A study of hydraulic fracture conductivity and its dependence on proppant wettability

Engineering design of hydraulic fracturing proppants typically focuses on maximizing permeability retention under stress, resistance to high temperatures, and controlling properties such as specific gravity and particle size; less attention is paid to the proppant's wetting characteristics and their potential impact on the deliverability of a hydraulic fracture. The purpose of this work is to investigate the effect of proppant wettability on the conductivity of hydraulic fractures through laboratory measurements. Results demonstrate a competing effect between permeability and wettability, the latter having a diminished impact on displacement efficiency at high permeability values.