Hydrocarbon-based fluid compositions and methods of using same
OwnerKewei Zhang, Chris Wigginsinventors
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Abstract
The present invention provides hydrocarbon-based fracturing fluid compositions comprising a hydrocarbon fluid, proppant, and a small amount of water, and methods of using same. The small amount of water, preferably present at a concentration ranging from about 0.1% to about 5%, causes water bridging between the proppant particulates, causing the proppant particles to agglomerate. The compositions are useful in mitigating proppant flowback in hydraulic fracturing operations and are useful in isolating one or more zones in vertical as well as horizontal wells having multiple pay zones.
Claims31
A hydrocarbon-based fracturing fluid composition comprising:
- a hydrocarbon fluid,
- proppant, and
- a small amount of water,
- wherein the small amount of water causes the proppants to agglomerate.
A method of hydraulic fracturing with a hydrocarbon-based fluid composition comprising the steps of:
- a. mixing proppant with a small amount of water;
- b. adding the proppant with water mixture from step (a) to a hydrocarbon-based fluid;
- and
- c. injecting the fluid from step (b) into a subterranean formation at a pressure sufficient to initiate fracturing.
A method of fracturing a formation containing a wellbore, comprising the steps of:
- a. first injecting a hydrocarbon-based fluid composition comprising a hydrocarbon-based fluid, proppant and small amount of water;
- and
- b. pumping a fracturing fluid into the wellbore in such a way that the fracturing fluid contacting the hydrocarbon-based fluid composition of step (a) is diverted to a targeted zone.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.