Effect of Seawater Ions on Polymer Hydration in the Presence of a Chelating Agent: Application to Hydraulic Fracturing

Seawater (SW) and produced water (PW) could replace freshwater in hydraulic fracturing operations, but their high salinity impacts the fluid stability and results in formation damage. Few researchers investigated SW and PW individual ions’ impact on polymer hydration and rheology. This research examines the rheology of carboxy methyl hydroxy propyl guar (CMHPG) polymer hydrated in salt ions in the presence of a chelating agent. The effect of various molar concentrations of SW and PW salt ions on the rheology of CMHPG polymer solution was examined. The tested salt ions included calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, sodium chloride, and sodium sulfate, which were compared to SW and deionized water (DI) solutions. The solutions were tested at 70 °C temperature, 500 psi pressure, and 100 1/s shear rate. A GLDA chelating agent was utilized at different concentrations to examine their impact on stabilizing the solution viscosity. We found that adding the GLDA to magnesium and calcium chloride solutions increased the viscosity. Results showed that sulfate ions control the rheology of seawater due to their similar rheological response to the addition of GLDA. The results help to understand how the SW and PW ions impact the rheology of fracturing fluids.