Preliminary Studies on the Proppant Embedment in Baltic Basin Shale Rock

Proppant embedment is a serious issue that reduces fracture width and conductivity. The paper presents the results of experiments on embedment phenomena on a shale rock from the region of the Baltic Basin, which is regarded as an unconventional gas deposit. A novel laboratory imaging procedure was i...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Rock mechanics and rock engineering 2021-05, Vol.54 (5), p.2233-2248
Main Authors: Masłowski, Mateusz, Labus, Małgorzata
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Axial stress
Civil Engineering
Compressive properties
Cores
Earth and Environmental Science
Earth Sciences
Embedment
Geophysics/Geodesy
Hydraulic fracturing
Original Paper
Parameters
Penetration depth
Procedures
Reservoirs
Rocks
Sediment samples
Sedimentary rocks
Shale
Shales
Test procedures
Vulnerability
Width
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Summary:Proppant embedment is a serious issue that reduces fracture width and conductivity. The paper presents the results of experiments on embedment phenomena on a shale rock from the region of the Baltic Basin, which is regarded as an unconventional gas deposit. A novel laboratory imaging procedure was implemented to the proppant embedment visualization. The tests were performed for conditions corresponding to the average reservoir conditions occurring in the studied deposit formation. The parameters characterizing damage of the surface of the fracture faces by the grains of proppant material, after the application of axial compressive stress to two shale core samples with proppant placed in between, are presented. The tests were carried out for rock samples pre-saturated with fracturing fluid. The obtained results of relatively low total effective penetration depth of proppant grains into the walls of the fracture (0.293 mm), and high effective width of fracture with proppant material after hydraulic fracturing (87.9%), indicate the proper selection of proppant and fracturing fluid for the properties of the rock and the reservoir conditions. The results of the experiments present a range of embedment parameters, that have not been widely described before. The test procedure presented in the article is a good method for assessing the vulnerability of a deposit rock to embedment phenomenon.
ISSN:0723-2632
1434-453X
DOI:10.1007/s00603-021-02407-0