The article is devoted to comparing the results of field studies of the fracture geometry and proppant settling process in the fracture with the results of hydraulic fracturing simulation in the Planar3D class RN-GRID hydraulic fracture simulator. Hydraulic fracturing technology is widely used in the development of low-permeability hydrocarbon reservoirs. The peculiarity of the fracturing process in a low-permeable oil or gas reservoir is long fracture closing after pumps shutdown. During the process of fracture closure, there is gravitational settling of proppants in the carrying fluid. The final distribution of proppants after the complete fracture closure and the intersection of the proppant areas in the fracture with the productive layers of the oil and gas reservoir determine the part of the created fracture geometry, which will ensure the flow of hydrocarbons into the well and provide the effect of hydraulic fracturing. Knowledge of proppant distribution in the created fracture after fracturing operation is extremely important both for analyzing the results of performed fracturing operations and improving the designs of future fracturing operations, helps to improve the technical and economic efficiency of field development with active use of fracturing technology. Fracturing simulator RN-GRID is specialized software for mathematical modeling and engineering analysis of the process of fracture creation during hydraulic fracturing taking into account the geological structure of the reservoir, geomechanical properties of the rocks, parameters of the fracturing fluid and proppant. The simulator allows mathematical modeling of the fracture geometry dynamics, proppant transfer inside the fracture and its distribution at the moment of complete fracture closure. In turn, the application of tagged proppant technology allows to perform unique field studies for instrumental observation of proppant distribution in the near-wellbore area of the fracture in sub-vertical wells. Comparing the results of such field experiments with the results of mathematical modeling of hydraulic fracturing makes it possible to give the most accurate assessment of proppant distribution over the entire area of the created fracture.
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