Ultra-high-molecular-weight polyolefin proppants
AssigneeRepsol, S.A.
InventorsManuel López Reyes, Ricardo César Bezerra De Melo, Jacobo Canal Vila, Itziar Martínez Cebrián, Richard Llewellyn Lolley Bowen, Ana Isabel Montenegro García
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Abstract
The present invention relates to the use of ultra-high-molecular-weight polyolefin particles as proppants for treating subterranean formations, as well as to compositions comprising said particles and to fracturing methods employing said particles.
Claims20
A method for treating a geological subterranean formation penetrated by a wellbore, the method comprising pumping or injecting into the wellbore a plurality of proppant particles, said particles comprising an ultra-high-molecular-weight polyolefin as proppant, wherein the ultra-high-molecular-weight polyolefin has a viscosity average molecular weight in a range from 0.8×106 to 12×106 g/mol, an apparent density in a range from 0.2 to 0.7 g/mL and a sphericity of 0.5 or higher, and wherein said proppant particles provide a proppant pack conductivity greater than 1.744722487×10−14 m2·m (0.058 mD·ft) at 65.5° C. and 13789514.56 Pa (2000 psi).
A composition comprising:
- (i) proppant particles, said particles comprising an ultra-high-molecular-weight polyolefin as proppant, wherein the ultra-high-molecular-weight polyolefin has a viscosity average molecular weight in a range from 0.8×106 to 12×106 g/mol, an apparent density in a range from 0.2 to 0.7 g/mL and a sphericity of 0.5 or higher, and wherein said proppant particles provide a proppant pack conductivity greater than 1.744722487×1014 m2·m (0.058 mD·ft) at 65.5° C. and 13789514.56 Pa (2000 psi);
- and
- (ii) a fracturing fluid suitable for carrying the particles;
- wherein the proppant particles float in the fracturing fluid.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.