Fracturing strategies often include developing as much fracture complexity and surface area contact as possible, followed by increasing the conductivity of the fracture network in the near wellbore and intermediate fractured region to sustain high production rates.  To achieve these objectives, fluids used include slickwater for the small proppant followed by a higher viscosity fluid for the larger proppant.

Viscosity-building friction reducers (VFR) develop elevated viscosity over traditional slickwater fluids and provide higher regain fracture conductivity over guar-based linear and crosslinked gels. VFR systems are used as direct replacements for conventional fluid systems and allow for the entire pumping schedule to be executed with a single fluid type, with viscosity increases simply controlled by the addition of the liquid polymer.

This presentation will describe some of the advantages VFR fluids have provided operators to date, using case histories from recent projects in the Eagle Ford, Permian Basin, and STACK play.