A Three Dimensional Compositional Model for Hydraulic Fracturing with Energized Fluids

 While several three-dimensional (3-D) fracturing models exist for incompressible water-based fluids, none are able to capture the thermal and compositional effects that are important when using energized fluids such as CO₂, N₂, LPG, and foams. This paper introduces a new 3-D, compositional, non-isothermal, fracturing model designed for compressible fracturing fluids. The model predicts changes in fluid temperature, density, and composition. The model is capable of handling any multi-component mixture of fluids and chemicals. The simulator is validated for traditional fluid formulations against known analytical solutions, and against a well-established commercial fracturing simulator. Results from the new simulator are then presented for energized fluids such as CO₂ and LPG. The simulator constitutes a new tool to quantify the potential benefits introduced by energizing the fracturing fluid, which is critical when selecting fracturing fluid candidates.