New viscoelastic surfactant fluid minimizes pad volumes and viscosity

Water fracturing limits fracture growth because of its high leakoff and allows pad volumes to be minimized because proppant concentrations are maintained at low levels throughout the treatment. However, the proppant-carrying ability of water does not allow proppant concentration to exceed approximately 2.5 to 3 Ibm of proppant added per gallon of fluid (PPA). A new-generation viscoelastic surfactant (VES) fluid bridges the gap between water fracturing and crosslinked gel frac-pack operations.