Development of a New Mathematical Model To Quantitatively Evaluate Equilibrium Height of Proppant Bed in Hydraulic Fractures for Slickwater Treatment

Abstract

Summary The proppant bed develops and its height grows until it reaches the critical velocity and equilibrium height. This paper proposes a comprehensive mathematical model to evaluate the equilibrium height for slickwater treatment. We use well-accepted published experimental data and models from other groups to validate our model. After that, we investigate the effects of proppant properties and fluid properties on the equilibrium height. This work can provide critical insights to optimize the design of proppant parameters in a hydraulic fracture. Meanwhile, this model can be incorporated into fracture-propagation simulators for simulating proppant transport.