Effect of Fiber on Rheological Properties and Flow Behavior of Polymer Completion Fluids

Abstract

The application of fiber in the completion fluid can improve the rheological properties of the completion fluid and the plugging quality of the production layer by the completion fluid and reduce the damage of the filtrate to the reservoir formation. However, there are few studies on the influence of fibers on the rheological properties of completion fluids and the flow behavior in pores. In this paper, plant fiber, mineral fiber, and synthetic fiber are discussed. Carbon fiber, bamboo fiber, polypropylene fiber, and polyester fiber are selected as research objects. The dependence of the rheological property of polymer solution on fiber type, fiber concentration, temperature, and shear rate is evaluated. The evaluation is carried out by observing the microscopic state of the fiber through a microscope and a scanning electron microscope, testing the rheological property parameters of the fiber with an OFITE 900 rheological tester, and fitting with the Herschel–Bulkley model. The results show that polypropylene fiber and carbon fiber have the best dispersion in polymer solution. The higher the fiber content, the greater the influence of fiber on the rheological properties of the solution. Compared with the other three fibers, carbon fiber has the greatest influence on the rheological properties of polymer solution. When the temperature is lower than 70 °C, the influence of the fiber on the rheological properties of the solution is not affected by the temperature. When the temperature exceeds 70 °C, the carbon fiber and polypropylene fiber are affected by the temperature, and the viscosity of the polymer solution is increased. The flow behavior of fiber suspensions in pores varies with the flow factor n. Carbon fiber suspensions are most conducive to the transition of polymer solution to plate laminar flow, which can improve the bearing capacity of plugging materials.