FRICTION LOSS REDUCTION IN VISCOELASTIC SURFACTANT FRACTURING FLUIDS USING LOW MOELVULAR WEIGHT WATER-SOLUBLE POLYMERS

摘要

Adding relatively low molecular weight water-soluble friction loss reduct ion polymers to an aqueous fluid gelled with a viscoelastic surfactant (VES) increases the critical generalized Reynold's number at which the Fanning fr iction factor increases and friction pressure starts to increase rapidly. Th e water-soluble polymeric friction loss reduction additives lower surface pu mping pressure in VES- gelled fracturing fluids for a given pump rate, thus lowering hydraulic horsepower (HHP) requirements for pumping fluids downhole , e.g. for hydraulic fracturing or frac packing treatments of subterranean f ormations.