Paper: Proppant Selection Using Downhole Permeability Measurements

For worthwhile oil or gas well stimulation the best proppant and fluids have to be combined with a good design plan and the right equipment. Proppant selection is one of the important areas which determines how worthwhile and how successful the stimulation treatment can be. To select the best proppant for each well a general understanding of available proppants is imperative. Also, the latest proppant properties for design are taken at downhole conditions with embedment, temperature, crushing and long term effects all being considered. After downhole permeability of a proppant is measured, it becomes a logical process to narrow the selection of the proppant to a particular class and sub-class. With information from the downhole formation or reservoir the proper mesh size can be selected to fix the specific proppant, and optimize the hydraulic or acid fracturing treatment on the well.