Cyclical diversion techniques in subterranean fracturing operations

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10030494-B2
Application number	US-201314911984-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 17, 2013
Priority date	Sep 17, 2013
Publication date	Jul 24, 2018
Grant date	Jul 24, 2018

Abstract

Enhanced methods for use in subterranean operations and, more particularly, for fracturing a subterranean formation are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method comprises: introducing into a wellbore penetrating a portion of a subterranean formation alternating intervals of a particulate-laden fluid comprising a plurality of particulates sized 100 U.S. mesh or smaller, and a treatment fluid comprising a lesser amount of particulates than the particulate-laden fluid; wherein the alternating intervals of the particulate-laden fluid and the treatment fluid are introduced into the wellbore at or above a pressure sufficient to create or enhance one or more fractures in the subterranean formation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
introducing into a wellbore penetrating a portion of a subterranean formation, while substantially maintaining pressure in the wellbore at or above pressure sufficient to create or enhance one or more fractures, a fluid stream consisting of alternating intervals of
a particulate-laden fluid comprising a plurality of particulates sized 100 U.S. mesh or smaller, and
a treatment fluid comprising a lesser amount of particulates than the particulate-laden fluid;

wherein the alternating intervals of the particulate-laden fluid and the treatment fluid are introduced into the wellbore at or above a pressure sufficient to create or enhance one or more fractures in the subterranean formation and each interval of particulate-laden fluid comprises nanoparticle-sized particulates comprising a cross-sectional area of less than 1 μm 2 .

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising allowing at least a portion of the particulates to at least partially bridge at least one fracture in the subterranean formation.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising introducing each of the alternating intervals of the treatment fluid and of the particulate-laden fluid over time periods each lasting from about 5 to about 300 seconds.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the ratio of the mass fraction of particulates in the treatment fluid to the mass fraction of particulates in the particulate-laden fluid is less than about 0.1.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the ratio of the mass fraction of particulates in the treatment fluid to the mass fraction of particulates in the particulate-laden fluid is less than about 0.01.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the treatment fluid contains substantially no particulates.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
introducing a first pair of the alternating intervals of treatment fluid and of particulate-laden fluid over time periods each lasting for approximately a first time duration; and
introducing a second pair of the alternating intervals of treatment fluid and of particulate-laden fluid over subsequent time periods each lasting for approximately a second time duration that is longer than the first time duration.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of particulates is sized 200 U.S. mesh or smaller.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the particulates in at least one interval of particulate-laden fluid are of non-uniform size.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein each interval of particulate-laden fluid comprises particulates of substantially uniform size with respect to particulates of that interval of particulate-laden fluid.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the substantially uniform size of particulates of at least one interval of particulate-laden fluid differs from the substantially uniform size of particulates of at least one other interval of particulate-laden fluid.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
after introducing all of the alternating intervals of treatment fluid and of particulate-laden fluid, introducing at least one interval of large-particulate-laden fluid, wherein the large-particulate-laden fluid comprises particulates sized larger than 100 U.S. mesh.

13. A method comprising:
introducing into a wellbore penetrating a portion of a subterranean formation, while substantially maintaining pressure in the wellbore at or above pressure sufficient to create or enhance one or more fractures, a substantially continuous fluid stream consisting of a first interval of particulate-laden fluid, a second interval of particulate-laden fluid, a third interval of particulate-laden fluid, and one or more intervals of treatment fluid, wherein:
the first interval of particulate-laden fluid comprises particulates of a first substantially uniform size of 100 U.S. mesh or smaller;
the second interval of particulate-laden fluid comprises particulates of a second substantially uniform size that is smaller than the first substantially uniform size;
the third interval of particulate-laden fluid comprises particulates of a third substantially uniform size that is smaller than the second substantially uniform size; and
introduction of each of the first, second, and third intervals of particulate-laden fluid is preceded by introduction of an interval of treatment fluid comprising a lesser amount of particulates than the particulate-laden fluid into the wellbore.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein introducing the third interval of particulate-laden fluid is subsequent to introducing the second interval of particulate-laden fluid, and wherein introducing the second interval of particulate-laden fluid is subsequent to introducing the first interval of particulate-laden fluid.

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Walters Harold G
• Allison David B
• Dusterhoft Ronald G

Classifications

• C09K8/80 Primary

  Compositions for reinforcing fractures, e.g. compositions of proppants used to keep the fractures open · CPC title

• C09K8/62

  Compositions for forming crevices or fractures · CPC title

• E21B43/267

  reinforcing fractures by propping · CPC title

• E21B43/26 Primary

  by forming crevices or fractures · CPC title