Methods of hindering the settling of proppant aggregates

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-8960284-B2
Application number	US-201213597502-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 29, 2012
Priority date	Aug 29, 2012
Publication date	Feb 24, 2015
Grant date	Feb 24, 2015

Abstract

Providing a carrier fluid having a density; providing a proppant aggregates having a density higher than that of the carrier fluid; and, providing low-density particulates having a density lower than that of the carrier fluid. Then the carrier fluid, proppant aggregates, and low-density particulates are combined to create a propping fluid. The propping fluid then is placed into a fracture within a subterranean formation wherein the low-density particulates slow the settling of the proppant aggregates within the fracture.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
providing a carrier fluid having a density;
providing a proppant aggregates having a density higher than that of the carrier fluid;
providing low-density particulates having a density lower than that of the carrier fluid;
combining the carrier fluid, proppant aggregates, and low-density particulates to create a propping fluid;
placing the propping fluid into a fracture within a subterranean formation;
wherein the low-density particulates slow the settling of the proppant aggregates within the fracture.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the proppant aggregates have a density greater than about 1.10 g/cm 3 .

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the low-density particulates have a density less than about 0.95 g/cm 3 .

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the carrier fluid has a density greater than 0.95 g/cm 3 and less than 1.10 g/cm 3 .

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the low-density particulates comprise between about 1% and about 20% of the combined weight of the low-density particulates and the proppant aggregates.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein either the proppant aggregates, the low-density particulates, or both are coated with a consolidating agent.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the proppant aggregates comprise: proppant material agglomerated with a consolidating agent, proppant material within a gel body, or a combination thereof.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the low-density particulates are fibrous.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the low-density particulates comprise: micro-particles combined with a binder, proppant material having a density lower than that of the carrier fluid, thermoplastic beads, or a combination thereof.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the thermoplastic beads are selected from the group consisting of: polystyrenedivinylbenzine, a polyfluoro carbons, a polyether etherketone, a polyamide imide, nylon 6, polyamide 66, polyphenylene oxide, a blend of polyphenylene oxide and nylon 6/6, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, ethylene vinyl alcohol, polycarbonate/polyethylene terephthalate polyester blend, polyethylene terephthalate, unreinforced polycarbonate/polybutylene terephthalate blend, polyethylene terephtalate glycol-modified copolymer, polyetherimide polyphenylene ether, molded polyphenylene sulfide, polyvinylbenzene, an acronitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer, polyvinylchloride, a flouroplastic, polysulfide, polypropylene, styrene acrlyonitrile, polystyrene, phenylene oxide, polystyrene divinylbenzene, a polyflourocarbon, polyetherketones, a polyamide-imide, and any combination thereof.

11. A method comprising:
providing a carrier fluid having a density between about 0.75 g/cm 3 and 1.25 g/cm 3 ;
providing a proppant aggregates having a density above 1.1 g/cm 3 ;
providing low-density particulates having a density below 0.95 g/cm 3 ;
combining the carrier fluid, proppant aggregates, and low-density particulates to create a propping fluid;
placing the propping fluid into a fracture within a subterranean formation;
wherein the low-density particulates slow the settling of the proppant aggregates within the fracture by way of mutual interference.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the low-density particulates comprise between about 1% and about 20% of the combined weight of the low-density particulates and the proppant aggregates.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein either the proppant aggregates, the low-density particulates, or both are coated with a consolidating agent.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the proppant aggregates comprise: proppant material agglomerated with a consolidating agent, proppant material within a gel body, or a combination thereof.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein the low-density particulates are fibrous.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein the low-density particulates comprise: micro-particles combined with a binder, proppant material having a density lower than that of the carrier fluid, thermoplastic beads, or a combination thereof.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the thermoplastic beads are selected from the group consisting of: polystyrenedivinylbenzine, a polyfluoro carbons, a polyether etherketone, a polyamide imide, nylon 6, polyamide 66, polyphenylene oxide, a blend of polyphenylene oxide and nylon 6/6, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, ethylene vinyl alcohol, polycarbonate/polyethylene terephthalate polyester blend, polyethylene terephthalate, unreinforced polycarbonate/polybutylene terephthalate blend, polyethylene terephtalate glycol-modified copolymer, polyetherimide polyphenylene ether, molded polyphenylene sulfide, polyvinylbenzene, an acronitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer, polyvinylchloride, a flouroplastic, polysulfide, polypropylene, styrene acrlyonitrile, polystyrene, phenylene oxide, polystyrene divinylbenzene, a polyflourocarbon, polyetherketones, a polyamide-imide, and any combination thereof.

Assignees

• Nguyen Philip D
• Worley Jonathan Dale
• Halliburton Energy Serv Inc

Inventors

• Nguyen Philip D
• Worley Jonathan Dale

Classifications

• E21B43/267 Primary

  reinforcing fractures by propping · CPC title

• C09K8/62

  Compositions for forming crevices or fractures · CPC title

• C09K8/805

  Coated proppants · CPC title

• C09K2208/08

  Fiber-containing well treatment fluids · CPC title