SDBS-Induced Dispersion Effect of High-Rank Coal Fines to Inhibit the Conductivity of Propping Fractures

Abstract

Coal fines are commonly produced in the form of aggregates during the development of coalbed methane (CBM), which significantly restricts the well productivity. Specifically, the reunion state of coal fines plays a key role in impacting the conductivity of propping fractures after fracturing. In this work, the anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (SDBS) was selected to control the reunion state of coal fines. Visualized simulations of coal fines’ transport behavior in proppants with different particle sizes were carried out under low constant pressure based on sand pack experiments. Moreover, the characteristics of coal fine filling and production in propping fractures were obtained. The results indicate that SDBS has a dispersion effect on coal fine aggregates in the KCl fracturing fluid, with an average reduction of 36% in particle size. There is a positive correlation between the proppant size and the permeability coefficient of propping fractures. Coal fines reduce the permeability coefficients obviously, which first rapidly decrease and then slowly reach a stable stage. In the first stage, the changes of permeability coefficients are affected by the relative particle sizes of the proppant and the coal fine, which is consistent with the classic 1/3 sealing mechanism. In the second stage, SDBS increases the amount of coal fines between the proppant pore throats, and the thickness of the filter cake formed from coal fines at the entrance of the propping fracture increases, resulting in the inhibition of fracture conductivity. Additionally, the output of coal fines is increased dramatically induced by SDBS. Finally, the inhibitory effect of SDBS on fluid production was verified by comparing the water production and coal fine content of two field wells CW # 1 and CW # 2. This study has guiding significance for the output and control of coal fines in low-pressure production of CBM wells.