Compositions and methods for use of proppant surface chemistry to improve proppant consolidation and flowback control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10077645-B2
Application number	US-201414259851-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 23, 2014
Priority date	Apr 26, 2013
Publication date	Sep 18, 2018
Grant date	Sep 18, 2018

Abstract

Methods of hydraulically fracturing a subterranean formation to improve the production rates and ultimate recovery by contacting unconsolidated resin-coated proppant particulates residing in a propped fracture with a reactive crosslinker in order to form a consolidated proppant pack. Methods for using proppant surface chemistry in water injection wells to consolidate the resin-coated proppant particulates in a gravel packed or frac packed region of a wellbore.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of hydraulic fracturing of a subterranean formation, the method comprising:
introducing a plurality of unconsolidated resin-coated proppant particulates into a fracture in the formation;
introducing into the fracture a reactive crosslinker, wherein the resin-coated proppant particulates and the reactive crosslinker are introduced into the formation via suspension in a fracturing fluid;
contacting the plurality of unconsolidated resin-coated proppant particulates with the reactive crosslinker in the fracture to initiate a reaction between the reactive crosslinker and a resin coating of the resin-coated proppant particulates; and
consolidating at least a portion of the plurality of resin-coated proppant particulates when the plurality of resin-coated proppant particulates are contacted with the reactive crosslinker;
wherein the reactive crosslinker is a fluid that is dispersed throughout the fracturing fluid as an emulsion.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the proppant particulates are selected from the group consisting of a lightweight ceramic proppant, an intermediate strength ceramic proppant, a high strength ceramic proppant, a natural frac sand, a porous ceramic proppant and glass beads.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the resin coating comprises an amine-cured novolac resin coating.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the amine-cured novolac resin comprises a hexamine-cured novolac resin.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the resin coating comprises residual active amine groups.

6. The method of claim 2 , wherein the fracturing fluid has a viscosity of about 0.01 cP to about 10,000 cP at a temperature of about 25° C.

7. The method of claim 2 , wherein the reactive crosslinker comprises a water dispersible liquid epoxy resin.

8. The method of claim 2 , wherein the reactive crosslinker comprises a water dispersible solid epoxy resin.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fracturing fluid comprises about 0.025 wt % to about 8 wt % reactive crosslinker.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the fracturing fluid further comprises about 10 wt % to about 50 wt % hexamine-cured novolac resin coated proppant particles.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the resin-coated proppant particulates comprise about 1 wt % to about 8 wt % resin.

12. The method of claim 2 , wherein the consolidation of at least a portion of the resin-coated proppant particulates takes place at a temperature of less than 200° F.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the consolidating at least a portion of the plurality of resin-coated proppant particulates forms a proppant pack having an Unconfined Compressive Strength (UCS) of about 10 psi to about 500 psi.

14. The method of claim 2 , wherein the reactive crosslinker comprises one or more propane, 2,2-bis[p-(2,3-epoxypropoxy)phenyl]-, polymers.

15. A method of consolidating a proppant composition in an annular region of a wellbore, the method comprising:
introducing a plurality of unconsolidated resin-coated proppant particulates and a reactive crosslinker into the annular region of the wellbore forming a gravel pack, wherein the resin-coated proppant particulates and the reactive crosslinker are introduced into the annular region of the wellbore via suspension in a fracturing fluid;
contacting the plurality of unconsolidated resin-coated proppant particulates with the reactive crosslinker in the annular region of the wellbore to initiate a reaction between the reactive crosslinker and a resin coating of the resin-coated proppant particulates; and
consolidating at least a portion of the plurality of resin-coated proppant particulates when the plurality of the resin-coated proppant particulates are contacted with the reactive crosslinker;
wherein the consolidation of the plurality of the resin-coated proppant particulates takes place at a temperature of less than 200° F. and closure stress of less than 50 psi; and
wherein the reactive crosslinker is a fluid that is dispersed throughout the fracturing fluid as an emulsion.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the gravel pack is placed in a water injection well.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the proppant particulates are selected from the group consisting of a lightweight ceramic proppant, an intermediate strength ceramic proppant, a high strength ceramic proppant, a natural frac sand, a porous ceramic proppant and glass beads.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the resin coating comprises an amine-cured novolac resin coating.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the amine-cured novolac resin comprises a hexamine-cured novolac resin.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the resin coating comprises residual active amine groups.

21. The method of claim 15 , wherein the fracturing fluid has a viscosity of about 0.01 cP to about 10,000 cP at a temperature of about 25° C.

22. The method of claim 15 , wherein the reactive crosslinker comprises a water dispersible liquid epoxy resin.

23. The method of claim 15 , wherein the reactive crosslinker comprises a water dispersible solid epoxy resin.

24. The method of claim 15 , wherein the fracturing fluid comprises about 0.025 wt % to about 8 wt % reactive crosslinker.

25. The method of claim 24 , wherein the fracturing fluid further comprises about 10 wt % to about 50 wt % hexamine-cured novolac resin coated proppant particles.

26. The method of claim 25 , wherein the resin-coated proppant particulates comprise about 1 wt % to about 8 wt % resin.

27. The method of claim 15 , wherein the consolidating at least a portion of the plurality of resin-coated proppant particulates forms a consolidated gravel pack having an Unconfined Compressive Strength (UCS) of about 10 psi to about 500 psi.

28. The method of claim 15 , wherein the reactive crosslinker comprises one or more propane, 2,2-bis[p-(2,3-epoxypropoxy)phenyl]-,polymers.

29. A method of hydraulic fracturing of a subterranean formation, the method comprising:
coating a plurality of unconsolidated proppant particulates with resin, such that active sites remain on a surface of the proppant particulates;
suspending the unconsolidated resin-coated proppant particulates and a reactive crosslinker in a fracturing fluid therein;
contacting a subterranean formation with the fracturing fluid so as to create or enhance one or more fractures in the subterranean formation;
depositing the plurality of unconsolidated resin-coated proppant particulates in at least one or more of the fractures;
breaking the fracturing fluid;
contacting the plurality of unconsolidated resin-coated proppant particulates with the reactive crosslinker in the at least one or more fractures to initiate a reaction between the reactive crosslinker and a resin coating of the resin-coated proppant particulates; and
consolidating at least a portion of the plurality of resin-coated proppant particulates;
wherein the reactive crosslinker is a fluid that is dispersed throughout the fracturing fluid as an emulsion.

30. The method of claim 12 , wherein the proppant particulates are selected from the group consisting of a lightweight ceramic proppant, an intermediate strength ceramic proppant, a high strength ceramic proppant, a natural frac sand, a porous ceramic proppant, glass beads and other ceramic body proppants.

31. The metho

Assignees

• Carbo Ceramics Inc
• Carbo Ceramics Inc

Inventors

• Cannan Chad
• Lieng Thu
• Johnson Daryl Erwin
• Conner Mark

Classifications

• E21B43/082

  Screens comprising porous materials, e.g. prepacked screens · CPC title

• E21B43/04

  Gravelling of wells · CPC title

• E21B43/267 Primary

  reinforcing fractures by propping · CPC title

• C09K8/805

  Coated proppants · CPC title