Enhanced 2D proppant-transport simulation: The key to understanding proppant flowback and post-frac productivity

It has been assumed that along with fluid viscosity and pump rate, gravity dominates final proppant placement in hydraulic fractures. Results here, ba sed on detailed multiphase-flow modeling, show that other factors such as s lurry rheology (effect of adding proppant on slurry viscosity), fluid loss and layered fluid loss, and vertical fracture-width variations often are mo re important than gravity in controlling placement.