Micromechanics of proppant agglomeration during settling in hydraulic fractures

The micromechanics of proppant settling in quiescent fluid in a rough and relatively narrow rock fracture is investigated. The study focuses on particle–particle and particle–wall interactions in a dense-phase particle settling. The study used a coupled discrete element method and computational fluid dynamics (DEM–CFD) code because DEM–CFD is the most suitable computational method for modeling the frequent interactions of dense assembly of rigid particles and enables modeling of two-way solid–fluid interactions. Due to frequent particle–particle interactions of grains submerged in fluids, the particle interaction model in DEM is improved by the incorporation of the effects of lubrication due to a layer of fluid surrounding particles. Results of the numerical study are compared to previous experimental and theoretical relationships. The findings of the study highlight conditions that lead to proppant aggregation due to the fluid viscosity and fracture width in relation to particle diameter ratio. In the light of the DEM–CFD results, it was found that published relationships are inadequate in describing the settling rates for proppant in a rough and narrow hydraulic fracture and high fluid viscosity. Micromechanical particle interactions during settling and erratic upward and fluid counter-flow may cause proppant trajectories that are not always in the direction of gravity in a rough fracture resulting in clogging of the fracture or forming faster settling particle agglomerates. The maximum packing density 0.3–0.4 (3.9–5.9 lbs/gal) of proppant in a narrow and rough hydraulic fracture was obtained in this study, which is lower than the usually assumed one of 0.5 (9.8 lbs/gal) for any given fracture roughness. © 2015, The Author(s).