Moving from Composite to Dissolvable Plugs, A Journey Towards the Elimination of Post Frac Intervention

Abstract

Hydraulic fracturing is a fundamental technique used to extract hydrocarbons from reservoirs with low permeability. A pivotal aspect of the process of hydraulic fracturing often require the temporary isolation of specific wellbore sections to ensure effective zonal isolation. Traditionally, composite plugs have been used for their strength and durability, however, they do still require post-fracturing cleanup. Dissolvable plugs on the other hand, are now revolutionizing the industry by having the distinct advantage of disintegrating under downhole conditions. This paper evaluates the performance of both traditional composite and dissolvable frac plugs through a detailed assessment of various plug milling (plug removal) parameters. The study compares two composite plugs and four dissolvable plugs separately to ensure a fair evaluation, addressing key metrics such as milling time, debris weight, exposure period, and dissolution rate for dissolvable plugs. The goal is to streamline the process to reduce and potentially eliminate post-fracturing intervention required to for plug removal. The results show that while composite plug A offers consistent performance, dissolvable plug two stands out with the highest dissolution rate, cutting post-fracturing intervention time by half and generating the least debris. These findings provide insights into the evolving practices in the industry and highlight the advantages of adopting dissolvable plugs. Ongoing research and advancements may lead to plugs with a 100% dissolution rate, potentially eliminating post-fracturing intervention altogether.