High permeability fracturing has become a major well completion technique b
oth for production rate increase and, especially, for pressure drawdown dec
rease. Today, this type of treatment is the main means of sand control in s
ome petroleum regions. Several of these treatments which are characterized
by short lengths and, often, disproportionate widths, have been reported to
exhibit positive post-treatment skin effects. This can only be the result
of fracture face damage. This paper indicates that if the extent of Fractur
ing fluid invasion is minimized, the degree of damage (i.e., permeability i
mpairment due to filter cake or polymer invasion) is of secondary importanc
e. Thus, if the fluid leak-off penetration is small: even severe permeabili
ty impairments can be tolerated without exhibiting positive skin effects. W
hile the first priority in designing fracture treatments should be to maxim
ize the fracture conductivity, it is recommended that in high permeability
fracturing, high polymer concentration cross-linked fracturing fluids with
fluid loss additives and breakers should be used. Experimental work corrobo
rates these contentions.