Back to results
US 10,208,243 B2Granted
Low-energy proppants for downhole operations
AssigneeHalliburton Energy Services, Inc.
InventorsJody Marie Burks, Ali Alwattari, Tatyana V Khamatnurova
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
This present application relates generally to enhancing flow of fluids during fracturing operations. More specifically, the application relates to providing a proppant with a low surface energy, introducing the proppant into a subterranean formation with a surfactant selected to interact with the proppant such that the recovery of hydrocarbons from the subterranean formation is enhanced.
Claims12
A method comprising:
- (a) providing a low-energy proppant comprising one or more particulate materials and a coating material, which at least partially coats the particulate material and has surface energy in the range of about 15 mJ/m2 Dyn/cm) to about 38 mJ/m (Dyn/cm) to thus produce the low-energy proppant with a lower surface energy than the particulate material while maintaining crush strength of the particulate material, and wherein the coating material is a material selected from the group consisting of Polydimethvlsiloxane PDMS, Polytetrafluoroethylene PTFE, Polytrifluoroethylene P3FEt/PTrFE, Polyhexylmethacrvlate PHMA, Polypropylene-isotactic PP, Polyinylidene fluoride PVD F, Poly (t-butvlmethacrylate) PtBMA, Polychlorotrifluoroethylene PCTrFE, Polyisobutylmethacrylate PIBMA, Polybutylmethacrvlate PBMA, Polytetramethylene oxide PTME, (Polytetrahydrofurane PTHF), Polyisobutylene PIB, Polycarbonate PC, Polyethylene-branched PE, Polyethylene-linear PE, Polyethylmethacrvlate PEMA, Polyvinylacetate PVA, Polyvinyl fluoride PVF, Polyethvlacrylate PEA, Poly-a-methyl styrene PMS, Polyvinyltoluene PVT Polystyrene PS, Polyamide-12 PA-12, Polymethylacrvlate (Polymethacrylic acid) PMAA, Polymethylmethacrylate PMMA, Polyvinylchloride PVC, Polyetheretherketone PEEK, Polyethvleneoxide PEO, Polyethvleneterephthalate PET, Polyvinylidene chloride PVDC, and Polyamide-6.6 PA-66;
- (b) producing a treatment fluid comprising the low-energy proppant, an aqueous base fluid and a high-energy surfactant, wherein the treatment fluid has a surface tension greater than the surface energy of the low-energy proppant;
- and
- (c) introducing the treatment fluid into a subterranean formation such that a layer of the low-energy proppant is deposited in at least a section of a fracture in the subterranean formation wherein the lower-surface energy of the low-energy proppant material improves flow behavior of hydrocarbons past the low-energy proppant as compared to flow behavior past the particulate material thereby increasing hydrocarbon production in the subterranean formation.
1 more element
A method comprising:
- (a) introducing a first treatment fluid, comprising a low-energy proppant, high-energy surfactant and an aqueous base fluid, into a subterranean formation, wherein the low-energy proppant comprises one or more proppant particles at least partially coated with a coating material having a about 15 mJ/m2 (Dyn/cm) to about 38 mJ/m (Dyn/cm) to thus produce the low-energy proppant with a lower surface energy than the particulate material while maintaining crush strength of the particulate material, and wherein the coating material is elected from the group consisting of Polydimethvlsiloxane PDMS, Polytetrafluoroethylene PTFE, Polytrifluoroethylene P3FEt/PTrFE, Polyhexylmethacrvlate PHMA, Polypropylene-isotactic PP, Polyinylidene fluoride PVD F, Poly (t-butvlmethacrylate) PtBMA, Polychlorotrifluoroethylene PCTrFE, Polyisobutylmethacrylate PIBMA, Polybutylmethacrvlate PBMA, Polytetramethylene oxide PTME, (Polytetrahydrofurane PTHF), Polyisobutylene PIB, Polycarbonate PC, Polyethylene-branched PE, Polyethylene-linear PE, Polyethylmethacrvlate PEMA, Polyvinylacetate PVA, Polyvinyl fluoride PVF, Polyethvlacrylate PEA, Poly-a-methyl styrene PMS, Polyvinyltoluene PVT Polystyrene PS, Polyamide-12 PA-12, Polymethylacrvlate (Polymethacrylic acid) PMAA, Polymethylmethacrylate PMMA, Polyvinylchloride PVC, Polyetheretherketone PEEK, Polyethvleneoxide PEO, Polyethvleneterephthalate PET, Polyvinylidene chloride PVDC, and Polyamide-6.6 PA-66, and the coating material provides the low-energy proppant with a surface energy, and wherein the high-energy surfactant provides the first treatment fluid with a surface tension greater than the surface energy of the low-energy proppant;
- (b) depositing a layer of the low-energy proppant particle in at least a section of a fracture in the subterranean formation;
- wherein the lower-surface energy of the low-energy proppant material improves flow behavior of hydrocarbons past the low-energy proppant as compared to flow behavior past the particulate material thereby increasing hydrocarbon production in the subterranean formation;
- and
- (c) introducing a second treatment fluid comprising the aqueous base fluid and the high-energy surfactant into the subterranean formation, wherein the second treatment fluid has a surface tension greater than the surface energy of the low-energy proppant particle.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.