Case Study: A Two-Part Salt-Tolerant Friction Reducer System Enables the Reuse of Produced Water in Hydraulic Fracturing

Abstract Friction reducers (FRs) are an important component of slickwater hydraulic fracturing applications. Using only a single FR system throughout the entire treatment is highly desired in water sources of salinity varying up to 300,000 ppm. This paper discusses field trials of a new salt-tolerant FR system in the Marcellus shale. A three-well trial program was initiated in the Marcellus. Multiple water sources with varying salinities were used with up to 100% reuse of produced water. The new FR system enabled the pumping pressure to be reduced below 8,500 psi, and the pumping rates were increased and maintained at approximately 100 bbl/min. This new salt-tolerant FR system consists of a water-in-oil cationic polymer and a surfactant inverter. Unlike other FRs, the distinctive advantage of this FR is that the ratio between polymer and inverter can be readily adjusted on-the-fly to achieve maximum friction reduction.