New insights into proppant-pack damage caused by formation-fines infiltration

Numerous studies describe proppant-size optimization as a way to minimize fines invasion into the proppant pack and to maximize conductivity. A recent study suggests that the conventional proppant-sizing criterion can be changed to provide increased conductivity while maintaining fines-invasion control by application of a surface-modification agent (SMA) to the proppant. This study indicates that formation of a stable proppant-pack/formation interface is key in preventing formation-fines invasion.