em) = Quantitative Transport Physics * Whenever a particle is moving through a fluid, a number of forces will be acting on the particle, including a: - Gravity Force - Buoyant Force - Drag Force If the fluid and particle have equal density, the buoyant force on the particle will counterbalance the external forces (gravity and drag) and the particle will not move relative to the fluid — pure suspension. * Key considerations: 1) drag coefficient and 2) * For particle movement in fluids, drag force is a resistance to its motion or movernent in the fluid. Drag coefficient is a coefficient related to the drag force — that force necessary to move the particle through the fluid.+ Speed of the object (or fluid) | * Size and shape of the object * The physical properties of the fluid Lawman Feow Terminal Settling Velocity Particle Settling Velocity Fa e F, Speed at which particle settles depends on: + particle properties: D, p,, shape + fluid properti 2 Pp Hy Re ‘Sect: 0a Terminal Settling Velocity Particle Settling Velocity Fo F, tFe Speed at which particle settles ds | ver D, on share. + fluid properties?p, u Re elds | Density fleSettling Velocity: Stokes Settling Settling velocity (w,) is achieved at the balance of gravitational (F,) and drag forces (F,) F, « (Diameter) x (Settling Speed) Fi x(Molecular Dynamic Viscosity) Fy x Dw, ue 7 F,, (Excess Density ) x (Volume) x( Acceleration of Gravity) 2, ~ 2, V8 (0, ~ P,)D'g ‘ct yt In the case of 0.0001 40% Is of sand/gallon of srry Volume Fraction of Particles From Da ta 000) ‘SPC: 0 What About Saltation?10 1.100 mesh requires: '~50% more shear stress than 200 mesh 2.40 mesh requires about double the shear stress as 100 mesh 3.20 mesh requires about double the shear stress as 40 mesh roppant Wanaportn Horna welboes Vig Feah Water by K i Naame elrnce Seholot Mines Wilbore Using Fresh Water by gamen,clrad schoolaera ate epee cee el str petraans eve s dos say and te ode tertonaerv acorn soy ‘ct yt Settled Sand Field Data “wal lid Ss Proppant Transport Physics Summary * Settling velocity increases as Diameter®— greatly favoring smaller proppant Reynolds number increases with diameter — favoring smaller proppant In turbulent flow, smaller proppants are favored by a minimal amount Not spherical shapes reduce the settling velocity Lower proppant density reduces settling velocity | shear stress greatly favors smaller Transport and saltation in wellbore significantly fluences proppant distribution to clusters ‘ech chA Note on MicroProppants © Brownian motion: the random mi parted to the particle by collisions between the molecules of the fluid ig the particle and the particle. surrount * If the particles are quite small, Brownian motion is present. © This movement of the particles in random directions tends to suppress the effect of gravity. «7 Settling of the particles may occur more slowly or not at all. reed Ped eee B oo 20 Maximum Proppant Concentration, Ibigal Daca ; “Two Dive alan Wal Berormanc’ Cre Wig, a, 013, ‘Sect: 0aUnderstanding Natural Fractures 1. Variable Size - Natural fractures can range from isolated microscopic fissures to kilometer-wide collections (fracture corridors). (OFN) 2. Complex Flow Paths - These fractures create complex paths for fluid movement. (Well Test) 3. Deformability - These fractures deform (may close, open, shear) as pressure and stresses change. (Lab Test) 4. Variable Mechanical Properties - These fractures have highly heterogeneous mechanical behavior (stiffness, cohesion, friction angle, etc.). (Field Work) + Barree > bridging limit on slot fractures is Dp < W, where W is width of slot. Can transport proppant in slot fractures no matter what the concentration ppg. Dp < Natural Fracture aperture confirmed by Halliburton 8428.45," ivesationint roppantOymamis in Mya raturn’ Bidar ye ab. 2017 support the bridging criterion = 2.Bridging tends to cause a clumping of proppant and a reduction in local fracture aperture ~ which may lead to bridging of main flow path Proppantansportia Complex Feearewetwors by Bytom,Field Evidence of Bridging Clotur Pressure = 2600 pel bottombele = 0.7 pit om ; oy Sear = = nae im mt i 000} = ro sandeatontas 3 - | SPE 22305, “Review of | “ =" wo, te ‘oo pas tme nae Natural Fractures in Unconventionals «a Woodend Banter ¢ srtarcetie se Austin ca bora a go/fi ff Serenata £ fe Fo {Nina pert the mesa | or ere ante 2 oo 1 pent) Cur ort ll fl ‘Cumulative frequency, F (racwm) ' 0.01 shite: anevewand ' a Newobseraton”, 3G gg coor] minrwenens. 2 € 9 F ae ae ea 0.0001 st 11000 ; 001 001 on 1 0 100 Kinematic aperture, b (mm) ‘eC tt OaCan 100 Mesh Be A Proppant? What is the Conductivity of 100-mesh? is @ Dynamic Conducts @ 6/0 Influence of Fracture Network Sparse DFN Dense DFN Plan view (at injection pt) of pressure & MS events HF Width & Proppant Transport Sparse DFN Dense DFN Vertical X-section view (at inj warmer colors are greater HF width (in a naturally fractured rock mass, the HF is decidedly not elliptical in width!)Summary-1 + 100-mesh and smaller proppants have a clear transport advantage — carried further and longer. + 100-mesh and smaller proppants have a clear advantage in getting into smaller apertures — carried further into natural fractures. + 100-mesh and smaller proppants give poor (very poor) conductivity at higher concentrations but may be ok in mono-layers ~ can we get a mono-layer? + 100-mesh and smaller proppants give poor (very poor) conductivity near-wellbore (main frac) - do we have to tail-in with a larger proppant? + 100-mesh and smaller proppants may serve to significantly reduce the conductivity of larger proppants — how common is this / is it a deal breaker? sen ont 5 Neal B. Nagel, Ph.D. Chief Engineer, OilField Geomechanics LLC www.ofgeomech.com nnagel@ofgeomech.com