Novel method to select chemical particulates for near-wellbore fluid diversion during hydraulic fracturing treatment

The application of chemical particulates as diverter is an evolving technology and has become popular among E&P operators. The primary objective of Near-Wellbore Diversion (NWD) is uniform distribution of treatment slurry within the target zone. The mixture of bead, powder and flakes composed of Polylactic Acid (PLA) are commonly employed for NWD application to plug temporarily already stimulated perforations and pre-existing fractures. The successful NWD application largely depends on the selection of diverter chemical, particle size distribution, proportions of each particle sizes, and total diverter quantity. The advantages of chemical diverters are simple injection without any pumping system modification and negligible increase in treatment time. Their chemical composition can be tailored according to the reservoir properties.