Fluid loss control package for use in subterranean formation operations

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9783727-B2
Application number	US-201514920317-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 22, 2015
Priority date	Oct 22, 2015
Publication date	Oct 10, 2017
Grant date	Oct 10, 2017

Abstract

Methods and systems including introducing a treatment fluid into a subterranean formation, wherein the treatment fluid comprises a base fluid and a fluid loss control package (FLCP). The FLCP comprises rigid non-degradable particulates and pliable degradable particulates. The FLCP forms a fluidic seal in the subterranean formation at a target interval, thereby providing fluid loss control therein.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
introducing a treatment fluid into a subterranean formation,
wherein the treatment fluid comprises a base fluid and a fluid loss control package (FLCP), the FLCP comprising rigid non-degradable particulates and pliable degradable particulates; and

forming a fluidic seal with the FLCP in the subterranean formation at a target interval, thereby providing fluid loss control therein,
wherein the rigid non-degradable particulates are a combination of natural sand and microparticulates; a combination of natural sand and microfibers; or a combination of natural sand, microparticulates, and microfibers, and
wherein the fluidic seal has a permeability of less than about 0.1 darcies.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising degrading the pliable degradable particulates to enhance breakdown and removal of at least a portion of the fluidic seal.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising flowing back the treatment fluid and producing a formation fluid from the subterranean formation, and during flow back of the treatment fluid and the production of the formation fluid, degrading the pliable degradable particulates to enhance breakdown and removal of least a portion of the fluidic seal,
wherein the degraded pliable degradable particulates are removed from the subterranean formation with the flow back of the treatment fluid and/or with the production of the formation fluid.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fluidic seal is a temporary filtercake formed on a surface selected from the group consisting of a packed proppant pack, formation wall, a fracture face, and any combination thereof.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fluidic seal is formed in an opening selected from the group consisting of a perforation, a mouth of a propped fracture, a mouth of an un-propped fracture, and any combination thereof.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fluidic seal is formed during a subterranean formation operation selected from the group consisting of a drilling operation, a hydraulic fracturing operation, a gravel-packing operation, a frac-packing operation, and any combination thereof.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the rigid non-degradable particulates and the pliable degradable particulates are present in the treatment fluid in a ratio of the rigid non-degradable particulates to pliable degradable particulates in an amount of from about 1:1 to about 50:1.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the rigid non-degradable particulates are a combination of natural sand and microparticulates; a combination of natural sand and microfibers; or combination of natural sand, microparticulates, and microfibers, and
wherein the microparticulates and the microfibers are composed of a material selected from the group consisting of silica flour, fly ash, a ceramic, glass, a rigid non-degradable polymer, a metal, a non-metallic mineral, and any combination thereof.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the rigid non-degradable particulates are a combination of natural sand and microparticulates; a combination of natural sand and microfibers; or combination of natural sand, microparticulates, and microfibers, and
wherein the natural sand has an average particle size diameter of from about 75 micrometers to about 840 micrometers,
the microparticulates have an average particle size diameter of from about 0.1 micrometer to about 150 micrometers, and
the microfibers have an average particle size diameter of from about 1 micrometers to about 150 micrometers, and an average length of from about 100 micrometers to about 10000 micrometers.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the rigid non-degradable particulates are a combination of natural sand and microparticulates, and
wherein the natural sand is in an amount of from about 25% to about 75% by weight of the rigid non-degradable particulates, and the microparticulates are in an amount of from about 25% to about 75% by weight of the rigid non-degradable particulates.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the rigid non-degradable particulates are a combination of natural sand and microfibers, and
wherein the natural sand is in an amount of from about 50% to about 75% by weight of the rigid non-degradable particulates, and the microfibers are in an amount of from about 25% to about 50% by weight of the rigid non-degradable particulates.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the rigid non-degradable particulates are a combination of natural sand, microparticulates, and microfibers, and
wherein the natural sand is in an amount of from about 10% to about 50% by weight of the rigid non-degradable particulates, the microparticulates are in an amount of from about 10% to about 50% by weight of the rigid non-degradable particulates, and the microfibers are in an amount of from about 10% to about 50% by weight of the rigid non-degradable particulates.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pliable degradable particulates are degradable polymers comprising a polymeric backbone having at least one carboxylic acid-derived functional group.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pliable degradable particulates are degradable polymers selected from the group consisting of an aiphatic polyester, a poly(lactide), a poly(glycolide), a poly(ε-caprolactone), a poly(hydroxyl ester ether), a poly(hydroxybutyrate), a poly(anhydride), a poly(carbonate), a poly(ether ester), a poly(ester amide), a poly(carbamate), a polyvinyl alcohol, a polyvinyl acetate, a poly(propylene oxide), a polysaccharide, a chitin, a chitosan, a protein, an aliphatic poly(carbonate), a poly(ortho ester), a poly(amino acid), a poly(ethylene oxide), a polyphosphazene, an amine, a polyamine, a poly(hydroxyl ester ether), and any combination thereof.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pliable degradable particulates have an average particle size diameter of from about 1 micrometers to about 200 micrometers.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the treatment fluid further comprises a fluid modifier selected from the group consisting of a gelling agent, a crosslinker, a flow increasing agent, and any combination thereof.

17. A system comprising:
a tubular extending from a wellhead and into a subterranean formation; and
a pump fluidly coupled to the tubular, the pump containing a treatment fluid for forming a fluidic seal in the subterranean formation, thereby providing fluid loss control, the treatment fluid comprising:
a base fluid and a fluid loss control package (FLCP), the FLCP comprising rigid non-degradable particulates and pliable degradable particulates,

wherein the rigid non-degradable particulates are a combination of natural sand and microparticulates; a combination of natural sand and microfibers; or a combination of natural sand, microparticulates, and microfibers, and
wherein the fluidic seal has a permeability of less than about 0.1 darcies.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the rigid non-degradable particulates and the pliable degradable particulates are present in the treatment fluid in a ratio of the rigid non-degradable particulates to pliable degradable particulates in an amount of from about 1:1 to about 50:1.

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Lahman Matthew Lewis
• Nguyen Philip D
• Cortez Janette
• Heeter Jessica Lynn

Classifications

• E21B33/138

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

• C09K8/5086

  obtained otherwise than by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds · CPC title

• C09K8/514

  of natural origin, e.g. polysaccharides, cellulose (C09K8/512 takes precedence) · CPC title

• E21B21/003

  Means for stopping loss of drilling fluid (plastering the borehole wall E21B33/138) · CPC title

• C09K8/516 Primary

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