Methods of using superabsorbent polymers for fracturing and sand control applications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10072478-B2
Application number	US-201615084567-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 30, 2016
Priority date	Mar 30, 2015
Publication date	Sep 11, 2018
Grant date	Sep 11, 2018

Abstract

A method of treating a subterranean formation comprises forming a storable aqueous suspension comprising a carrier fluid, a superabsorbent polymer, a proppant the proppant being suspended in the carrier fluid as a substantially perfectly supported particulate; diluting the storable aqueous suspension in-line to a desired concentration; and introducing the diluted storable aqueous suspension into the subterranean formation. A sand control method is also disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of treating a subterranean formation, the method comprising:
forming a storable aqueous suspension comprising
a carrier fluid,
a superabsorbent polymer, and
a proppant, the proppant being suspended in the carrier fluid as a substantially perfectly supported particulate slurry;
diluting the storable aqueous suspension in-line to a desired concentration; and
introducing the diluted storable aqueous suspension into the subterranean formation;

wherein forming a storable aqueous suspension comprises combining
the carrier fluid with
a composite comprising the proppant and the superabsorbent polymer in an unhydrated form, the superabsorbent polymer being at least partially embedded in a void area of the proppant and mechanically locked with the proppant in the composite.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the proppant used to make the composite has an internal porosity of about 4 to about 40 volume percent.

3. A method of fracturing a subterranean formation, the method comprising:
suspending a proppant in a fluid comprising an aqueous-based carrier and a superabsorbent polymer to form a proppant-containing fluid;
combining the proppant-containing fluid with a gaseous fluid to form a fracturing composition, the gaseous fluid constituting less than about 50 volume percent, and a sum of the volumes of the gaseous fluid, the proppant, and the superabsorbent polymer is greater than about 50%, each based on the total volume of the fracturing composition; and
introducing the fracturing composition into the subterranean formation,
wherein the superabsorbent polymer comprises a repeating unit derived from an acrylic acid or a salt thereof, an acrylate, an acrylamide, a vinylpyrrolidone, a vinyl acetate, a vinyl alcohol, a 2-acrylamide-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid, a derivative thereof, or a combination thereof; and
internal crosslinks formed before the superabsorbent polymer is combined with the aqueous-based carrier.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the fracturing composition comprises about 0.5 to about 50 pounds of the superabsorbent polymer per one thousand gallons of the proppant-containing fluid.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the fracturing composition further comprises a viscosity modifying agent comprising a polysaccharide, a viscoelastic surfactant gelling agent, an uncrosslinked polymer comprising repeating units derived from one or more of the following monomers: an acrylate; an acrylamide; a vinylpyrrolidone; a vinyl ester; a vinyl alcohol; or a 2-acrylamide-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing.

6. The method of claim 3 , wherein the fracturing composition is free of a viscosity modifying agent.

7. The method of claim 3 , further comprising pumping a pad fluid comprising a second gaseous fluid into the formation at a pressure sufficient to initiate a fracture.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the pad fluid comprises the second gaseous fluid and an aqueous fluid.

Assignees

• Gupta D V Satyanarayana
• Nelson Scott G
• Baker Hughes A Ge Co Llc

Inventors

• Gupta D V Satyanarayana
• Nelson Scott G

Classifications

• E21B43/267 Primary

  reinforcing fractures by propping · CPC title

• E21B37/06 Primary

  using chemical means for preventing or limiting {, e.g. eliminating,} the deposition of paraffins or like substances · CPC title

• C09K2208/26

  Gel breakers other than bacteria or enzymes · CPC title

• C09K8/80

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

• C09K8/706

  Encapsulated breakers · CPC title