Enhancing propped fracture conductivity in subterranean wells

A method comprising:

• providing a proppant-free fracturing fluid, wherein the proppant-free fracturing fluid comprises an aqueous base fluid;
• providing a proppant-laden fracturing fluid comprising an aqueous base fluid and proppant particulates coated with a binding agent;
• providing a spacer fluid, wherein the spacer fluid comprises an aqueous base fluid and degradable thermoplastic particulates, wherein the degradable thermoplastic particulates comprise at least one of methyl methacrylate copolymer, polypropylene, polymethyl methacrylate, polyphenylene oxide, ethylene copolymer, propylene copolymer, polypropylene carbonate, ethylene interpolymer, propylene interpolymer, styrene interpolymer, and combinations thereof, wherein the proppant has a particle size of about 4 to about 100 mesh, and wherein the degradable thermoplastic particulates have a multi modal particle size distribution;
• introducing the proppant-free fracturing fluid into a subterranean formation at an injection rate above a fracture gradient to create at least one fracture in the subterranean formation, wherein the proppant composition is in a carrier fluid in an amount of about 0.1 pounds per gallon to about 10 pound per gallon of the carrier fluid;
• introducing the proppant-laden fracturing fluid and the spacer fluid intermittently into the at least one fracture such that the proppant particulates aggregate in the at least one fracture and are surrounded and neutrally suspended by the spacer fluid, wherein the degradable thermoplastic particulates are degradable to create proppant-free channels in the at least one fracture;
• and
• introducing additional degradable thermoplastic particulates to form a diverting plug in at least one flow path to divert subsequently introduced fluids to another flow path, wherein the degradable thermoplastic particulates in the diverting plug are multi-modal in particle size.

A system comprising:

• a proppant-free fracturing fluid, wherein the proppant-free fracturing fluid comprises an aqueous base fluid;
• a proppant-laden fracturing fluid, wherein the proppant-laden fracturing fluid comprises an aqueous base fluid and proppant particulates;
• a spacer fluid, wherein the spacer fluid comprises an aqueous base fluid and degradable thermoplastic particulates, wherein the degradable thermoplastic particulates have a multi modal particle size distribution, where:
• about 20-25% by weight of the degradable thermoplastic particulates have a particle size of about 4 to about 10 mesh;
• about 50% by weight of the degradable thermoplastic particulates have a particle size of about 20 to about 40 mesh;
• and the remaining degradable thermoplastic particulates have a particle size of less than about 40 mesh;
• and
• pumping equipment capable of pumping the proppant-free fracturing fluid, the proppant-laden fracturing fluid, and/or the degradable thermoplastic particulates down a wellbore at a rate to fracture a subterranean formation.