Improving Fracture Fluid Performance and Controlling Formation Fines Migration With the Same Agent: Is It Achievable?

Traditionally, hydraulic fracturing (frac-packing) and controlling formation fines migration treatments are separate operations that incur high costs for operators, especially for offshore asset developments. Hydraulic fracturing or frac-packing treatment can reduce fines generated in the near-wellbore region, but not the fines migrating from deep hydrocarbon-producing formations. Separate treatment for fines migration control is usually required for maintaining wellbore productivity. Recent studies have found that some inorganic nanoparticles can significantly improve the performance of surfactant micellar fluids in hydraulic fracturing and frac-packing applications, including fluid thermal stability and fluid loss control properties. A theoretical model illustrates that the nanoparticles are first associated with the energetically unfavorable endcaps of surfactant micelles and then become the junctions of the wormlike micelles. Hydrophobic components as internal breakers are placed within wormlike surfactant micelles during surface mixing. After fluid pumping is completed, the internal breakers act to collapse the wormlike surfactant micelle structures. This causes the viscous frac-fluid significantly lose its viscosity and the nanoparticles are released. The released nanoparticles precipitate and attach to nearby proppants to act as formation fine fixators to capture fines when they flow through this region. Our lab tests detail this dual functional performance improvement of surfactant micellar fluid and the controlled migration of formation fines.