STIMULATION
MonoPropTM Low Density Proppant for
High-Porosity Fractures
Lightweight Proppant Achieves Partial Proppant Monolayer for Ultimate
Fracture Conductivity
For the first time since Halliburton performed the world’s
initial experimental fracturing treatments in 1947 for
Stanolind, the industry’s quest for a reliable method to
achieve a partial monolayer of proppant has been realized.
MonoPropTM proppant is an important part of Halliburton’s
patent-pending process and provides these important
benefits:
• The partial monolayer provided by the proppant results
in very high fracture conductivity which can lead to
improved production..
• The low density of the proppant makes it easy to place
with low viscosity fluids while providing uniform
distribution.
• MonoProp proppant deforms and maintains a conductive
path while conventional proppants tend to crush and
produce fines when exposed to closure stress.
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• The high performance polymer alloy that constitutes
MonoProp proppant is resistant to diagenesis, eliminating
geochemical reactions and deposits, providing long term
conductivity.
Figure 2 - Left – Distribution of proppant in a conventional state-of-the-art
propped fracture. Right – Fracture propped with a partial monolayer of
MonoProp proppant demonstrated in an API test cell.
• Proppant flowback is minimized due to trapping of the
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proppant particles by the closing fracture. In addition,
less proppant material is pumped compared to a typical
treatment.
Figure 1 - MonoProp proppant on the left and conventional bauxite
proppant on the right both suspended in new OmegaFracTM fracturing
fluid. The specific gravity of MonoProp proppant virtually eliminates
proppant settling.
Figure 3 – Four offset wells in North America were fractured, three using
conventional proppants and one with MonoProp proppant. Notice that
after 7 months, cumulative production from the MonoProp proppant
treated well was 25% more than the best of the offsets. (Production data
is public information from HPDI,LLC’s database.)
HALLIBURTON
MonoProp proppant is a direct substitute for conventional
proppants used in hydraulic fracturing and can be placed
with conventional gelled fluids. It provides adequate strength
to maintain fracture width but is flexible to prevent crushing
and embedment in the fracture face. It is compatible with
nitrogen and all water-based fluids but is not compatible
with acid.
Partial Monolayer Proppant Pack Concept
A properly designed and implemented fracturing treatment using conventional fluids and proppants results in a
proppant pack distributed throughout a large portion of
the created fracture and several sand grains thick. This
propped fracture provides significantly more conductivity
than the native formation. Even so, the produced fluid
must travel a tortuous route from the formation into the
wellbore. In addition, even the best conventional fluids
cannot totally control the proppant settling that may lead
to portions of the fracture not being optimally propped.
Liquid Sand™ Delivery System
MonoProp proppant can be added to the fracturing fluid
using Halliburton’s Liquid SandTM delivery system. This
system uses a gel-MonoProp proppant slurry with a very
high proppant concentration and a viscous carrier fluid.
The gel-MonoProp proppant slurry mixture is delivered into
the blender in proportions calibrated to achieve the correct
concentration in the downhole fluid system. Since in this
process the proppant material is provided as a slurry to the
blender, no sand storage bins or sand screws are needed.
A partial monolayer proppant pack as shown in Figures 2
permits the formation fluids to flow in the open fracture
through pathways between the proppant grains. Plus, the
lightweight MonoProp proppant virtually eliminates
proppant settling so that much more of the created
fracture is propped. This can result in improved
production (Figure 3) due to extremely high fracture
conductivity (Figure 4).
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Design with MonoProp Proppant
Figure 4 - Baseline conductivity testing shows that the conductivity achieved
by using MonoProp proppant can be many times the conductivity achieved
using a conventional proppant.
Prediction of conductivity and well performance with
MonoProp proppant is fundamentally different than a
conventional proppant pack; therefore, an additional
design tool─the MonoSimTM simulator─has been
developed to determine the optimum fracture porosity
based on reservoir conditions. This porosity value (along
with the corresponding proppant concentration) is the
target concentration for MonoProp proppant that results
from the fracture design program. The resulting
conductivity is then used to predict well performance.
For more information about how MonoProp™ proppant can help make your
fracturing treatments more cost effective, contact your local Halliburton
representative or email [email protected].
www.halliburton.com
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