Plastic frack tracer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016333689-A1
Application number	US-201615151278-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 10, 2016
Priority date	May 12, 2015
Publication date	Nov 17, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Novel proppants, proppant mixes and proppant slurries comprising a diamagnetic polymeric proppant that exhibits induced paramagnetism in an AC field is used to prop hydraulic fractures, and the paramagnetism used to assess fracture width, depth, connectivity, branching and the like. Fracturing methods are also provided, together with fracture assessment and imaging methods.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 ) A method of assessing hydraulic fracturing in a reservoir, said method comprising:
b) injecting a fracturing fluid into a reservoir at a pressure sufficient to fracture said reservoir producing fractures; c) injecting a proppant into said fractures, said proppant comprising a polymeric material that becomes paramagnetic when exposed to an alternating current (AC) field; d) applying an AC magnetic field to said fractures to induce paramagnetism in said proppants; and e) detecting said induced paramagnetism to assess said fractures.

2 ) The method of claim 1 , wherein said polymer material is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene (PE), PANiCNQ, Mn-TCNE, or combinations thereof.

3 ) The method of claim 1 , wherein said polymer material is high density PE or ultra high molecular weight PE.

4 ) The method of claim 1 , wherein said detected paramagnetism is used to assess fracture width, depth, connectivity, and/or branching.

5 ) The method of claim 1 , further comprising e) imaging said fractures based on said detected paramagnetism.

6 ) The method of claim 5 , wherein said imaging step e) uses tomographic software or 3D mapping software.

7 ) The method of claim 1 , wherein the power and frequency of the AC field is varied and wherein a 3D map of said fractures is prepared based on said detected paramagnetism.

8 ) The method of claim 1 , wherein said detection step d) uses surface based detectors that continuous detect said paramagnetism over time and wherein a wherein a 3D map of said fractures is prepared based on said detected paramagnetism.

9 ) The method of claim 1 , wherein said applying step c) and detecting step d) uses a slingram instrument.

10 ) The method of claim 1 , wherein said applying step c uses 500 to 20,000 Hz.

11 ) The method of claim 1 , where a core sample of said reservoir is obtained after step b, and wherein applying step c and detecting step d are performed on said core sample.

12 ) A proppant comprising a particle comprising a diamagnetic material that exhibits induced paramagnetism when exposed to an AC field at or above a particular frequency.

13 ) The proppant of claim 12 , being of size between 8-140 mesh.

14 ) The proppant of claim 12 , being of fibrous shape.

15 ) The proppant of claim 12 , having a sphericity >0.5 and a roundness >5.

16 ) The proppant of claim 12 , said particle comprising a plastic, PE, PANiCNQ, Mn-TCNE, or combinations thereof.

17 ) The proppant of claim 12 , said particle comprising high density PE or ultra high molecular weight PE.

18 ) The proppant of claim 12 , said particle comprising carbon microspheres.

19 ) The proppant of claim 12 , mixed with a sand proppant, a ceramic proppant or a high strength proppant (HSP).

20 ) The proppant of claim 14 , mixed with a sand proppant, a ceramic proppant or a high strength proppant (HSP).

21 ) The proppant of claim 14 , mixed with an HSP proppant.

22 ) A proppant slurry comprising a fracturing fluid plus one of the proppants of claims 12 - 21 .

Assignees

• Conocophillips Co

Inventors

• Eick Peter M
• Brewer Joel D

Classifications

• E21B43/267

  reinforcing fractures by propping · CPC title

• E21B43/26

  by forming crevices or fractures · CPC title

• C09K8/80

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

• E21B49/00 Primary

  Testing the nature of borehole walls; Formation testing; Methods or apparatus for obtaining samples of soil or well fluids, specially adapted to earth drilling or wells · CPC title

• C09K2208/08

  Fiber-containing well treatment fluids · CPC title