Delivery of particulate material below ground

Abstract

A wellbore fluid comprises an aqueous carrier liquid, hydrophobic particulate material suspended therein and a gas to wet the surface of the particles and bind them together as agglomerates. The hydrophobic particulate material has a specified maximum particle size and/or minimum surface area: namely a volume median particle size d50 of not more than 200 micron, determined as median diameter of spheres of equivalent volume and/or a surface area of at least 30 m2 per litre (0.03 m2 per milliliter), determined as surface area of smooth spheres of equivalent volume. The agglomeration of the particles by gas leads to the formation of agglomerates which contain gas and so have a bulk density lower than the density of the particles. This reduces the rate of settling. The fluid is particularly envisaged as a slickwater fracturing fluid in which the suspended particles are proppant. We have found that the small particle size and/or substantial surface area increases the amount of gas which can be retained within agglomerates and so enhances the buoyancy of the agglomerates. The end result is that a greater proportion of a hydraulic fracture is propped open.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.