Study of Nanoparticle–Surfactant-Stabilized Foam as a Fracturing Fluid

The development of hydraulic fracturing has created a huge demand for fracturing fluids with high performance and low formation damage in recent years. In this paper, a foam stabilized by partially hydrophobic modified SiO2 nanoparticles and sodium dodecyl benzenesulfonate (SDBS) was studied as a fracturing fluid. The properties of SiO2/SDBS foam such as rheology, proppant suspension, filtration, and core damage were investigated. The experimental data showed that the stability and thermal adaptability of sodium dodecyl benzenesulfonate (SDBS) foam increased when silica (SiO2) nanoparticles were added. The surface tension of SDBS dispersion almost did not change after SiO2 nanoparticles were added; however, the dilational viscoelasticity of the interface increased, indicating that the SiO2 nanoparticles attached to the interface and formed a stronger viscoelasticity layer to resist the external disturbance. The proppant settling velocity in the SiO2/SDBS foam was found to be 2 orders of magnitude lower than that in a pure SDBS foam. The total leakoff coefficient of the SiO2/SDBS foam was found to be lower than that of an SDBS foam. Although the core damage ratio of the SiO2/SDBS foam was slightly larger than that of an SDBS foam, compared to GEL/SDBS, the core damage caused by the SiO2/SDBS foam remained at a low level. SiO2 nanoparticle–surfactant-stabilized foam is superior to a surfactant-stabilized foam and causes lower core permeability damage than a gel–surfactant-stabilized foam. It is recommended for use in hydraulic fracturing, particularly for fracturing stimulation in tight and shale gas reservoirs.