Fracturing with three-dimensional full-scale fracture network propping for deep coalbed methane reservoirs: A novel ceramic micro-proppant and its verification through numerical simulations

Authors

• LI Xiang, School of Petroleum Engineering, Yangtze University, Wuhan 430100, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Oil and Gas Drilling and Production Engineering, Wuhan 430100, ChinaFollow
• XU Jun, School of Petroleum Engineering, Yangtze University, Wuhan 430100, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Oil and Gas Drilling and Production Engineering, Wuhan 430100, China
• LI Ting, School of Petroleum Engineering, Yangtze University, Wuhan 430100, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Oil and Gas Drilling and Production Engineering, Wuhan 430100, ChinaFollow
• ZHANG Xiaoyu, School of Petroleum Engineering, Yangtze University, Wuhan 430100, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Oil and Gas Drilling and Production Engineering, Wuhan 430100, China
• YANG Bo, Sichuan Oil and Gas Exploration and Development Co., Ltd., Chengdu 610000, China

Abstract

Objective and Methods Conventional fracturing struggles to achieve the long-term effective propping of complex fracture networks during the development of deep coalbed methane (CBM) reservoirs. To address this challenge, this study developed a novel ceramic micro-proppant suitable for the volumetric microfracture propping and, through numerical simulations, verified its performance when it was applied to reservoir stimulation in conjunction with the technology of fracturing with three-dimensional full-scale fracture network propping. First, a novel ceramic micro-proppant with a core-shell structure was designed according to the requirements of microfracture propping. Its key properties, including compressive strength, settling behavior, hydraulic conductivity, and stability, were assessed through physical experiments, and its transport behavior and localized dispersed placement patterns in fractures were analyzed using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). Subsequently, MShale discrete fracture network (DFN) models were constructed based on the geological and engineering parameters of a well in the Kubai coalfield located along the northern margin of the Tarim Basin. Using these models, three fracturing schemes, namely conventional fracturing (Case 1), fracturing with micro-proppant placement (Case 2), and fracturing with three-dimensional full-scale fracture network propping (Case 3), were compared in terms of the range of propped fractures and the effective stimulated reservoir volume (ESRV). Results and Conclusions Under a pressure of 60 MPa, the prepared micro-proppant exhibited a crushing rate of 1.84%, which was lower than that of the SiO₂ particles used as the raw materials. The 300-mesh-size samples settled to the 100 mL graduation mark after 888 s. Their hydraulic conductivity remained above 40 × 10⁻³ μm²·cm under high-pressure conditions, with an average permeability of 84.81×10⁻³ μm². Transport simulations indicate that as the inlet velocity increased from 0.04 m/s to 0.10 m/s, the average proppant bank heights in the primary and branch fractures increased by 37.6% and 50.4%, respectively. Compared to a branch fracture oriented at 30° relative to the primary fracture, a branch fracture oriented at 90° was more favorable for the entry of micro-proppant particles, resulting in 7%‒9% increases in the micro-proppant volume within the branch fracture. These results demonstrate that the novel ceramic micro-proppant shows excellent transportability in suspension and a strong capacity to maintain high hydraulic conductivity. These characteristics are fundamental to enabling the proppant, transported by fracturing fluids, to enter microfractures and form dispersed propping structures. Under the geological and engineering conditions of the target interval, cases 1, 2, and 3 produced fracture lengths of 275.5 m, 287.3 m, and 328.0 m, respectively. Compared to Case 1, Case 3 increased the ESRV by 50.1%. The simulation results indicate that the synergetic effect of the volumetric microfracture propping by the novel ceramic micro-proppant and channels with high hydraulic conductivity within primary fractures can enhance both the range of propped fractures and the effective connectivity of complex fracture networks. The technology of fracturing with three-dimensional full-scale fracture network propping is particularly applicable to deep CBM reservoirs with high in situ stress and a rapid decline in fractures’ hydraulic conductivity, providing a technical reference for optimizing fracturing schemes for deep, steeply dipping CBM reservoirs. However, the applicability of this fracturing technology to other unconventional reservoirs is yet to be further verified through field tests based on specific geological conditions.

Keywords

micro-proppant, coalbed methane (CBM), hydraulic conductivity, three-dimensional full-scale fracture network propping, numerical simulation

DOI

10.12363/issn.1001-1986.26.03.0137

Recommended Citation

LI Xiang, XU Jun, LI Ting, et al. (2026) "Fracturing with three-dimensional full-scale fracture network propping for deep coalbed methane reservoirs: A novel ceramic micro-proppant and its verification through numerical simulations," Coal Geology & Exploration: Vol. 54: Iss. 9, Article 21.
DOI: 10.12363/issn.1001-1986.26.03.0137
Available at: https://cge.researchcommons.org/journal/vol54/iss9/21

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