The investigation of proppant slurry-settling velocity in static conditions by measurement of light intensity difference | [ARPN Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences • 2025]

Author(s):

1. Nguyen Huu Truong: Department of Petroleum Engineering, Faculty of Petroleum, Petrovietnam University,Ba Ria,Viet Nam

Abstract:

Previously, the settling behavior of dilute proppant slurries has been generally neglected. This is true to the fact that the techniques, objectives, target formation, and technology implemented in a hydraulic fracturing operation are heavily focused on the use of mid-to-high viscosity fluids. However, with the advent of shale-gas fracturing, the dissimilar operating conditions and different induced fracturing results have driven the change from using viscous fluids into the currently well-known “slickwater” fracturing, where the designed fluids are generally much less viscous and use dilute proppant concentrations. By using the invention presented in these writings, the settling behavior of proppant in lowviscosity, dilute proppant concentration fluids can be observed and quantified. Henceforth, a new, rapid, and practical method for determining the settling characteristics of proppant slurries in non-flowing conditions is presented in these writings. The theory of the technique implemented in the invention is the use of light-intensity difference to quantify proppant-settling behavior. With the ability to measure the difference in light intensity at a given amount of time, the slurry settling speed and it's settling behavior, including the separation of particles by size, and the overall suspension time of proppant slurries can be measured in a quick and easily reproducible manner.

Page(s): 231-236

DOI: DOI not available

Published: Journal: ARPN Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Volume: 20, Issue: 5, Year: 2025

Keywords:

slurrysettling velocity , light intensity difference , slickwater , static conditions , nonNewtonian fluid

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