Forming proppant-free channels in a proppant pack

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10760397-B2
Application number	US-201616077996-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 18, 2016
Priority date	May 18, 2016
Publication date	Sep 1, 2020
Grant date	Sep 1, 2020

Abstract

Proppant-free channels may be formed in a proppant pack in subterranean formations by using the miscibility and immiscibility of proppant-laden and proppant-free fluids. For example, a method of forming a proppant pack may include: introducing, in alternating order, a proppant-laden fluid and a proppant-free fluid into a wellbore penetrating a subterranean formation, wherein the proppant-laden fluid comprises an oil-external emulsion and a proppant, and wherein the proppant-free fluid is immiscible with the proppant-laden fluid; and forming a proppant pack in a fracture in the subterranean formation, wherein the proppant pack comprises proppant-laden clusters and proppant-free channels.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
preparing an oil-external emulsion comprising an emulsifier;
introducing, in alternating order, a proppant-laden fluid and a proppant-free fluid into a wellbore penetrating a subterranean formation, wherein the proppant-laden fluid comprises the oil-external emulsion and a proppant, wherein the proppant-free fluid comprises an aqueous fluid, and wherein the proppant-free fluid is immiscible with the proppant-laden fluid, wherein the proppant-laden fluid further comprises a binding agent comprising a hardenable resin;
wherein the emulsifier is selected from the group consisting of polyaminated fatty acid, polyolefin amides, alkeneamides, and any combinations thereof;

forming a proppant pack in a fracture in the subterranean formation with the proppant-laden fluid and the proppant-free fluid, wherein the proppant pack comprises proppant-laden clusters and proppant-free channels; and
after forming the proppant pack, breaking the oil-external emulsion to form a broken fluid that is miscible with the proppant-free fluid.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the proppant-laden fluid further comprises an internal breaker.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the proppant-laden fluid further comprises an encapsulated breaker.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the binding agent further comprises one selected from the group consisting of: a non-aqueous tackifying agent, an aqueous tackifying agent, a silyl-modified polyamide, a cement, and any combination thereof.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the binding agent is a coating on the proppant.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the proppant-laden fluid further comprises a degradable particle.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising: at least partially degrading the degradable particle to form voids in the proppant-laden clusters.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the proppant-free fluid further comprises a gelling agent.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the gelling agent is a crosslinked polymer.

10. A system for performing the method of claim 1 comprising:
a pump fluidly connected to a wellbore penetrating the subterranean formation, wherein the pump alternately introduces the proppant-free fluid and the proppant-laden fluid into the wellbore.

11. A method comprising:
preparing an oil-external emulsion comprising an emulsifier;
introducing a proppant-free fluid into a wellbore penetrating a subterranean formation at or above a fracture gradient of the subterranean formation to create or extend at least one fracture in the subterranean formation, wherein the proppant-free fluid comprises an aqueous fluid;
then, introducing, in alternating order, a proppant-laden fluid and the proppant-free fluid into the wellbore at or above the fracture gradient, wherein the proppant-laden fluid comprises the oil-external emulsion, a proppant, and a binding agent comprising a hardenable resin, and wherein the proppant-free fluid is immiscible with the proppant-laden fluid;
wherein the emulsifier is selected from the group consisting of polyaminated fatty acid, polyolefin amides, alkeneamides, and any combinations thereof;

forming a proppant pack in the at least one fracture with the proppant-laden fluid and the proppant-free fluid, wherein the proppant pack comprises proppant-laden clusters and proppant-free channels;
hardening the binding agent downhole to form proppant aggregates;
reducing a wellbore pressure to below the fracture gradient; and
after forming the proppant aggregates, breaking the oil-external emulsion to form a broken fluid that is miscible with the proppant-free fluid.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the proppant-laden fluid further comprises a degradable particle.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising: at least partially degrading the degradable particle to form voids in the proppant-laden clusters.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the binding agent is a coating on the proppant.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the proppant-free fluid further comprises a gelling agent.

16. A system for performing the method of claim 11 comprising:
a pump fluidly connected to a wellbore penetrating the subterranean formation, wherein the pump alternately introduces the proppant-free fluid and the proppant-laden fluid into the wellbore.

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Vo Loan
• Chopade Prashant D
• Nguyen Philip D
• Parton Christopher

Classifications

• C09K8/685

  containing cross-linking agents · CPC title

• E21B43/267 Primary

  reinforcing fractures by propping · CPC title

• C09K8/665

  containing inorganic compounds (proppants C09K8/80) · CPC title

• C09K8/887 Primary

  containing cross-linking agents · CPC title

• C09K8/805

  Coated proppants · CPC title