Use of superabsorbent polymers for pressure control and diversion applications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016289541-A1
Application number	US-201615084598-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 30, 2016
Priority date	Mar 30, 2015
Publication date	Oct 6, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method of hydraulically fracturing a subterranean formation penetrated by a wellbore comprises: providing a diverting fluid comprising a carrier fluid, a first superabsorbent polymer and a second superabsorbent polymer, the second superabsorbent polymer having a shape, or a composition, or a combination thereof different from that of the first superabsorbent polymer; injecting the diverting fluid into the subterranean formation; and injecting a fracturing fluid into the formation after injecting the diverting fluid. A viscosity modifying agent can be present in the diverting fluid. Superabsorbent polymers can also be used to develop a temporary filter cake at the formation face to reduce or eliminate the fluid leakoff out of the wellbore.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of hydraulically fracturing a subterranean formation penetrated by a wellbore, the method comprising:
providing a diverting fluid comprising a carrier fluid, a first superabsorbent polymer and a second superabsorbent polymer, the second superabsorbent polymer having a shape, or a composition, or a combination thereof different from that of the first superabsorbent polymer; and injecting the diverting fluid into the subterranean formation; injecting a fracturing fluid into the formation after injecting the diverting fluid, wherein the flow of the fracturing fluid is impeded by the first and second superabsorbent polymers, and the first and second superabsorbent polymers are selected such that the diverting fluid comprising both the first and second superabsorbent polymers has an improved diversion efficiency as compared to a reference diverting fluid comprising the first superabsorbent polymer or the second superabsorbent polymer but not both.

2 . The method claim 1 , wherein the second superabsorbent polymer has a slower swelling rate and is more salt tolerant as compared to the first superabsorbent polymer.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the first superabsorbent polymer is an uncoated superabsorbent polymer; and the second superabsorbent polymer is a coated superabsorbent polymer.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein
the first superabsorbent polymer comprises an interpenetrated network; and the second superabsorbent polymer is free of an interpenetrated network.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the first superabsorbent polymer is a crosslinked copolymer of an acrylic acid and an acrylate salt; and the second superabsorbent polymer is a crosslinked polyvinyl alcohol homopolymer or copolymer.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first superabsorbent polymer is a particulate material and the second superabsorbent polymer is a fiber.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the diverting fluid is a foamed fluid further comprising a gas constituent.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the weight ratio of the first superabsorbent polymer relative to the second superabsorbent polymer is about 1:10 to about 10:1.

9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising breaking the first superabsorbent polymer, the second superabsorbent polymer or both.

10 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising injecting a first fracturing fluid into the subterranean formation at a pressure sufficient to create or enlarge a fracture before introducing the diverting fluid.

11 . A method of hydraulically fracturing a subterranean formation penetrated by a wellbore, the method comprising:
providing a diverting fluid comprising a carrier fluid, a superabsorbent polymer, and a viscosity modifying agent effective to increase the viscosity of the diverting fluid at a shear rate of 100S −1 ; injecting the diverting fluid into the subterranean formation; injecting a fracturing fluid into the formation after injecting the diverting fluid, wherein the flow of the fracturing fluid is impeded by the superabsorbent polymer, and the diverting fluid has an improved diversion efficiency as compared to a reference diverting fluid comprising the carrier fluid, the superabsorbent polymer but not the viscosity modifying agent.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the diverting fluid comprises about 15 pounds to about 200 pounds of the superabsorbent polymer and about 1 pounds to about 40 pounds of the viscosity modifying agent per one thousand gallons of the diverting fluid.

13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the viscosity modifying agent is one or more of the following: starch-acrylonitrile grafted polymer hydrolysate; carboxymethyl cellulose; xanthan; diutan; sulfonated polystyrene; hydrolyzed polyacrylamide; polyvinyl alcohol; polyethtylene oxide; polyvinyl pyrrolidone; or koniac glucomannan.

14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the viscosity modifying agent is a crosslinker comprising Zr, Cr, Ti, or Al, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing.

15 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the diverting fluid has a viscosity of about 1 to about 2000 after being injected into the subterranean formation.

16 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising injecting a first fracturing fluid into the subterranean formation at a pressure sufficient to create or enlarge a fracture before introducing the diverting fluid.

17 . A method of treating a wellbore, the method comprising:
circulating a filter cake-forming composition in the wellbore, the filter cake-forming composition comprising a superabsorbent polymer and a carrier fluid; forming a filter cake at a formation face to reduce or eliminate fluid leakoff; performing a well operation; and breaking the superabsorbent polymer and removing the filter cake.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the well operation is a coil tubing treatment.

19 . The method of claim 17 , wellbore operation comprise hydraulic fracturing, acidizing, or well workover.

20 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the diverting fluid comprises about 1 pound to about 100 pounds of the superabsorbent polymer per one thousand gallons of the diverting fluid.

Assignees

• Zhou Jia
• Brannon Harold Dean
• Carman Paul S
• Li Leiming
• Starks Ii Thomas Ray
• Gupta D V Satyanarayana
• Hudson Harold G
• Nelson Scott G
• Baker Hughes Inc

Inventors

• Zhou Jia
• Brannon Harold Dean
• Carman Paul S
• Li Leiming
• Starks Ii Thomas Ray
• Gupta D V Satyanarayana
• Hudson Harold G
• Nelson Scott G

Classifications

• C09K8/706

  Encapsulated breakers · CPC title

• C09K8/68

  containing organic compounds · CPC title

• C09K8/64

  Oil-based compositions · CPC title

• E21B43/267 Primary

  reinforcing fractures by propping · CPC title

• C09K8/88

  macromolecular compounds · CPC title