Liquefied natural gas (lng) re-fracturing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020340341-A1
Application number	US-201616330418-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 11, 2016
Priority date	Nov 11, 2016
Publication date	Oct 29, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method and system for pressurizing and stimulating a formation with a parent well therethrough, the method including storing and de-liquefying liquefied natural gas (LNG) at an on-site location near the parent well, injecting a first stream of de-liquefied LNG into the parent well to pressurize the formation, and injecting a second stream of de-liquefied LNG into the parent well at a fracturing pressure sufficient to fracture the pressurized formation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for pressurizing and stimulating a formation with a parent well therethrough, the method comprising:
storing and de-liquefying liquefied natural gas (LNG) at an on-site location near the parent well; injecting a first stream of de-liquefied LNG into the parent well to pressurize the formation; and injecting a second stream of de-liquefied LNG into the parent well at a fracturing pressure sufficient to fracture the pressurized formation.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising pressurizing and vaporizing the first stream of de-liquefied LNG to form natural gas.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising injecting the first stream of de-liquefied LNG into the parent well to pressurize a reservoir volume of the formation.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising drilling a child well after pressurizing the reservoir volume through the parent well.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
introducing the second stream of de-liquefied LNG into the parent well at a fracturing pressure after pressurizing the formation; and injecting the pressurized second stream of de-liquefied LNG into the parent well until the formation is fractured.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
admixing a stimulation material with the second stream of de-liquefied LNG to form a fracturing fluid; and injecting the fracturing fluid into the parent well at a fracturing pressure sufficient to fracture the pressurized formation.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the fracturing fluid further comprising a base fluid selected from the group consisting of viscosifier agents, carrier aqueous fluids, proppants, demulsifiers, corrosion inhibitors, friction reducers, clay stabilizers, scale inhibitors, biocides, breaker aids, mutual solvents, surfactants, anti-foam agents, defoamers, viscosity stabilizers, iron control agents, diverters, emulsifiers, non-emulsifiers, foamers, nanoparticles-stabilized foams, oxygen scavengers, pH control agents, and buffering agents.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising pressurizing the formation through the parent well with the first stream of de-liquefied LNG sufficiently to decrease asymmetric fracturing of the formation towards the parent well during fracturing of a child well.

9 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising, after stimulating the child well, injecting the second stream of de-liquefied LNG into the parent well at a fracturing pressure sufficient to fracture the pressurized formation.

10 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising storing the LNG at the on-site location as a processed cryogenic fluid at or below a temperature of about −260 Fahrenheit (° F.) (−162 Celsius (° C.)).

11 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising recovering a portion of the de-liquefied LNG after pressurizing the formation.

12 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
injecting a portion of the LNG as a tracer material into the parent well; and detecting the injected portion of LNG to infer information related to at least one of the parent well or the formation.

13 . A system for pressurizing and stimulating a formation with a parent well therethrough; the system comprising:
a source of liquefied natural gas (LNG) located at an on-site location of the parent well; a cryogenic system located at the on-site location and comprising a pumping unit and a heating unit to de-liquefy LNG into natural gas; natural gas injection equipment comprising an injection pump configured to inject a first stream of natural gas into the parent well to pressurize the formation; and fracturing fluid injection equipment comprising a fracturing pump operable to pressure a second stream of natural gas to a fracturing pressure sufficient to fracture the formation.

14 . The system of claim 13 , further comprising:
a child well formed therethrough the formation; wherein the child well is stimulated before fracturing the formation with the second stream of natural gas; and and wherein the child well is stimulated after pressurizing the formation with the first stream of natural gas.

15 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the pumping unit and the heating unit are operable to pressurize and vaporize the LNG into natural gas.

16 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the source comprises a storage container configured to store the LNG at or below a temperature of about −260 Fahrenheit (° F.) (−162 Celsius (° C.)).

17 . The system of claim 13 , further comprising a mixer to admix a stimulation material with the second stream of natural gas to form a fracturing fluid used to fracture the formation.

18 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the fracturing fluid further comprising a base fluid selected from the group consisting of viscosifier agents, carrier aqueous fluids, proppants, demulsifiers, corrosion inhibitors, friction reducers, clay stabilizers, scale inhibitors, biocides, breaker aids, mutual solvents, alcohols, surfactants, anti-foam agents, defoamers, viscosity stabilizers, iron control agents, diverters, emulsifiers, non-emulsifiers, foamers, oxygen scavengers, nanoparticles-stabilized foams, pH control agents, and buffering agents.

19 . The system of claim 13 , wherein a portion of the LNG is injectable as a tracer material into the parent well, wherein the injected portion of the LNG is detectable to infer information related to at least one of the parent well or the formation.

20 . The system of claim 13 , wherein fluids in a reservoir volume of the formation are near, at, or below a bubble point of the reservoir fluids.

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Dusterhoft Ronald G
• Stegent Neil A
• Reyes Enrique A
• Walser Doug W

Classifications

• E21B43/2605 Primary

  using gas or liquefied gas · CPC title

• C09K8/528

  inorganic depositions, e.g. sulfates or carbonates · CPC title

• C09K2208/26

  Gel breakers other than bacteria or enzymes · CPC title

• C09K2208/10

  Nanoparticle-containing well treatment fluids · CPC title

• C09K2208/12

  Swell inhibition, i.e. using additives to drilling or well treatment fluids for inhibiting clay or shale swelling or disintegrating · CPC title