Forming proppant packs having proppant-free channels therein in subterranean formation fractures

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10047281-B2
Application number	US-201515555950-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 6, 2015
Priority date	Apr 6, 2015
Publication date	Aug 14, 2018
Grant date	Aug 14, 2018

Abstract

Methods including pumping a fracturing fluid into a subterranean formation through an annulus between the subterranean formation and a pipe conveyance at a rate above a fracture gradient of the subterranean formation to create and/or open at least one fracture in the subterranean formation; continuously pumping a proppant-free fluid into the subterranean formation through the annulus at a first rate to extend the open fracture; continuously pumping a proppant fluid through an interior of the pipe conveyance and out the exit of the interior of the pipe conveyance at a second rate that is less than the first rate; and placing the proppant particulates into a portion of a fracture in the subterranean formation so as to form a proppant pack having proppant-free channels therein.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
providing a fracturing fluid comprising a first base fluid and a first gelling agent;
providing a proppant-free fluid comprising a second base fluid and a second gelling agent;
providing a proppant fluid comprising a third base fluid, a third gelling agent, and proppant particulates,
wherein the proppant-free fluid and the proppant fluid are substantially immiscible;

pumping the fracturing fluid through an annulus formed between a subterranean formation and a pipe conveyance extending into the subterranean formation at a rate above a fracture gradient of the subterranean formation to create and/or open at least one fracture in the subterranean formation;
continuously pumping the proppant-free fluid into the subterranean formation through the annulus at a first rate to extend the open fracture;
continuously pumping the proppant fluid through an interior of the pipe conveyance and out an exit of the interior of the pipe conveyance at a second rate that is less than the first rate,
wherein the proppant fluid and the proppant-free fluid are present simultaneously in a portion of the subterranean formation but remain substantially immiscible; and

upon exiting the pipe conveyance, shearing off the proppant fluid by the proppant-free fluid thereby placing the proppant particulates into a portion of a fracture in the subterranean formation so as to form a proppant pack having proppant-free channels therein.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first rate is above the fracture gradient pressure of the subterranean formation.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fracturing fluid further comprises proppant particulates having a size selected from the group consisting of micro-sized, nano-sized, and any combination thereof.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the continuous pumping of the proppant-free fluid and the continuous pumping of the proppant fluid is ceased after the proppant pack having proppant-free channels is formed in the fracture, or if an increase in treating pressure is observed above a threshold treating pressure.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the proppant-free fluid is hydrophilic and the proppant fluid is hydrophobic, thereby causing the proppant-free fluid and the proppant fluid to be substantially immiscible, or
wherein the proppant-free fluid is hydrophobic and the proppant fluid is hydrophilic, thereby causing the proppant-free fluid and the proppant fluid to be substantially immiscible.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein a viscosity of the proppant-free fluid is at least about 50% greater than a viscosity of the proppant fluid, thereby causing the proppant-free fluid and the proppant fluid to be substantially immiscible.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the proppant-free fluid is a linear fluid and the proppant fluid is a macromolecularly structured fluid, thereby causing the proppant-free fluid and the proppant fluid to be substantially immiscible, or
wherein the proppant-free fluid is a macromolecularly structured fluid and the proppant fluid is a linear fluid, thereby causing the proppant-free fluid and the proppant fluid to be substantially immiscible.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the proppant-free fluid is a linear fluid and the proppant fluid is a foamed fluid, thereby causing the proppant-free fluid and the proppant fluid to be substantially immiscible, or
wherein the proppant-free fluid is a foamed fluid and the proppant fluid is a linear fluid, thereby causing the proppant-free fluid and the proppant fluid to be substantially immiscible.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the proppant particulates comprise proppant particulates with at least a portion thereof coated with a stabilization agent selected from the group consisting of a non-aqueous tackifying agent, an aqueous tackifying agent, a silyl-modified polyamide compound, a curable resin, a crosslinkable aqueous polymer composition, a polymerizable organic monomer composition, a zeta potential-modifying aggregating composition, a silicon-based resin, a binder, a stabilization agent emulsion, and any combination thereof.

10. A method comprising:
providing a fracturing fluid comprising a first base fluid and a first gelling agent;
providing a proppant-free fluid comprising a second base fluid, a second gelling agent, and a breaker;
providing a proppant fluid comprising a third base fluid, a third gelling agent, and proppant particulates,
wherein the proppant-free fluid and the proppant fluid are substantially immiscible;

pumping the fracturing fluid through an annulus formed between a subterranean formation and a pipe conveyance extending into the subterranean formation at a rate above the fracture gradient to create and/or open at least one fracture in the subterranean formation;
continuously pumping the proppant-free fluid into the subterranean formation through the annulus at a first rate to extend the open fracture;
continuously pumping the proppant fluid through an interior of the pipe conveyance and out an exit of the interior of the pipe conveyance at a second rate that is less than the first rate,
wherein the proppant fluid and the proppant-free fluid are present simultaneously in a portion of the subterranean formation but remain substantially immiscible;

upon exiting the pipe conveyance, shearing off the proppant fluid by the proppant-free fluid thereby placing the proppant particulates into a portion of a fracture in the subterranean formation so as to form a proppant pack having proppant-free channels therein;
activating the breaker in the proppant-free fluid; and
removing at least a portion of the proppant-free fluid from the subterranean formation.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first rate is above the fracture gradient pressure of the subterranean formation.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the fracturing fluid further comprises proppant particulates having a size selected from the group consisting of micro-sized, nano-sized, and any combination thereof.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the continuous pumping of the proppant-free fluid and the continuous pumping of the proppant fluid is ceased after the proppant pack having proppant-free channels is formed in the fracture, or if an increase in treating pressure is observed.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the proppant particulates comprise proppant particulates with at least a portion thereof coated with a stabilization agent selected from the group consisting of a non-aqueous tackifying agent, an aqueous tackifying agent, a silyl-modified polyamide compound, a curable resin, a crosslinkable aqueous polymer composition, a polymerizable organic monomer composition, a zeta potential-modifying aggregating composition, a silicon-based resin, a binder, a stabilization agent emulsion, and any combination thereof.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the breaker is encapsulated in an encapsulating material.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein the proppant-free fluid is a linear fluid and the proppant fluid is a macromolecularly structured fluid, thereby causing the proppant-free fluid and the proppant fluid to be substantially immiscible, or
wherein the proppant-free fluid is a macromolecularly structured fluid and the proppant fluid is a linear fluid, thereby causing the proppant-free fluid and the proppant fluid to be substantially immiscible.

17. The method of claim 10 , wherein the proppant-free fluid is a linear fluid and the proppant fluid is a foamed fluid, thereby causing the proppant-free fluid and the proppant fluid to

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Nguyen Philip D
• Benoit Denise
• Montenegro-Galindo Gladys Rocio
• Yang Yuming
• Lu Zheng

Classifications

• C09K8/66

  Compositions based on water or polar solvents (C09K8/64 takes precedence) · CPC title

• C09K8/703

  Foams · CPC title

• E21B43/247

  in association with fracturing processes {or crevice forming processes} · CPC title

• C09K8/64

  Oil-based compositions · CPC title

• C09K8/80

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