Carbonate based slurry fracturing using solid acid for unconventional reservoirs

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9366125-B2
Application number	US-201414481963-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 10, 2014
Priority date	Sep 11, 2013
Publication date	Jun 14, 2016
Grant date	Jun 14, 2016

Abstract

A method of using a slurry-like fracturing fluid for hydraulic fracturing in an unconventional reservoir: injecting the slurry-like fracturing fluid into the unconventional reservoir, the slurry-like fracturing fluid comprises a particulate portion and a slurry water, the particulate portion comprises a solid acid component, injecting the slurry-like fracturing fluid is operable to generate a network of fractures, the slurry-like fracturing fluid is operable to reduce a reservoir temperature from a resting reservoir temperature, permitting the slurry-like fracturing fluid to cure into a permeable bed, allowing the reservoir temperature to return to the resting reservoir temperature to trigger the hydrolysis of the solid acid, hydrolyzing the solid acid to produce a liquid acid, and stimulating the network of fractures with the liquid acid to increase permeability of the permeable bed in the network of fractures in the unconventional reservoir, the increased permeability operable to create a sweet spot.

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1. A method of using a slurry fracturing fluid for hydraulic fracturing in an unconventional reservoir, wherein the unconventional reservoir is selected from the group consisting of tight sands, shale gas, shale oil, coalbed methane, tight carbonate, and gas hydrate; the method comprising the steps of:
injecting the slurry fracturing fluid into the unconventional reservoir,
wherein the slurry fracturing fluid comprises a particulate portion and a water portion, the water portion operable to adjust a viscosity of the slurry fracturing fluid, such that the slurry fracturing fluid is capable of being pumped into the unconventional reservoir and the slurry fracturing fluid is capable of fracturing the unconventional reservoir,
wherein the particulate portion comprises:
a calcium carbonate component;
a cement component;
a sand component;
a bentonite component; and
a solid acid component;

wherein injecting the slurry fracturing fluid is operable to generate a network of fractures in the unconventional reservoir and is operable to fill the network of fractures in the unconventional reservoir;
reducing a reservoir temperature from a first reservoir temperature to a reduced temperature by injecting the slurry fracturing fluid into the unconventional reservoir;

permitting the slurry fracturing fluid to cure into a permeable bed in the network of fractures in the unconventional reservoir, wherein the permeable bed is a solid porous carbonaceous bed filling the network of fractures in the unconventional reservoir;
allowing the reduced reservoir temperature to return to the first reservoir temperature, wherein the first reservoir temperature is operable to trigger hydrolysis of the solid acid component with a water source, where the reduced reservoir temperature increases toward the first reservoir temperature while the slurry fracturing fluid cures into the permeable bed in the network of fractures, filling the network of fractures in the unconventional reservoir;
hydrolyzing the solid acid component with the water source at about the first reservoir temperature, wherein the hydrolysis of the solid acid component is operable to produce a liquid acid; and
stimulating the network of fractures in the unconventional reservoir with the liquid acid, such that the liquid acid etches the permeable bed creating small vugs in the permeable bed, and the liquid acid etches the unconventional reservoir thereby increasing permeability of the permeable bed by about at least 2 times relative to an initially cured solid porous carbonaceous bed in the network of fractures in the unconventional reservoir.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the calcium carbonate component is obtained from a naturally occurring source.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the cement component is Portland cement.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the sand component is a silica based sand.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the bentonite component is selected from the group consisting of potassium bentonite, sodium bentonite, calcium bentonite, aluminum bentonite, and combinations thereof.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the solid acid component is selected from the group consisting of sulfamic acid, chloroacetic acid, carboxylic acid, trichloroacetic acid, and combinations thereof.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the particulate portion is between 20-80% wt. calcium carbonate component, 5-30% wt. cement component, 5-30% wt. sand component, 2-10% wt. bentonite component, and 5-30% wt solid acid component.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the particulate portion is 30% wt. calcium carbonate component, 25% wt. cement component, 15% wt. sand component, 10% wt. bentonite component, and 20% wt solid acid component.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the water portion comprises brine.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the brine comprises potassium chloride.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the water portion comprises a salt solution.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the salt solution is a potassium chloride solution.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the solid acid component is encapsulated.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the water source is a formation brine.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the water source is the water portion.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the unconventional reservoir is a tight sand reservoir.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the unconventional reservoir is a shale reservoir.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the first reservoir temperature is greater than 100° C.

19. A method of using a slurry fracturing fluid for hydraulic fracturing in an unconventional reservoir, wherein the unconventional reservoir is selected from the group consisting of tight sands, shale gas, shale oil, coalbed methane, tight carbonate, and gas hydrate; the method comprising the steps of:
injecting the slurry fracturing fluid into the unconventional reservoir,
wherein the slurry fracturing fluid comprises a particulate portion and a water portion, the water portion operable to adjust a viscosity of the slurry fracturing fluid, such that the slurry fracturing fluid is capable of being pumped into the unconventional reservoir and the slurry fracturing fluid is capable of fracturing the unconventional reservoir,
wherein the particulate portion comprises:
a calcium carbonate component, wherein the calcium carbonate component is 30 wt % of the particulate portion;
a cement component, wherein the cement component is 25% wt. of the particulate portion;
a sand component, wherein the sand component is 15% wt. of the particulate portion;
a bentonite component, wherein the bentonite component is 10% wt. of the particulate portion;
a solid acid component, wherein the solid acid component is 20% wt of the particulate portion;

wherein injecting the slurry fracturing fluid is operable to generate a network of fractures in the unconventional reservoir and is operable to fill the network of fractures in the unconventional reservoir,
reducing a reservoir temperature from a first reservoir temperature to a reduced temperature by injecting the slurry fracturing fluid into the unconventional reservoir;

permitting the slurry fracturing fluid to cure into a permeable bed in the network of fractures in the unconventional reservoir, wherein the permeable bed is a solid porous carbonaceous bed filling the network of fractures in the unconventional reservoir;
allowing the reduced reservoir temperature to return to the first reservoir temperature, wherein the first reservoir temperature is operable to trigger hydrolysis of the solid acid component with a water source, where the reduced reservoir temperature increases toward the first reservoir temperature while the slurry fracturing fluid cures into the permeable bed in the network of fractures, filling the network of fractures in the unconventional reservoir;
hydrolyzing the solid acid component with the water source at about the first reservoir temperature, wherein the hydrolysis of the solid acid component is operable to produce a liquid acid; and
stimulating the network of fractures in the unconventional reservoir with the liquid acid, such that the liquid acid etches the permeable bed creating small vugs in the permeable bed, and the liquid acid etches the unconventional reservoir thereby increasing permeability of the permeable bed by about at least 2 times relative to an initially cured solid porous carbonaceous bed in the network of fractures in the unconventional reservoir.

Assignees

• Saudi Arabian Oil Co

Inventors

• Abass Hazim Hussein
• Al-Mulhem Abdulrahman Abdulaziz
• Khan Mirajuddin R
• Hilab Victor V

Classifications

• C04B24/005

  Halogen-containing compounds · CPC title

• E21B43/267 Primary

  reinforcing fractures by propping · CPC title

• C04B24/02

  Alcohols; Phenols; Ethers · CPC title

• C04B38/04

  by dissolving-out added substances · CPC title

• C04B14/06

  Quartz; Sand · CPC title