Well treatment process
AssigneeConoco Inc.
InventorsLisa A. Cantu, Marion W. Osborne, Edward F. McBride
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Abstract
Hydroxyacetic acid condensation product is used as a fluid loss material in a well completion or workover process in which a fluid comprising a hydrolyzable aqueous gel is used. The hydroxyacetic acid condensation product degrades at formation conditions to provide hydroxyacetic acid which breaks the aqueous gel, thereby restoring full formation permeability without the need for separate addition of gel breaker.
Claims7
In a process for treating a well in a subterranean formation penetrated by a wellbore wherein a well treatment fluid comprising an aqueous gel is pumped down said wellbore as part of a well treatment procedure, wherein a particulate fluid loss additive is included in said well treatment fluid, and wherein a gel filter cake is formed on the surfaces of said wellbore in said formation, the improvement comprising:
- utilizing as at least a part of said fluid loss additive a hydroxyacetic acid condensation product, said condensation product being degradable at formation conditions whereby hydroxyacetic acid monomers and dimers are formed, and said condensation product being present in an amount sufficient to provide enough degradation products including hydroxyacetic acid to react with and break the gel in said filter cake and to recover permeability in said formation without the necessity of adding a separate gel-breaking material after formation of said gel filter cake.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.