Open Access
ARTICLE
Numerical Modelling of Proppant Transport in Hydraulic Fractures
Yatin Suri1, Sheikh Zahidul Islam1, *, Mamdud Hossain1
1 School of Engineering, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, UK.
* Corresponding Author: Sheikh Zahidul Islam. Email: .
(This article belongs to this Special Issue: CFD Modeling and Multiphase Flows)
Fluid Dynamics & Materials Processing 2020, 16(2), 297-337. https://doi.org/10.32604/fdmp.2020.08421
Received 23 August 2019; Accepted 16 October 2019; Issue published 21 April 2020
Abstract
The distribution of proppant injected in hydraulic fractures significantly affects
the fracture conductivity and well performance. The proppant transport in thin fracturing
fluid used during hydraulic fracturing in the unconventional reservoirs is considerably
different from fracturing fluids in the conventional reservoir due to the very low viscosity
and quick deposition of the proppants. This paper presents the development of a threedimensional Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modelling technique for the prediction
of proppant-fluid multiphase flow in hydraulic fractures. The proposed model also simulates
the fluid leak-off behaviour from the fracture wall. The Euler-Granular and CFD-Discrete
Element Method (CFD-DEM) multiphase modelling approach has been applied, and the
equations defining the fluid-proppant and inter-proppant interaction have been solved using
the finite volume technique. The proppant transport in hydraulic fractures has been studied
comprehensively, and the computational modelling results of proppant distribution and other
flow properties are in good agreement with the published experimental study. The parametric
study is performed to investigate the effect of variation in proppant size, fluid viscosity and
fracture width on the proppant transport. Smaller proppants can be injected early, followed
by larger proppants to maintain high propping efficiency. This study has enhanced the
understanding of the complex flow phenomenon between proppant and fracturing fluid and
can play a vital role in hydraulic fracturing design.
Keywords
Cite This Article
Suri, Y., Islam, S. Z., Hossain, M. (2020). Numerical Modelling of Proppant Transport in Hydraulic Fractures.
FDMP-Fluid Dynamics & Materials Processing, 16(2), 297–337. https://doi.org/10.32604/fdmp.2020.08421
Citations