# US 11,078,402 B2 · Use of particulate or fibrous materials in gravel pack applications

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- Number: US 11,078,402 B2
- Document ID: US11078402B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/128,998
- Filed: 2015-03-26
- Published: 2017-07-06
- Granted: 2021-08-03
- Earliest claimed: 2014-03-26
- Assignees: Schlumberger Technology Corporation
- Applicants: M-I L.L.C.
- Inventors: Matthew Offenbacher; Balkrishna Gadiyar
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11078402B2

## CPC

- C09K 8/52: Compositions for preventing, limiting or eliminating depositions, e.g. for cleaning
- C09K 8/035: Organic additives
- C09K 8/506: containing organic compounds
- E21B 37/00: Methods or apparatus for cleaning boreholes or wells (E21B21/00 takes precedence)
- E21B 43/04: Gravelling of wells
- E21B 43/08: Screens or liners {(expandable screens or liners E21B43/108)}
- C09K 2208/08: Fiber-containing well treatment fluids
- C09K 2208/26: Gel breakers other than bacteria or enzymes
- E21B 21/003: {Means for stopping loss of drilling fluid (plastering the borehole wall E21B33/138)}
- C09K: MATERIALS FOR MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS, NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE
- E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS

## Abstract

Methods include drilling at least one interval of a wellbore with a water-based wellbore fluid producing a filtercake in the at least one interval of the wellbore. The methods also include gravel packing an interval of a wellbore traversing a subterranean formation with a gravel pack that comprises polyhydroxycarboxylic acid, and hydrolyzing the polyhydroxycarboxylic acid to degrade at least a portion of the filtercake.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method comprising:
drilling at least one interval of a wellbore with a water-based wellbore fluid, wherein the water-based wellbore fluid produces a filtercake in the at least one interval of the wellbore;
gravel packing an interval of a wellbore traversing a subterranean formation with a gravel pack comprising polyhydroxycarboxylic acid, wherein the polyhydroxycarboxylic acid is a polymer formed from one or more monomers selected from a group consisting of malic acid, lactic acid, gluconic acid, citric acid, mandelic acid, saccharic acid, mucic acid, and tartaric acid, wherein the polyhydroxycarboxylic acid hydrolyzes at a temperature ranging from about 150° F. to about 170° F.;
hydrolyzing the polyhydroxycarboxylic acid; and
degrading at least a portion of the filtercake.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the ratio of the polyhydroxycarboxylic acid to gravel in the gravel pack ranges from about 5:1 to 1:5 by total weight.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the polyhydroxycarboxylic acid hydrolyzes and decreases the pH of the gravel pack to a value within a range of pH 1 to pH 5.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the polyhydroxycarboxylic acid is emplaced in the wellbore in combination with the gravel pack.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the polyhydroxycarboxylic acid is present as a polyhydroxycarboxylic acid fiber.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein the polyhydroxycarboxylic acid fiber has a length within the range of 100 μm to 20 mm.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the polyhydroxycarboxylic acid is added at a concentration that ranges from about 0.5 ppb to 15 ppb.

### Claim 8

A method comprising:
running a sand control screen assembly to a selected depth within the uncased section of the wellbore to facilitate a gravel packing operation; and
introducing a gravel pack slurry comprising polyhydroxycarboxylic acid into the wellbore to facilitate gravel packing operations, wherein the polyhydroxycarboxylic acid is a polymer formed from one or more monomers selected from a group consisting of malic acid, lactic acid, gluconic acid, citric acid, mandelic acid, saccharic acid, mucic acid, and tartaric acid, wherein the polyhydroxycarboxylic acid hydrolyzes at a temperature ranging from about 150° F. to about 170° F.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the polyhydroxycarboxylic acid is emplaced in the wellbore in combination with the gravel pack slurry.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the ratio of the polyhydroxycarboxylic acid to gravel additive ranges from about 5:1 to 1:5 by total weight.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the polyhydroxycarboxylic acid is added at a concentration that ranges from about 0.5 ppb to 15 ppb.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the polyhydroxycarboxylic acid is present as a polyhydroxycarboxylic acid fiber.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein the polyhydroxycarboxylic acid fiber has a length within the range of 100 μm to 20 mm.

### Claim 14 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the polyhydroxycarboxylic acid is present as a polyhydroxycarboxylic acid particulate.