Controlled gel breaker
AssigneeClearwater, Inc.
InventorsKevin W. Smith, Todd R. Thomas
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Hydrocarbon fracturing fluids are made by combining organic phosphate esters with polyvalent metal salts in hydrocarbon carriers to form gels; breaking of the gel is retarded or otherwise controlled over a wide range of water concentrations, through the use of slowly soluble alkaline earth metal compounds, preferably hard burned magnesium oxide, which may be added along with the gel component. The slowly soluble alkaline earth metal compound is employed together with an oily acid breaker retarding agent such as tall oil.
Claims19
Composition useful in formation fracturing comprising a hydrocarbon fracturing fluid, a gelling agent comprising an aluminum or ferric salt of a phosphoric acid ester, a proppant, a slowly soluble alkaline earth metal gel breaker, and an oily acid gel breaker retarding agent.
A hydrocarbon gel exhibiting retardation in breaking comprising a hydrocarbon selected from the group consisting of crude oil, Diesel oil and kerosene, a ferric or aluminum salt of a phosphate ester having about 6 to about 36 carbon atoms, in an amount sufficient to viscosify said hydrocarbon, about two pounds to about fifteen pounds of a hard burned alkaline earth metal oxide selected from the group consisting of hard burned magnesium oxide, hard burned lime, and hard burned dolomitic lime per thousand pounds of hydrocarbon, and an oily acid gel breaker retarding agent in an amount effective to retard the breaking of said gel by said alkaline earth metal oxide, said amount being in a ratio of said hard burned alkaline earth metal oxide to said oily acid gel breaker retarding agent of about 1:0.4 to about 1:1.4 by weight.
Composition useful for breaking a hydrocarbon gel formed by an aluminum or ferric salt of a phosphoric acid ester, comprising an alkaline earth metal oxide and an oily acid gel breaker retarding agent.
Method of preparing a subterranean formation for production of hydrocarbons comprising fracturing said subterranean formation with a fracturing fluid comprising a gelled hydrocarbon fracturing fluid, a proppant, an alkaline earth metal oxide gel breaker, and an oily acid gel breaker retarding agent.
Method of retarding the action of a gel breaker in a gelled hydrocarbon fracturing fluid comprising adding to said fracturing fluid an oily acid gel breaker retarding agent in an amount effective to retard said gel breaking action.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.