Proppant suspension in shale fractures
AssigneeBaker Hughes, A Ge Company, LLC
InventorsJames B. Crews, Naima Bestaoui-Spurr
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Proppants may be effectively placed within a hydraulic fracture of a subterranean formation by hydraulically fracturing the subterranean formation to form fractures in the formation using a fracturing fluid where proppants are introduced into the fractures during and/or after hydraulically fracturing the formation. During and/or after hydraulically fracturing the subterranean formation, a plurality of ribbons are introduced into the fractures, where the ribbons contact and inhibit or prevent the proppants from settling by gravity within the fractures; the ribbons comprise a crosslinked gel. Finally, the fractures are closed against the proppants.
Claims20
A method of placing proppants in a hydraulic fracture of a subterranean formation, the method comprising:
- hydraulically fracturing the subterranean formation to form fractures in the formation using a fracturing fluid;
- during and/or after hydraulically fracturing the subterranean formation, introducing proppants into the fractures;
- during and/or after hydraulically fracturing the subterranean formation, introducing a plurality of ribbons into the fractures, the ribbons contacting and inhibiting or preventing the proppant from settling by gravity within the fractures, where the ribbons comprise a gel;
- and
- closing the fractures against the proppants.
A fluid for placing proppants in a hydraulic fracture of a subterranean formation, the fluid comprising:
- a carrier fluid;
- proppants;
- and
- a plurality of ribbons configured to contact and inhibit or prevent the proppant from settling by gravity within hydraulic fractures in the subterranean formation, where the ribbons comprise a gel.
A fluid for placing proppants in a hydraulic fracture of a subterranean formation, the fluid comprising:
- a carrier fluid that is a fracturing fluid;
- proppants;
- and
- a plurality of ribbons configured to contact and inhibit or prevent the proppant from settling by gravity within hydraulic fractures in the subterranean formation, where the ribbons comprise a gel, and where the ribbons comprise:
- an average length of from about 0.1 inch to about 20 inches (about 0.25 to about 51 cm);
- an average width of from about 0.05 inch to about 8 inch (about 1.3 mm to about 20 cm);
- and
- an average thickness of from about 0.002 inch to about 0.2 inch (about 0.05 mm to about 5 mm);
- and
- where a proportion of ribbons in the carrier fluid ranges from about 0.1 pptg to about 200 pptg (about 0.01 to about 24 kg/m3).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.