Numerical Simulation of Proppant Transportation in Hydraulic Fracture Based on DDPM-KTGF Model

Hydraulic fracturing is an efficient way to improve the conductivity of the tight oil or gas reservoirs. Proppant transportation in hydraulic fractures need to be investigated because the proppant distribution directly affects the oil or gas production. In this paper, the dense discrete particle model (DDPM) combined with the kinetic theory of granular flow (KTGF) are used to investigate the proppant transportation in a single fracture. In this model, the effects of proppant volume fraction, proppant-water interaction, proppant-proppant collision, and proppant size distribution are considered. The proppant-proppant collision is derived from the proppant stress tensor. This model is applicable from dilute to dense particulate flows. The simulated results are similar to the experimental data from other researchers. In further study, the two-phase flow in the cross fractures will be considered for engineering application.