Production EngineeringHydraulic Fracturing
Fracture Conductivity from Proppant Permeability and Width Formula
Fracture Conductivity from Proppant Permeability and Width calculates fracture conductivity for hydraulic fracturing workflows in production engineering.
How engineers use this formula
Use this formula when the listed inputs (k_f, w_f) are known and the assumptions behind the cited hydraulic fracturing relationship match the engineering case being checked.
Assumptions
- Input values are representative for the well, reservoir, fluid, or equipment case being evaluated.
- The declared units match the field-unit constants used in the formula.
- The cited formula applies to the selected petroleum engineering workflow.
Limitations
- The calculation does not replace a full engineering model or operating procedure.
- Accuracy depends on the source correlation, assumptions, input quality, and unit consistency.
Common mistakes
- Mixing unit systems without converting the inputs.
- Using default example values as field recommendations.
- Applying the formula outside the source assumptions.
Default example
Using the default inputs, F_C equals 1,000 mD*ft.
k_fmD
50000
w_fft
0.02
Inputs
k_f
mDFracture or Proppant-Pack Permeability
w_f
ftConductive Fracture Width
Outputs
F_C
mD*ft
Fracture Conductivity
k_f
mD
Fracture or Proppant-Pack Permeability
w_f
ft
Conductive Fracture Width
Source and review
reviewedAhmed, T. and McKinney, P.D. 2005. Advanced Reservoir Engineering, Gulf Publishing, Chapter 1, Page 93.
Source