SPE Denver General Meeting: January 2026

Abstract:

The fracturing fluids not only plays a pivotal role in near-wellbore stimulation, influencing
proppant transport, and cluster efficiency, but is critical to minimizing formation damage and
maximizing oil recovery. While friction reduction has traditionally guided fluid selection, this
study shifts the focus toward subsurface performance metrics that directly impact hydrocarbon
recovery. Ovintiv tested over fifteen friction reducer (FR) products in both fresh and produced
water using a comprehensive methodology, including flow loop, regain conductivity,
spontaneous imbibition, and emulsion tests, with actual core samples with the main focus on
recovery and fluid compatibility.
The results highlight the importance of selecting fracture fluids based on their overall impact on
formation integrity and hydrocarbon mobilization for EOR, rather than solely on their surface
performance. The findings also underscore that not all HVFR products build viscosity effectively,
and that fluid viscosity significantly affects cluster formation and proppant distribution. A shift
in fracture fluid selection criteria is necessary to optimize long-term well productivity by
balancing friction reduction with cluster efficiency, proppant transport, formation compatibility
and oil recovery efficiency.

Bio:

Manuel Diaz is a Senior Completions Engineer with over 25 years of experience in the oil and
gas industry, including the last 11 years at Ovintiv. Specializing in hydraulic fracturing and well
completions, Manuel has led innovative projects across the TMS, Permian, and the Anadarko
basins, consistently delivering operational excellence and capital efficiency. He is recognized for
his rigorous approach to frac design, advancing cluster efficiency, driven innovations in frac fluid
selection, and implementing cutting-edge diagnostics and technologies to enhance well

performance and recovery. Manuel’s leadership in multi-well pad operations, frac monitoring,
and collaborative knowledge sharing has set new benchmarks in safety, cycle time, and cost
reduction. His technical expertise and commitment to continuous improvement have made him
a trusted advisor on cross-disciplinary projects to enhance well productivity and capital
efficiency.