# US 2021/0340431 A1 · Novel aqueous fracturing fluid composition and fracturing process using the composition > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0340431 A1 - Document ID: US20210340431A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/235,492 - Filed: 2021-04-20 - Published: 2021-11-04 - Earliest claimed: 2020-04-30 - Assignees: S.P.C.M. SA - Applicants: Spcm SA - Inventors: Johann KIEFFER; Cédrick FAVERO; Olivier BRAUN; Thomas DIVERS; Nicolas BOISSE; Jing LING; Kemin XIE - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210340431A1 ## CPC - C09K 8/68: containing organic compounds - C08F 220/56: Acrylamide; Methacrylamide - C08F 226/02: by a single or double bond to nitrogen - C09K 8/602: {containing surfactants} - C09K 8/80: Compositions for reinforcing fractures, e.g. compositions of proppants used to keep the fractures open - C09K 8/88: macromolecular compounds - E21B 43/267: reinforcing fractures by propping - C08F 2800/10: as molar percentages - C09K: MATERIALS FOR MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS, NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE - C08F: MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS OBTAINED BY REACTIONS ONLY INVOLVING CARBON-TO-CARBON UNSATURATED BONDS - E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS ## Abstract Fracturing fluid comprising, in solution in water, a proppant and an associative amphoteric polymer, the said polymer and comprising: 0.01 to 10 mol % of at least one cationic monomer containing a hydrophobic chain, from 0.09 to 89.99 mol % of at least one anionic monomer, and from 10 to 99.9 mol % of at least one nonionic water-soluble monomer, the total amount of monomer being 100 mol %. Fracturing process using this fluid. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A fracturing fluid comprising a proppant and an associative amphoteric polymer, the said polymer comprising: 0.01 to 10 mol % of at least one cationic monomer containing a hydrophobic chain; from 0.09 to 89.99 mol % of at least one anionic monomer; and from 10 to 99.9 mol % of at least one nonionic water-soluble monomer; the total amount of monomer being 100 mol %, wherein the at least one cationic monomer containing a hydrophobic chain has general formula I: in which: R1 is an alkyl or arylalkyl chain of 16 to 18 carbons, X is a halide chosen from the group consisting of bromide, chloride, iodide, fluoride, and a counterion of negative charge. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The fracturing fluid according to claim 1, comprising up to 500 ppm of at least one surfactant. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The fracturing fluid according to claim 1, wherein R1 is an alkyl chain of from 16 to 18 carbons. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The fracturing fluid according to claim 3, wherein R1 is a linear alkyl chain of 16 to 18 carbons. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The fracturing fluid according to claim 1, wherein X is chloride. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The fracturing fluid according to claim 1, wherein the proppant is chosen from the group consisting of sand, ceramic, bauxite, glass beads and resin-impregnated sand. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The fracturing fluid according to claim 1, wherein the proppant represents from 0.5% to 40% of the fluid. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The fracturing fluid according to claim 1, wherein the associative amphoteric polymer represents from 0.05% to 2% by weight of the fluid. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The fracturing fluid according to claim 1, wherein the associative amphoteric polymer has an average molecular weight by weight comprised between 1 million g/mol and 30 million g/mol. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The fracturing fluid according to claim 1, wherein the anionic monomer is selected from the group consisting of acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, itaconic acid, crotonic acid, maleic acid, fumaric acid, 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid, vinylsulfonic acid, vinylphosphonic acid, allylsulfonic acid, allylphosphonic acid, styrenesulfonic acid, alkali metal, alkaline-earth metal and ammonium salts thereof, and mixtures thereof. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The fracturing fluid according to claim 1, wherein the nonionic monomer is selected from the group consisting of acrylamide, methacrylamide, N-isopropylacrylamide, N,N-dimethylacrylamide, N-tert-butylacrylamide, N-vinylformamide, N-vinylacetamide, N-vinylpyridine and/or N-vinylpyrrolidone, acryloylmorpholine, acryloylpyrrolidone, alkyl-polyethylene glycol methacrylates, and mixtures thereof. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The fracturing fluid according to claim 1, wherein the associative amphoteric polymer comprises: from 0.05 to 5 mol % of hydrophobic cationic monomer of formula (I), from 5 to 54.95 mol % of at least one anionic monomer selected from acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid, and salts thereof, and from 45 to 90 mol % of at least one water-soluble nonionic monomer selected from acrylamide, N-isopropylacrylamide, N—N-dimethylacrylamide, N-tert-butylacrylamide, N-vinylformamide, N-vinylpyrrolidone, acryloylmorpholine, and acryloylpyrrolidone, the total amount of monomer being 100 mol %. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The fracturing fluid according to claim 1, wherein the associative amphoteric polymer comprises: from 0.05 to 2 mol % of hydrophobic cationic monomer of formula (I), from 5 to 24.95 mol % of 2 acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid or a salt thereof, from 0 to 30 mol % of acrylic acid or a salts thereof, and from 45 to 90 mol % of acrylamide, the total amount of monomer being 100 mol %. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) A process for fracturing an unconventional oil or gas reservoir, said process comprising: preparing the fracturing fluid according to claim 1, and injecting the fracturing fluid according to claim 1 into an oil or gas reservoir under pressure so as to create fractures distributed perpendicularly to a production well. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The process according to claim 14, wherein, after said injecting the fracturing fluid, at least one oxidizing compound and/or at least one surfactant is then injected into the reservoir. ### Claim 16 (depends on 2) The fracturing fluid according to claim 2, wherein R1 is a linear alkyl chain of 16 to 18 carbons. ### Claim 17 (depends on 7) The fracturing fluid according to claim 7, wherein the proppant represents from 1% to 25% of the fluid. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The fracturing fluid according to claim 17, wherein the proppant represents from 1.5% to 20% by weight of the fluid. ### Claim 19 (depends on 8) The fracturing fluid according to claim 8, wherein the associative amphoteric polymer represents from 0.1% to 1% by weight of the fluid. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The fracturing fluid according to claim 19, wherein the associative amphoteric polymer represents from 0.1% to 0.75%, by weight of the fluid.