Synchronizing pulses in heterogeneous fracturing placement

摘要

A technique facilitates a fracturing operation by maintaining the heterogeneity of proppant fluid as it is injected into reservoir fractures. The technique comprises using a blender to deliver proppant material in a pulsating manner to create pulses of proppant. The pulses of proppant are mixed with a fluid to create a proppant slurry having the pulses of proppant material separated by a second fluid. The proppant slurry is then split between a plurality of pumps which are operated to pump the slurry to a well. To maintain heterogeneity, the pump rates of the pumps are individually adjusted to control dispersion of the pulses of proppant downstream of the pumps and to substantially maintain the separated pulses of proppant material in the slurry. A wide variety of other system adjustments also may be made for enhancing the ability of the overall fracturing system to maintain separated pulses of concentrated proppant material.