Fractured subsurface systems provide most of the energy supply and fluid storage capacities for the world’s growing populations. Fractures play a pivotal role in governing the macroscopic behavior of these systems by acting as fluid flow pathways or barriers. These fractures can occur naturally or can be engineered through stimulation techniques to maximize the storage or recovery of mass and energy in geosystems, such as ultra-tight unconventional hydrocarbon reservoirs and enhanced geothermal systems.
Scientists and engineers at Piri Technologies have extensive expertise in the multi-scale characterization of fractures, both propped and unpopped, under a wide range of stress and flow conditions relevant to the subsurface. Such evaluations are crucial for selecting optimum proppants and fracturing fluid designs and understanding and improving reservoir productivity and performance.
Several examples of our proppant/fracture evaluation services include:
- Macro-scale Fracture Conductivity (HPHT Single-phase Flow in Propped/Unpropped Fractures) – Evaluate the impact of overburden stress on hydraulic conductivity of fractures; post-experiment micro-CT scans of the fracture at 5-10 microns resolutions to characterize deformation embedment, disintegration, etc.
- Macro-scale Unsteady-state Two-phase Flow Tests in Propped/Unpropped Fractures (HPHT Reservoir Conditions) – Evaluate the impact of fracturing fluid composition, aging-induced wettability alteration and stress on effective oil permeability in fractures, Post-experiment micro-CT scans of the fracture at 5-10 microns resolutions to characterize deformation, embedment, disintegration, etc.
- Macro-scale steady-state Two- and Three-phase Relative Permeability Measurements in Propped/Unpropped Fractures (HPHT Reservoir Conditions) – Generate relative permeability curves for use in reservoir simulations or for production analysis
- Micro-scale Flow Tests in Propped/Unpropped Fractures (Integrated with In-Situ X-ray Miro-CT) – Characterize in-situ proppant pack/fracture wettability, two-phase fluid occupancy, and deformations under varying flow and stress conditions
