| abstract |
A method of improving injectivity of fluid, particularly produced water, in enhanced hydrocarbon recovery is disclosed. The method includes introducing a fracturing fluid into the subterranean formation to create a fracture, and introducing proppant into the fracturing fluid to form a single layer of proppant in the fracture. The fracturing fluid can be formed from produced water. Alternatively, the produced water is introduced after a fracturing fluid, other than the produced water, has been introduced to create a fracture. By reducing the amount of proppant and by using much larger proppant, a larger flow path through the fracture is created, thereby increasing the injectivity of produced water. |