TYPES OF HYDRAULIC FRACTURING FLUIDS
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TYPES OF HYDRAULIC FRACTURING FLUIDS
FRACTURING FLUIDS. The types and use of fracturing fluids have evolved greatly over the years and continue to evolve. To select the fracturing fluid for a specific well, it is necessary to understand the properties of the fluid and how these properties may be modified to accomplish desired effects. The properties that a fracturing fluid should possess are:
- The turbulent flow frictional loss in the wellbore and perforations and in laminar flow in the fracture.
- The accurate characterization of the rheological properties of the fluid is necessary for the successful application of the hydraulic fracturing process.
The turbulent flow frictional loss in the well bore and perforations is important to design and perform a fracturing treatment. The frictional losses are used to predict the surface treating pressure and injection rate. The laminar flow behavior of the fluid in the fracture is critical to the design of proppant transport and fracture geometry. The fracture geometry and extension during
FRACTURING
the treatment depends to a high degree on the rheological properties of the clean as well as proppant-laden fluid. Fracturing fluids are generally classified into three types: aqueous based, oil, and foam fluids.
AQUEOUS-BASED FRACTURING FLUIDS:
Aqueous-based fracturing fluids have been widely used in the oil and gas wells because of their low cost, high performance, greater suspending power, environmentally acceptable and ease of handling. Aqueous-based fracturing fluids are classified based on the amount of polymer (gelling agent) per gallon of water. Various mixes of these gelling agents are used in hydraulic fracturing treatments, depending on the type of formation being stimulated.
