Schlumberger Technology Corporation

Timothy Michael Lesko

Dean Michael Willberg

J Ernest Brown

Anatoly Vladimirovich Medvedev

Ivan Vitalievich Kosarev

The application is directed to a hydraulic fracturing method and can be used for enhancement of the well production. The method for enhancement of fracture conductivity comprises the chemical treatment of the fracture surface and the space between the proppant pillars over the protective mask formed by material precipitated out from the proppant pillar.

Method of improving the conductivity of a fracture in the space between proppant pillars

A method of heterogeneous proppant placement in a subterranean fracture is disclosed. The method comprises injecting well treatment fluid including proppant () and proppant-spacing filler material called a channelant () through a wellbore () into the fracture (), heterogeneously placing the proppant in the fracture in a plurality of proppant clusters or islands () spaced apart by the channelant (), and removing the channelant filler material () to form open channels () around the pillars () for fluid flow from the formation () through the fracture () toward the wellbore (). The proppant and channelant can be segregated within the well treatment fluid, or segregated during placement in the fracture. The channelant can be dissolvable particles, initially acting as a filler material during placement of the proppant in the fracture, and later dissolving to leave the flow channels between the proppant pillars. The well treatment fluid can include fibers to provide reinforcement and consolidation of the proppant and, additionally or alternatively, to inhibit settling of the proppant in the treatment fluid.

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Novosibirsk, Russia

Timothy Michael Lesko