Impact of the microstructure of polymer drag reducer on slick-water fracturing

Abstract

Many studies have focused on the drag reduction performance of slick-water, but the microdrag reduction mechanism remains unclear since the microstructure of the drag reducer and its effect on this mechanism have not been well studied. In this study, the microstructure of the drag reducer in slick-water was effectively characterized by transmission electron microscopy. The viscoelasticity and drag reduction performance of the drag reducer with different microstructures were then investigated. Further, the effects of the microstructure of the drag reducer on the viscoelasticity and drag reduction performance of slick-water were analyzed. The results demonstrated that the viscoelasticity of slick-water is governed by the microstructure of the drag reducer, which exhibits a network structure. In addition, the drag reduction performance is related to the viscoelasticity. At low flow rates, the drag reduction performance is dominantly influenced by viscosity, whereas, at high flow rates, it is governed mainly by elasticity. Furthermore, the drag reducer with a uniformly distributed network structure exhibits themost stable drag reduction performance. This drag reducer was used in a field test and the obtained results were consistent with those of a laboratory experiment.