ABSTRACT: This study investigates the impact of proppant particle size distribution on fracture network conductivity during hydraulic fracturing, with a focus on optimizing proppant placement in multi-opening fractures. Through a series of experiments, the relationship between proppant particle size, fracture opening, and support efficiency was examined. The results demonstrate that larger proppant sizes exhibit a stronger ability to penetrate fractures, although their effectiveness decreases significantly when the particle size exceeds one-third of the fracture opening. Additionally, the study identifies the optimal proppant size combination and ratio for enhancing fracture network conductivity, with a proppant ratio of 1.5:5.8:1.3:1.4 for 30/50, 40/70, 70/140, and 100/200 mesh sizes yielding the highest conductivity. This research introduces a quantitative model for evaluating the conductivity of fracture networks, which fills the gap in both theoretical and experimental approaches for coal seam fracture network evaluation. The findings provide a scientific basis for optimizing proppant size combinations in hydraulic fracturing operations, offering valuable insights for improving fracture conductivity, increasing permeability, and enhancing oil and gas recovery rates in natural fracture reservoirs.
Ren et al. (Sun,) studied this question.
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