Effect of Fluid Contact Angle of Oil-Wet Fracture Proppant on the Competing Water/Oil Flow in Sandstone-Proppant Systems

Ceramic fracture proppants are extensively used for enhancing the recovery of fossil energy and geothermal energy. Previous work has reported attracting-oil-repelling-water (AORW) property oil-wet at faces fractures. Because lack a method measuring contact angle proppant packs, terms water-wet were defined based on observations liquid droplets surfaces packs without quantitative measurement. An innovative was developed in this study to determine angles packs. The effect oil pack competing water/oil flow from sandstone cores investigated. It found that, given pack, sum water measured liquid–air–solid systems is less than 180°, i.e., two not supplementary. This believed be due weak wetting capacity air solid systems. Both should considered classification wettability Fracture with greater 90° significantly can as proppants. Reducing increase capillary force, promote imbibition into thus improve AORW performance may mixed-wet Their tested laboratories before they well fracturing operations.