Title: A Study of the Friction Pressure and Proppant Transport Behavior of Surfactant-Based Gels
Author(s): P.M. McElfresh, SPE, W.R. Wood, SPE, and C.F. Williams, SPE; Baker Oil Tools; and S.N. Shah, SPE, N. Goel, SPE, and Y. Zhou, SPE; The University of Oklahoma
Presentation: 2002 SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition
Date:
September 29-October 2, 2002
Abstract: Surfactant-based gels (SBGs) exhibiting viscoelastic properties have been recently introduced for sand control and stimulation applications. However, limited data are available on their friction pressure losses through tubing and proppant transport behavior. Therefore, an experimental investigation is performed to study the friction pressure and proppant transport behavior of SBG fracturing and sand control fluids. The friction pressure of the clean and slurry fluids were evaluated in tubing of various configurations and lengths up to 1000 ft. The proppant transport behavior of the fluids was observed through a transparent slot and a High Pressure Fracture simulator, and proppant settling in small-scale laboratory tests. The friction pressure results show that the SBGs exhibit stable and significant drag reduction under most of the flow conditions. The presence of sand in the solutions increases the friction losses through tubing, but to different amounts depending on tubing geometry and configuration. The proppant transport behavior of the SBGs was observed to be comparable to the behavior of the 35- and 40-lbm/Mgal crosslinked gels evaluated under similar slot flow conditions.
This study of SBGs provides unique results obtained in a large-scale test facility and in a small-scale laboratory environment. These experimental results, in turn, provide information to aid field personnel in designing gravel packs, frac packs, and other completion and stimulation treatments. These data will also aid in the eventual development of friction pressure and proppant transport prediction methods for SBGs.