Investigating the proppant damage mechanisms expected in a propped coal fracture and its effect on fracture flow

Abstract

Although mixing of proppants with the fracturing fluid can significantly improve the productivity of many unconventional gas reservoirs, application of this technique to coal seam gas reservoirs has been challenging. This is particularly due to the unique characteristics of coal, including its highly soft nature that promotes proppants damage mechanisms in coal. Therefore, correctly understanding the fracture conductivity of proppant supported fractures under coal seam gas reservoirs' conditions is essential in enhancing the coal seam gas (CSG) extraction. A series of advanced laboratory experiments combined with an X-ray CT analysis was thus conducted under in-situ reservoir stress conditio..