Methods of forming pillars and channels in propped fractures

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-8936083-B2
Application number	US-201213596662-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 28, 2012
Priority date	Aug 28, 2012
Publication date	Jan 20, 2015
Grant date	Jan 20, 2015

Abstract

Methods of forming channels within propped fractures that are essentially free of proppants and more spacious than the interstitial spaces within traditional proppant packs. Specifically, various proppant-laden fluids may be placed within a fracture in a subterranean formation, the proppants in the proppant-laden fluids having at least two distinct ranges of density. Once placed inside the fracture, the proppants can settle, separate, and consolidate into at least two distinct permeable masses according to their densities. Consequently, the high-density and low-density proppants can separate and form separate proppant masses when the fracture closes on the proppants. Through this process, a highly conductive channel can form inside the fracture through which production fluids can flow.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
a) introducing high-density proppants into a fracture within a subterranean formation, wherein the fracture has a lower portion and an upper portion;
b) introducing a spacer gel into the fracture;
c) introducing low-density proppants into the fracture;
d) repeating any sequence of a), b), and c) until a predetermined amount of high-density proppants, spacer gel, and low-density proppants has been introduced into the fracture;…

Assignees

• Nguyen Philip D
• Halliburton Energy Serv Inc

Inventors

• Nguyen Philip D

Classifications

• E21B43/267 Primary

  Fixed Constructions · mapped topic