Methods for increased hydrocarbon recovery through mineralization sealing of hydraulically fractured rock followed by refracturing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9739129-B2
Application number	US-201514602127-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 21, 2015
Priority date	Jan 21, 2014
Publication date	Aug 22, 2017
Grant date	Aug 22, 2017

Abstract

The invention is a method of increasing hydrocarbon recovery through the biomineralization sealing of fractured geological formations followed by refracturing, including preparing a composition with biochemical components that is delivered into a geological subsurface through a cased well bore. Nutrient solutions are delivered into the geological subsurface through the well bore, thereby metabolizing the nutrient solutions with the biochemical components to create a mineralizing byproduct. Mineralizing solutions are delivered into the geological subsurface, delivering the composition, nutrient solutions and mineralizing solutions to targeted geological formations having existing formation fractures, through casing openings. Mineralizing solutions react with the mineralizing byproduct to produce minerals, which crystallize in the existing formation fractures, sealing and strengthening the existing formation fractures and resulting in sealed fractures. Targeted geological formations are refractured to create new formation fractures outside of the sealed fractures, exposing new areas of trapped hydrocarbons to production, to increase hydrocarbon recovery.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
preparing a composition including a biochemical component;
delivering the composition into a targeted geological formation within a geological subsurface through a cased well bore;
delivering nutrient solutions into the targeted geological formation within the geological subsurface through the cased well bore;
metabolizing the nutrient solutions with the biochemical component in the composition;
such that metabolization of the nutrient solutions with the biochemical component produces a mineralizing byproduct;
delivering mineralizing solutions into the targeted geological formation within the geological subsurface through the cased well bore;
wherein the delivering of the composition, the nutrient solutions, and the mineralizing solutions comprises delivering to a formation fracture in the targeted geological formation, via one or more casing openings, such that a crystallized mineral produced at least in part by a reaction between the mineralizing solutions and the mineralizing byproduct seals the formation fracture;
and
refracturing the targeted geological formation to (1) produce one or more additional formation fractures outside of the sealed formation fracture, and (2) expose new areas of trapped hydrocarbons; and
recovering at least a portion of the trapped hydrocarbons from the new areas of trapped hydrocarbons.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the formation fracture includes micro fractures.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more casing openings include one or more casing perforations.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the biochemical component is at least one of a bacteria or enzyme.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mineralizing solutions include at least one of a urea, soluble ferrous iron salt, soluble manganese salt, soluble magnesium salt, soluble phosphate salt, soluble phosphite salt, or soluble calcium salt.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nutrient solutions include at least one of a yeast extract, nutrient broth, or urea.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mineralizing byproduct includes at least one of a carbonic acid, carbonate, bicarbonate, ammonia, ammonium, phosphate, or phosphite.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the crystallized mineral includes at least one of a calcium carbonate, calcium phosphate, magnesium carbonate, ferric oxide, manganese oxide, ferromanganese oxide, or ferric phosphate.

9. A method, comprising:
preparing a composition including at least a biochemical component, a nutrient solution, and a mineral solution after recovering at least a portion of a first volume of a hydrocarbon via a first fracture formed in a geological subsurface;
delivering the composition to the first fracture via a cased well bore;
sealing the first fracture with a crystallized mineral produced at least in part by a reaction between the composition and a surface of the first fracture;
fracturing the geological subsurface to produce a second fracture in fluid communication with a second volume of the hydrocarbon, different from the first volume of the hydrocarbon;
sealing the second fracture with a crystallized mineral; and
fracturing the geological subsurface to produce a third fracture in fluid communication with a third volume of the hydrocarbon, different from the first volume of the hydrocarbon and the second volume of the hydrocarbon.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
recovering at least a portion of the second volume of the hydrocarbon via the second fracture.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein sealing the first fracture includes strengthening at least a portion of the geological subsurface defining the first fracture.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein sealing the first fracture includes sealing one or more micro fractures.

13. A method, comprising:
preparing a composition including at least a biochemical component, a nutrient solution, and a mineralizing solution;
delivering the composition into a fracture of a targeted geological formation via a cased well bore and one or more casing openings in fluid communication with the fracture; and
sealing the fracture with a crystallized mineral produced at least in part by a reaction between the composition and the targeted geological formation;
wherein the fracture is a first fracture, the first fracture being produced by a hydraulic fracturing operation, the method further comprising:
hydraulically fracturing the targeted geological formation after sealing the first fracture to produce a second fracture different from the first fracture; and
recovering a second volume of hydrocarbon trapped in the targeted geological formation via the second fracture.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein sealing the fracture includes sealing the one or more casing openings.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein preparing the composition includes metabolizing the nutrient solution with the biochemical component to produce a mineralizing byproduct, the reaction between the composition and the targeted geological formation including a reaction between the mineralizing solution and the mineralizing byproduct.

Assignees

• Montana Emergent Tech Inc
• Univ Montana State

Inventors

• Cunningham Alfred B
• Hiebert Dwight Randall

Classifications

• E21B33/138

  Plastering the borehole wall; Injecting into the formation · CPC title

• C09K8/516

  characterised by their form or by the form of their components, e.g. encapsulated material · CPC title

• C09K8/5045

  containing inorganic compounds · CPC title

• E21B43/26 Primary

  by forming crevices or fractures · CPC title

• E21B43/261 Primary

  Separate steps of (1) cementing, plugging or consolidating and (2) fracturing or attacking the formation · CPC title