Treatment of a well with an encapsulated liquid and process for encapsulating a liquid
AssigneeHalliburton Energy Services, Inc.
InventorsMatthew E. Blauch, Juanita M. Cassidy
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention provides a method for encapsulating a liquid within a semi-permeable membrane. In particular, the present invention provides a method for encapsulating free flowing liquids. The current invention also provides a method for treating the downhole region of a well using encapsulated well treatment chemicals. The method of treating the downhole region of a well is particularly useful in acid etching a fracture face.
Claims55
A method for encapsulating a liquid comprising:
- a) encapsulating a solid within a semi-permeable membrane to form a capsule;
- b) placing said capsule in a liquid capable of dissolving said solid whereby said liquid passes through said semi-permeable membrane and dissolves said liquid;
- c) maintaining said capsule in said liquid for a period of time sufficient to permit concentration gradient driving forces to cause said liquid to displace said solid from within said capsule such that substantially all of said solid is removed from said capsule leaving said liquid in said capsule.
A method for encapsulating a liquid comprising:
- a) encapsulating a solid within a semi-permeable membrane to form a capsule;
- b) placing said capsule in a first liquid capable of passing through said semi-permeable membrane and capable of dissolving said solid whereby said liquid passes through said semi-permeable membrane and dissolves said liquid;
- c) placing the encapsulated solution of solid and first liquid in contact with a second liquid;
- d) maintaining said capsule in contact with said second liquid for a period of time sufficient to permit concentration gradient driving forces to cause said second liquid to displace substantially all of said solution of solid and first liquid from within said capsule thereby producing a capsule containing primarily said second liquid.
A method for treating the downhole region of a well comprising:
- a) encapsulating a solid within a semi-permeable membrane to form a capsule;
- b) placing said capsule in a liquid capable of dissolving said solid whereby said liquid passes through said semi-permeable membrane and dissolves said liquid;
- c) maintaining said capsule in said liquid for a period of time sufficient to permit concentration gradient driving forces to cause said liquid to displace said solid from within said capsule such that substantially all of said solid is removed from said capsule leaving said liquid in said capsule;
- d) placing said capsule within the downhole region of a well;
- and,
- e) releasing said solution from said capsule.
A method for treating the downhole region of a well comprising:
- a) encapsulating a solid within a semi-permeable membrane to form a capsule;
- b) placing said capsule in a first liquid capable of passing through said semi-permeable membrane and capable of dissolving said solid whereby said liquid passes through said semi-permeable membrane and dissolves said liquid;
- c) placing the encapsulated solution of solid and first liquid in contact with a second liquid;
- d) maintaining said capsule in contact with said second liquid for a period of time sufficient to permit concentration gradient driving forces to cause said second liquid to displace substantially all of said solution of solid and first liquid from within said capsule thereby producing a capsule containing primarily said second liquid.
- e) placing said capsule within the downhole region of a well;
- and,
- f) releasing said second liquid from said capsule.
A method for acid etching a fracture face located in a subterranean production zone comprising the steps of:
- a) hydraulically fracturing a subterranean formation to produce a fractured formation having at least one fracture face;
- b) injecting capsules containing a liquid acid into said fractured formation while maintaining hydraulic pressure on said fractured formation;
- C) depositing said capsules in said fractured formation;
- and,
- d) releasing said acid from said capsules thereby acid etching said fracture face.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.