A review of methane leakage from abandoned oil and gas wells:A case study in Lubbock,Texas,within the Permian Basin

In the pursuit of global net zero carbon emissions and climate change mitigation,ongoing research into sustainable energy sources and emission control is paramount.This review examines methane leakage from abandoned oil and gas(AOG)wells,focusing particularly on Lubbock,a geographic area situated within the larger region known as the Permian Basin in West Texas,United States.The objective is to assess the extent and environmental implications of methane leakage from these wells.The analysis integrates pertinent literature,governmental and industry data,and prior Lubbock reports.Factors affecting methane leakage,including well integrity,geological characteristics,and human activities,are explored.Our research estimates 1781 drilled wells in Lubbock,forming a foundation for targeted assessments and monitoring due to historical drilling trends.The hierarchy of well statuses in Lubbock highlights the prevalence of“active oil wells,”trailed by“plugged and abandoned oil wells”and“inactive oil wells.”Methane leakage potential aligns with these well types,underscoring the importance of strategic monitoring and mitigation.The analysis notes a zenith in“drilled and completed”wells during 1980-1990.While our study's case analysis and literature review reiterate the critical significance of assessing and mitigating methane emissions from AOG wells,it's important to clarify that the research does not directly provide methane leakage data.Instead,it contextualizes the issue's magnitude and emphasizes the well type and status analysis's role in targeted mitigation efforts.In summary,our research deepens our understanding of methane leakage,aiding informed decision-making and policy formulation for environmental preservation.By clarifying well type implications and historical drilling patterns,we aim to contribute to effective strategies in mitigating methane emissions from AOG wells.

Experimental investigation into effects of the natural polymer and nanoclay particles on the EOR performance of chemical flooding in carbonate reservoirs

This paper aims to investigate the tragacanth gum potential as a natural polymer combined with natural clay mineral(montmorillonite,kaolinite,and illite)nanoparticles(NPs)to form NP-polymer suspension for enhanced oil recovery(EOR)in carbonate reservoirs.Thermal gravimetric analysis(TGA)tests were conducted initially in order to evaluate the properties of tragacanth gum.Subsequently,scanning electron microscopy(SEM)and energy-dispersive X-ray(EDX)tests were used to detect the structure of clay particles.In various scenarios,the effects of natural NPs and polymer on the wettability alteration,interfacial tension(IFT)reduction,viscosity improvement,and oil recovery were investigated through contact angle system,ring method,Anton Paar viscometer,and core flooding tests,respectively.The entire experiment was conducted at 25,50,and 75℃,respectively.According to the experimental results,the clay minerals alone did not have a significant effect on viscosity,but the addition of minerals to the polymer solution leads to the viscosity enhancement remarkably,resulting mobility ratio improvement.Among clay NPs,the combination of natural polymer and kaolinite results in increased viscosity at all temperatures.Considerable wettability alteration was also observed in the case of natural polymer and illite NPs.Illite in combination with natural polymer showed an ability in reducing IFT.Finally,the results of displacement experiments revealed that the combination of natural polymer and kaolinite could be the best option for EOR due to its substantial ability to improve the recovery factor.

Fractures interaction and propagation mechanism of multi-cluster fracturing on laminated shale oil reservoir

The continental shale reservoirs of Jurassic Lianggaoshan Formation in Sichuan Basin contain thin lamina,which is characterized by strong plasticity and developed longitudinal shell limestone interlayer.To improve the production efficiency of reservoirs by multi-cluster fracturing,it is necessary to consider the unbalanced propagation of hydraulic fractures and the penetration effect of fractures.This paper constructed a numerical model of multi-fracture propagation and penetration based on the finite element coupling cohesive zone method;considering the construction cluster spacing,pump rate,lamina strength and other parameters studied the influencing factors of multi-cluster fracture interaction propagation;combined with AE energy data and fracture mode reconstruction method,quantitatively characterized the comprehensive impact of the strength of thin interlayer rock interfaces on the initiation and propagation of fractures that penetrate layers,and accurately predicted the propagation pattern of hydraulic fractures through laminated shale oil reservoirs.Simulation results revealed that in the process of multi-cluster fracturing,the proportion of shear damage is low,and mainly occurs in bedding fractures activated by outer fractures.Reducing the cluster spacing enhances the fracture system's penetration ability,though it lowers the activation efficiency of lamina.The high plasticity of the limestone interlayer may impact the vertical propagation distance of the main fracture.Improving the interface strength is beneficial to the reconstruction of the fracture height,but the interface communication effect is limited.Reasonable selection of layers with moderate lamina strength for fracturing stimulation,increasing the pump rate during fracturing and setting the cluster spacing reasonably are beneficial to improve the effect of reservoir stimulation.

Machine learning prediction of methane,ethane,and propane solubility in pure water and electrolyte solutions:Implications for stray gas migration modeling

Hydraulic fracturing is an effective technology for hydrocarbon extraction from unconventional shale and tight gas reservoirs.A potential risk of hydraulic fracturing is the upward migration of stray gas from the deep subsurface to shallow aquifers.The stray gas can dissolve in groundwater leading to chemical and biological reactions,which could negatively affect groundwater quality and contribute to atmospheric emissions.The knowledge oflight hydrocarbon solubility in the aqueous environment is essential for the numerical modelling offlow and transport in the subsurface.Herein,we compiled a database containing 2129experimental data of methane,ethane,and propane solubility in pure water and various electrolyte solutions over wide ranges of operating temperature and pressure.Two machine learning algorithms,namely regression tree(RT)and boosted regression tree(BRT)tuned with a Bayesian optimization algorithm(BO)were employed to determine the solubility of gases.The predictions were compared with the experimental data as well as four well-established thermodynamic models.Our analysis shows that the BRT-BO is sufficiently accurate,and the predicted values agree well with those obtained from the thermodynamic models.The coefficient of determination(R2)between experimental and predicted values is 0.99 and the mean squared error(MSE)is 9.97×10^(-8).The leverage statistical approach further confirmed the validity of the model developed.

Geomorphological evidence inconvenient for the antecedent rivers of the Arun and Tista across the Himalayan range

The Arun and Tista Rivers,which flow across the Himalayas,are commonly known as antecedent valleys that overcame the rapid uplift of the Higher Himalayan ranges.To clarify whether the idea of antecedent rivers is acceptable,we investigated the geomorphology of the Himalayas between eastern Nepal and Bhutan Himalayas.The southern part of Tibetan Plateau,extending across the Himalayas as tectonically un-deformed glaciated terrain named as'Tibetan Corridor,'does not suggest the regional uplift of the Higher Himalayas.The 8,000-m class mountains of Everest,Makalu,and Kanchenjunga are isolated residual peaks on the glaciated terrain composed of mountain peaks of 4,000–6,000 m high.The Tibetan glaciers commonly beheaded by Himalayan glaciers along the great watershed of the Himalayas suggest the expansion of Himalayan river drainage by glaciation.For the narrow upstream regions of the Arun and Tista Rivers with less precipitation behind the range,it is hard to collect enough water for the power of down-cutting their channels against the uplifting Himalayas.The fission track ages of the Higher Himalayan Crystalline Nappe suggest that the Himalayas attained their present altitude by 11–10 Ma,and the Arun and Tista Rivers formed deep gorges across the Himalayas by headward erosion.

The Evaluation of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) Utilization as an Alternative Automobile Fuel in Nigeria

The utilization of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) as an alternative automobile fuel in Nigeria was studied, focusing on varying different blend ratios of propane and butane as an alternative fuel in a single-cylinder, four-stroke, and spark ignition (SI) engine. Ricardo WAVE, 1-Dimensional engine simulator was used to model the internal combustion engine where the different blend ratios of propane and butane (P100, P90B10, P80B20, P70B30, P60B40 and P50B50) were tested and compared with a gasoline engine operating under same conditions. From the simulation results for the different LPG blends, there was no significant difference in the engine performance and emissions, but when compared with pure gasoline, it was observed that the LPG showed improved engine performance and lower emissions. The engine power output in using the blends was 25% higher compared to using gasoline;CO emission was 50% less, UHC was 20% less while NOx at low speed was significantly lower.

Evolution of tectonic landscapes and deformation in the southeast Kumaun and western Nepal Himalaya

The area of the present investigation’s expanse constitutes the southernmost extent of the southeast Kumaun Himalaya and western Nepal Himalaya.Multidisciplinary approaches have been employed to understand the landforms associated with tectonic deformation,through detailed field investigation supplemented by the geodetic,chronological,and morphometric database.The morphogenic expressions of the Main Boundary Thrust(MBT)are reflected in the form of~25 km long E-W trending north dipping fault scarp.The deformation along the strike length of the Himalayan Frontal Thrust(HFT)is noticed in the form of uplifted and incised fill terraces,and strath terraces.The deformation within the fluvial sequences in the study area can be visualized in the form of sheared boulders and pebbles,tilted and faulted terrace deposits.Furthermore,the chronological data of fluvial landforms in the study area suggests two major phases of tectonic deformations that have occurred around 58.7±10.8 ka and 3.88±0.4 ka.The chronology of late-Quaternary landforms advocates that the initial stage of aggradations in the Himalayan foothills commenced around 75.1±0.58 ka.The aggradational landforms resulted from the diverse depositional regime as evident from the nature of the sediment sequences from clasts dominated to thick mud sequences.The rate of deformation in the southeastern Kumaun and western Nepal Himalaya is±7 mm/yr,as per the data obtained from the Persistent Scatterer Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar(PSInSAR).The landform deformation pattern,phase of incision and aggradation,frequent occurrence of landslides,and recent past earthquake activity within the wide zone of the HFT,the MBT,and Ramgarh Thrust suggests that the southernmost front of the Kumaun Himalaya is active and has potential for future geohazard.The foothill zone of Himalayan towns are actively growing in terms of population and infrastructural development.Therefore,such intradisciplinary studies for tectonically active regions are needed for future infrastructural development.

Application of 2-D and 3-D Geo-electrical Resistivity Tomography and Geotechnical Soil Evaluation for Engineering Site Investigation:A Case Study of Okerenkoko Primary School,Warri-Southwest,Delta State,Nigeria

In the design of building structures,joint efforts must be decided to resolve the depth of competent layers across the intended site to safeguard the durability of civil engineering structures and to avert the disastrous consequences of structural failure and collapse.In this study,an integrated methodology that employed DC resistivity tomography involving 2-D and 3-D techniques and geotechnical-soil analysis was used to evaluate subsoil conditions for engineering site investigation at Okerenkoko primary school,in the Warri-southwest area of Delta State,to adduce the phenomena responsible for the visible cracks/structural failure observed in the buildings.The results obtained brought to light the geological structure beneath the subsurface,which consists of four geoelectric layers identified as topsoil,dry/lithified upper sandy layer,wet sand(water-saturated)and peat/clay/sandy clayey soil(highly water-saturated).The deeply-seated peat/clay materials(ρ≤20Ωm)were delineated in the study area to the depths of 17.1 m and 19.8 m from 2-D and 3-D tomography respectively.3-D images presented as horizontal depth slices revealed the dominance of very low resistivity materials i.e.peat/clay/sandy clay within the fourth,fifth and sixth layers at depths ranging from 8.68-12.5 m,12.5-16.9 m and 16.9-21.9 m respectively.The dominance of mechanically unstable peat/clay/sandy clay layers beneath the subsurface,which are highly mobile in response to volumetric changes,is responsible for the noticeable cracks/failure detected on structures within the study site.These observations were validated by a geotechnical test of soil samples in the study area.Atterberg’s limits of the samples revealed plasticity indices of zero.Thus,the soil samples within the depth analyzed were representatives of sandy soil that does not possess any plasticity.The methods justifiably provided relevant information on the subsurface geology beneath the study site and should be appropriated as major tools for engineering site assessment/geotechnical projects.

An alternative treatment process for upgrade of petroleum refinery wastewater using electrocoagulation

An electrocoagulation treatment process was developed for treatment and upgrade of petroleum refinery effluent （wastewater）, instead of the conventional methods, which can consume higher amounts of chemicals and produce larger amounts of sludge. The effect of the operation parameters, such as current density, initial pH, anode material, anode dissolution, energy consumption and electrolysis time, on treatment efficiency was investigated. The experimental results showed that the effluent can be effectively treated under optimal conditions. Fourier transform infrared （FTIR） analysis of the effluent, and scanning electron microscopy （SEM） coupled with energy dispersive analysis of X-rays （EDAX） of the sludge produced, revealed that the unwanted pollutants can be eliminated. The electrocoagulation treatment process was assessed by using the removal efficiency of chemical oxygen demand （COD）, total suspended solids （TSS）, and the general physicochemical characteristics of wastewater, and the results showed that the electrocoagulation is an efficient process for recycling of petroleum wastewater; it is faster and provides better quality of treated water than the conventional methods.

Further discussion of CO_(2) huff-n-puff mechanisms in tight oil reservoirs based on NMR monitored fluids spatial distributions

Due to the poor physical properties of tight reservoirs,CO_(2) huff-n-puff(HNP)is considered a potential enhanced oil recovery(EOR)method after primary depletion.Optimization plays a critical role in the effective implementation of CO_(2) huff-n-puff.But the optimization requires a good understanding of the EOR mechanisms.In this work,the spatial distribution of oil saturation under different experimental conditions was analyzed by the NMR method to further discuss the HNP mechanisms.According to the variation of 1D frequency signal amplitude,we divided the core into the hardly movable area and movable area,the region with the obvious signal decline was defined as the movable area,and the hardly movable area was the region with limited signal decline.Based on that the recovery characteristics of different scenarios were evaluated.Firstly,the necessity of the soaking stage was studied,where three scenarios with different soaking times were carried out.Secondly,the injection pressure was adjusted to investigate the effect of the pressure gradient.The T_(2) spectra show that soaking has significantly improved the production of crude oil in small pores,and higher oil recovery in a single cycle is observed,but it is lower when the elapsed time(total operation time)is the same.31.03% of oil can be recovered after 3 cycles HNP,which increases to 33.8% and 37.06% for the 4 cycles and 6 cycles cases.As the pressure gradient increases,more oil is removed out of the matrix,and the oil in the deep part of the reservoir can be effectively recovered.During the CO_(2) huff-n-puff process,the oil distributions are similar to the solution gas drive,the residual oil is distributed at the close end of the core and the range that the oil can be efficiently recovered is limited.

Experimental study on the degree and damage-control mechanisms of fuzzy-ball-induced damage in single and multi-layer commingled tight reservoirs

Fuzzy-ball working fluids(FBWFs)have been successfully applied in different development phases of tight reservoirs.Field reports revealed that FBWFs satisfactorily met all the operational and reservoir damage control requirements during their application.However,the damage-control mechanisms and degree of formation damage caused by fuzzy-ball fluids have not been investigated in lab-scale studies so far.In this study,the degree of fuzzy-ball-induced damage in single-and double-layer reservoirs was evaluated through core flooding experiments that were based on permeability and flow rate indexes.Additionally,its damage mechanisms were observed via scanning electron microscope and energy-dispersive spectroscopy tests.The results show that:(1)For single-layer reservoirs,the FBWF induced weak damage on coals and medium-to-weak damage on sandstones,and the difference of the damage in permeability or flow rate index on coals and sandstones is below 1%.Moreover,the minimum permeability recovery rate was above 66%.(2)For double-layer commingled reservoirs,the flow rate index revealed weak damage and the overall damage in double-layer was lower than the single-layer reservoirs.(3)There is no significant alteration in the microscopic structure of fuzzy-ball saturated cores with no evidence of fines migration.The dissolution of lead and sulfur occurred in coal samples,while tellurium in sandstone,aluminum,and magnesium in carbonate.However,the precipitation of aluminum,magnesium,and sodium occurred in sandstone but no precipitates found in coal and carbonate.The temporal plugging and dispersion characteristics of the FBWFs enable the generation of reservoir protection layers that will minimize formation damage due to solid and fluid invasion.

Evaluation of the coupled impact of silicon oxide nanoparticles and low-salinity water on the wettability alteration of Berea sandstones

This study investigated experimentally the coupled effects of hydrophilic SiO_(2) nanoparticles(NPs)and low-salinity water(LSW)on the wettability of synthetic clay-free Berea sandstone.Capillary pressure,interfacial tension(IFT),contact angle,Zeta potential,and dynamic displacement measurements were performed at various NP mass fractions and brine salinities.The U.S.Bureau of Mines(USBM)index was used to quantify the wettability alteration.Furthermore,the NP stability and retention and the effect of enhanced oil recovery by nanofluid were examined.The results showed that LSW immiscible displacement with NPs altered the wettability toward more water wet.With the decreasing brine salinity and increasing NP mass fraction,the IFT and contact angle decreased.The wettability alteration intensified most as the brine salinity decreased to 4000 mg/L and the NP mass fraction increased to 0.075%.Under these conditions,the resulting incremental oil recovery factor was approximately 13 percentage points.When the brine salinity was 4000 mg/L and the NP mass fraction was 0.025%,the retention of NPs caused the minimum damage to permeability.

Effect of gravel on rock failure in glutenite reservoirs under different confining pressures

Due to the existence of gravel,glutenite is heterogeneous and different from fine-grained rocks such as sandstone and shale in structure.To fully understand the effect of gravel on failure mode in glutenite,we performed triaxial compression tests on different glutenites.The results indicate that failure modes of glutenite are complex due to the existence of gravel.Under different confining pressures,three failure modes were observed.The first failure mode,a tensile failure under uniaxial compression,produces multiple tortuous longitudinal cracks.In this failure mode,the interaction between gravels provides the lateral tensile stress for rock splitting.The second failure mode occurs under low and medium confining pressure and produces a crack band composed of micro-cracks around gravels.This failure mode conforms to the Mohr-Coulomb criterion and is generated by shear failure.In this failure mode,shear dilatancy and shear compaction may occur under different confining pressures to produce different crack band types.In the second failure mode,gravel-induced stress concentration produces masses of initial micro-cracks for shear cracking,and gravels deflect the fracture surfaces.As a result,the fracture is characterized by crack bands that are far broader than in fine-grained rocks.The third failure mode requires high confining pressure and produces disconnected cracks around gravels without apparent crack bands.In this failure mode,the gravel rarely breaks,indicating that the formation of these fractures is related to the deformation of the matrix.The third failure mode requires lower confining pressure in glutenite with weak cement and matrix support.Generally,unlike fine-grained rocks,the failure mode of glutenite is not only controlled by confining pressure but also by the gravel.The failure of glutenite is characterized by producing cracks around gravels.These cracks are produced by different mechanisms and distributed in different manners under different confining pressures to form different fracture patterns.Therefore,understanding the rock microstructure and formation stress state is essential in guiding glutenite reservoir development.

Crude oil cracking in deep reservoirs:A review of the controlling factors and estimation methods

The natural cracking of crude oils in deep reservoirs has gained great interest due to continuously increasing depth of petroleum exploration and exploitation.Complex oil compositions and surroundings as well as complicated geological evolutions make oil cracking in nature much more complex than industrial pyrolysis.So far,numerous studies,focused on this topic,have made considerable progress although there still exist some drawbacks.However,a comprehensive review on crude oil cracking is yet to be conducted.This article systematically reviews the controlling factors of oil cracking from six aspects,namely,oil compositions,temperature and time,pressure,water,minerals and solid organic matter.We compare previous experimental and modelling results and present new field cases.In the following,we evaluate the prevailing estimation methods for the extent of oil cracking,and elucidate other factors that may interfere with the application of these estimation methods.This review will be helpful for further investigations of crude oil cracking and provides a guide for estimation of the cracking extent of crude oils.

Conception of a Web Operation System for Processing Petroleum Related Drilling Data: A Focus on Pre-Salt Real-Time Automation and Optimization

Petroleum and Natural Gas still represent a considerable share in terms of energy consumption in the current global matrix, so that its exploration/exploitation is present in the market and driving activities in locations of specific complexities, as the ones along unconventional hydrocarbon resources from the Brazilian pre-salt. The daily cost of well drilling under harsh conditions can exceed US $1 million a day, turning any type of downtime or necessary maintenance during the activities to be very costly, moment in which processes optimization starts to be a key factor in costs reduction. Thus, new technologies and methods in terms of automating and optimizing the processes may be of great advantages, having its impact in total related project costs. In this context, the goal of this research is to allow a computation tool supporting achieving a more efficient drilling process, by means of drilling mechanics parameters choosiness aiming rate of penetration (ROP) maximization and mechanic specific energy (MSE) minimization. Conceptually, driven by the pre-operational drilling test curve trends, the proposed system allows it to be performed with less human influences and being updateable automatically, allowing more precision and time reduction by selecting optimum parameters. A Web Operating System (Web OS) was designed and implemented, running in online servers, granting accessibility to it with any device that has a browser and internet connection. It allows processing the drilling parameters supplied and feed into it, issuing outcomes with optimum values in a faster and precise way, allowing reducing operating time.

An overview of chemical enhanced oil recovery and its status in India

India is currently producing crude oil from matured fields because of insufficient discoveries of new fields.Therefore,in order to control the energy crisis in India,enhanced oil recovery(EOR)techniques are required to reduce the import of crude from the OPEC(Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries).This review mentions chemical EOR techniques(polymers,surfactants,alkali,nanoparticles,and combined alkali-surfactant-polymer flooding)and operations in India.Chemical EOR methods are one of the most efficient methods for oil displacement.The efficiency is enhanced by interfacial tension(IFT)reduction using surfactants and alkali,and mobility control of injected water is done by adding a polymer to increase the volumetric sweep efficiency.This paper also reviews the current trend of chemical EOR,prospects of chemical EOR in Indian oilfields,the development of chemical EOR in India with their challenges raising with economics,and screening criteria for chemical EOR implementation on the field scale.Furthermore,the review gives a brief idea about chemical EOR implementation in Indian oilfields in future prospects to increase the additional oil recovery from existing depleted fields to reduce the import of crude oil.The outcome of this review depicts all chemical EOR operations and recovery rates both at the laboratory scale and field scale around the country.The additional recovery rates are compared from various chemical EOR methods like conventional chemical flooding methods and conventional chemicals combined with nanoparticles on a laboratory scale.The development of chemical EOR in the past few decades and the EOR policy given by the government of India has been mentioned in this review.The analysis provides an idea about enhanced recovery screening and implementation of chemical EOR methods in existing fields will significantly reduce the energy crisis in India.

Experimental investigation of gaseous solvent huff-n-puff in the Middle Bakken Formation

The efficacy of gaseous solvents in enhancing oil recovery(EOR)in unconventional reservoirs and the influence of operational and design parameters are still debated among the oil recovery research community.This work investigated the recovery-enhancing capabilities of two potent gaseous solvents,CO_(2) and ethane,in tight core samples.Laboratory huff-n-puff(H-n-P)experiments were conducted under three miscibility conditions to investigate the influence of the key operating parameters and the dependency of their impact on the miscibility conditions and gas composition.The results show that oil recovery increased with increasing pressure from below(BM)to above(AM)miscibility pressure in a non-linear trend,irrespective of the gas composition.Furthermore,the influence of the soak period was noticeably dependent on the miscibility condition,specifically more remarkable under AM conditions and less apparent under BM conditions.Likewise,the effect of the production period was more pronounced at AM conditions for both gases.Finally,the impact of rock surface area-to-volume(SA/V)was only observed at BM,where both gases recovered more oil in the core samples with high SA/V.In general,ethane showed a higher efficacy for oil recovery than CO_(2);CO_(2) recovered 21%–70%of oil in small core samples,while ethane could recover 32%–88%.The highest recovery was achieved with ethane injected under AM conditions,with a prolonged soak time,a short production period and into a core sample with a high SA/V.We believe the findings from this work will help better understand and design H-n-P EOR projects.

Comparative assessment of mechanical and chemical fluid diversion techniques during hydraulic fracturing in horizontal wells

The application of fluid diversion during hydraulic fracturing is an evolving technology and has become popular amongst E&P operators over the past few years.The primary objective of the fluid diversion is to improve hydraulic fracturing treatment by increasing stimulated reservoir volume and improving hydrocarbon recovery.This is possible by achieving any of the following objectives:creating uniform distribution of treatment slurry within the target zone;treating unstimulated and under-stimulated zones;or by increasing fracture density by creating a complex fracture network.The fluid diversion application is also helpful in decreasing the number of stages(by increasing stage length)for multi-stage plug-n-perf(PnP)fracturing treatment.It is also applied to prevent fracture-driven interactions between adjacent wells,which is currently a major issue,especially in shale.In addition,for successful refracturing treatment,the diverter application is essential for isolating the existing fractures and redirecting the treatment slurry to the desired unstimulated zones.The diversion methods can be broadly categorized into the mechanical and chemical diversion.Several established mechanical diversion techniques are frac plugs,expandable casing patches,expandable liners,swellable packers,straddle packer assembly,sand plugs,frac sleeves,perforation ball sealers,and limited entry technique.The different chemical diversion techniques are particulates,fibers,gels,surfactants,perforation pods,and composite diverting.This paper describes the current status of established mechanical and chemical diverter technologies and examines their comparative advantages and challenges.Various techniques are suitable for diverter application,but the technique is selected based on the desired objective and conditions of the wellbore and reservoir.The general guidelines for selecting diversion techniques and operational considerations are also provided in the paper.The diagnosis of diversion treatment plays an essential role in diversion technique selection and optimization of selection parameters for the subsequent treatments.Therefore,the application of conventional surface pressure monitoring techniques and advanced diagnostic tools to evaluate diversion effectiveness are briefly described.Presently no standard laboratory testing method is established for the performance evaluation of diverting agents.Therefore,researchers have implemented various laboratory methods,which are briefly summarized in the paper.Significant insight into the diversion technology and guidelines for its selection and successful implementation is provided to help engineers to increase the effectiveness of hydraulic fracturing treatments.The limitations of individual diversion techniques are clarified,which provide the future scope of research for improvement in various diversion technologies.

Numerical study on erosion behavior of sliding sleeve ball seat for hydraulic fracturing based on experimental data

The sleeve sealing ball seat is one of the important components in the multistage fracturing process of horizontal wells.The erosion and wear of the surface will decrease the sealing performance of the fracturing ball and the ball seat.This leads to pressure leakage during the fracturing process and fracturing failure.In this paper,combined with the actual ball seat materials and working conditions during the fracturing process,the erosion tests of ductile iron and tungsten carbide materials under different erosion speeds,angles,and mortar concentrations are carried out.Then the erosion test results were analyzed by mathematical fitting,and a set of erosion models suitable for sliding sleeve setting ball seat materials were innovatively established.For the first time,this paper combines the erosion model obtained from the experiment and the computational fluid dynamics(CFD)with Fluent software to simulate the erosion of the ball seat.Based on the simulation results,the morphology of the sliding sleeve seat ball after erosion is predicted.Through analysis of the test and simulation results,it is showed that the erosion rate of tungsten carbide material is lower and the wear resistance is better under the condition of small angle erosion.This research can offer a strong basis for fracturing site selection,surface treatment methods,and prediction of failure time of ball seats.

Influence of gravel content and cement on conglomerate fracture

Tight reservoirs are typically developed by horizontal wells and multi-stage hydraulic fracturing.The conglomerate reservoir is one type of tight reservoirs,which is different from homogeneous rock,such as tight sandstone.This is because that the existence of gravels makes conglomerate have strong hetero-geneity.Thus,it is difficult to grasp the fracture mechanism and the law of fracture propagation of conglomerate,which limits the efficient development of the conglomerate reservoir.In this paper,the fracture characteristics and factors influencing the fracturing of Mahu conglomerate were studied by uniaxial compression,acoustic emission monitoring and X-ray computed tomography(CT)scanning experiments.The results show that the fracture characteristics of conglomerates are influenced by the gravel content and cement.The conglomerate in the study area is mainly divided into carbonate cemented conglomerate and clay cemented conglomerate.The fracture complexity of carbonate cemented conglomerate first increases and then decreases with increasing gravel content.However,for clay cemented conglomerates,the fracture complexity increases over the gravel content.The crack development stress is a significant parameter in the crack assessment of conglomerates.This study is useful to understand the influence of meso-fabric characteristics of conglomerates on their fracturing and crack evolution and guides the design of hydraulic fracturing.