Semester

Fall

Date of Graduation

2025

Document Type

Problem/Project Report

Degree Type

MS

College

Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources

Department

Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering

Committee Chair

Kashy Aminian

Committee Member

Samuel Ameri

Committee Member

Mohamed El Sgher

Abstract

Hydraulic Fracture Proppant is the gateway to reservoir connectivity, allowing for decades of natural gas production from hydraulically fractured wells in the Marcellus Shale. The proper selection of proppant can have major ramifications on the productivity of the extended-reach Marcellus shale wells. The proppant penetration into the induced fracture attempts to close the gap between the realistic non-uniform fracture conductivity and the idealistic uniform fracture conductivity. Consequently, the more proppant residing within these fractures, the more likely the proppant is to resist crushing due to the compaction. Phenomena, Advancements have been made to create more durable proppant types or proppant schedules that attempt to combat these problems in order to enhance the long-term productivity of the wells.

Completion Engineers are faced with the task of selecting the optimal proppant based on several criteria. For this study, the main factors that are under investigation are the proppant size, proppant concentration, and proppant type. Each of these factors plays into the way that proppant is transported into the fractures. Once in the fracture, different-sized and types of proppants will react differently to compaction. Through analysis of these methods and supporting theories, an optimal proppant can be selected to achieve improved productivity from extended-reach Marcellus shale wells for many years

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