• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.70-78
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• 2024

This study presents the fracture permeability measurements considering the proppant size, distribution and overburden pressure to analyze the effect of the proppant distribution on the fracture permeability in shale gas reservoirs. From the results, the fracture permeability increased with larger proppant size and higher proppant distribution, but the permeability decreased with higher overburden pressure. For the 40/70 mesh proppant, the average fracture permeability reduction with decreasing proppant distribution ranged from 32 to 57%, and those of with decreasing overburden pressure ranged from 29 to 78%, confirming that decreasing proppant distribution had a greater effect on fracture permeability reduction. Based on the experimental data, the fracture propagation regions were determined and the fracture permeability decreased with deeper propagation regions. Using these results, the fracture permeability was determined according to the fracture propagation region and the decrease in fracture permeability with overburden pressure in each region was obtained. The decreasing tendency of fracture permeability in the fracture propagation zone with overburden pressure can be applied to the production evaluation of shale gas reservoirs with developed fracture zones.