Non-Darcy Flow in Hydraulic Fractures

In recent years, the petroleum industry has shown a significant increase in interest in non-Darcy flow, especially in fractures. In hydraulic-fracture stimulation, non-Darcy flow can have a major effect on reduction of a propped half-length to a considerably shorter "effective" half-length, thus lowering the productive capability of the well and overall reserves recovery. These non-Darcy-flow effects in propped fractures typically have been associated with high flow rates in both oil and gas wells. Reductions in flow capacity of 5 to 30% can occur in low-rate wells. Such reductions can be the result of non-Darcy effects.

View a Synopsis of SPE 96389.

This article, written by Assistant Technology Editor Karen Bybee, contains highlights of paper SPE 96389, "Non-Darcy Flow in Hydraulic Fractures: Does It Really Matter?," by J.L. Miskimins, SPE, and H.D. Lopez-Hernandez, SPE, Colorado School of Mines, and R.D. Barree, SPE, Barree and Assocs. LLC, prepared for the 2005 SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, Dallas, 9-12 October. The paper has not been peer reviewed.