Propping compositions for enhancing fracture conductivity

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9752072-B2
Application number	US-201414558813-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 3, 2014
Priority date	Oct 27, 2011
Publication date	Sep 5, 2017
Grant date	Sep 5, 2017

Abstract

Propping compositions comprising: a hardenable, liquid external phase comprising an element selected from the group consisting of: a cement, a cement foam, a polymer, a resin, an aluminum, a flowable carrier fluid, and any combination thereof; and an internal phase that is either gas or liquid and that is immiscible with the external phase; wherein the internal phase exits the propping composition as the hardenable external phase hardens, leaving behind an hardened, interconnected porous network. Some propping compositions may require contact with a treatment for removal from the hardenable external phase and the treatment for removal may comprise at least one material selected from the group consisting of: an acid, a base, a chelant, an oxidizer, a solvent, and any combination thereof.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A propping composition comprising:
a hardenable, liquid phase selected from the group consisting of: a cement, a cement foam, a polymer, a resin, and any combination thereof; and
an internal phase that is either gas or liquid and that is immiscible with the liquid phase and the internal phase is present in an amount from about 30% to about 70% by volume;
wherein the internal phase exits the propping composition as the hardenable liquid phase hardens, leaving behind a hardened, interconnected porous network material,
wherein the propping composition is not a discrete particulate.

2. The propping composition of claim 1 wherein the hardenable, liquid phase of the propping composition is a resin selected from the group consisting of: a polyepoxide resin, a polyester resin, a urea-aldehyde resin, a furan resin, a urethane resin, any derivative thereof, and any combination thereof.

3. The propping composition of claim 1 wherein the hardenable, liquid phase further comprises a filler material comprising a solid selected from the group consisting of: a carbon nanotube, a buckyball, a silica, a metal and any combination of these.

4. The propping composition of claim 1 wherein the internal phase comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of: nitrogen gas, carbon dioxide gas, air, oil, silicone oil, water, polylactic acid, a polyester, polycaprolactone, polyvinyl alcohol, polyethylene teraphtalte, chitin, a chitosan; a protein, an aliphatic polyester, a poly(glycolide), a poly(hydroxybutyrate), a poly(anhydride), an aliphatic polycarbonate, a poly(orthoester), a poly(amino acid), a poly(ethylene oxide), a polyphosphazene, an anhydrous borate, an anhydrous borax, an anhydrous boric acid, and any combination thereof.

5. The propping composition of claim 1 wherein the internal phase of the flowable propping composition is degradable.

6. The propping composition of claim 1 further comprising a fracturing fluid comprising: a base fluid and a gelling agent.

7. The propping composition of claim 6 wherein the fracturing fluid further comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of: a water, a hydrocarbon, a gel, a gelling polymer, a friction reducer, a crosslinker, a breaker, a nitrogen gas, a carbon dioxide gas, a surfactant, a buffer, a stabilizer, a drag reducer, a fluid loss additive, and any combination thereof.

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Norman Lewis A

Classifications

• C04B28/02

  containing hydraulic cements other than calcium sulfates · CPC title

• C04B14/026

  of particular shape, e.g. nanotubes · CPC title

• C09K8/80 Primary

  Compositions for reinforcing fractures, e.g. compositions of proppants used to keep the fractures open · CPC title

• C09K8/70

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

• C09K8/64

  Oil-based compositions · CPC title