Control of particulate flowback in subterranean wells

A method of treating a subterranean formation comprising the steps of:

• introducing a treatment fluid into a subterranean formation;
• admixing with at least a portion of said fluid, a particulate which is introduced into and deposited within said subterranean formation;
• admixing with at least a portion of said particulate a liquid or solution of a tackifying compound comprising a polyamide whereby at least a portion of said particulate is at least partially coated by said compound such that the critical resuspension velocity of said at least partially coated particulate is increased by at least about 50 percent when tested at a level of 0.5% active material by weight over said particulate alone with water;
• admixing with at least a portion of said particulate in said treatment fluid a multifunctional material whereby at least a portion of said tackifying compound on said is particulate is caused to subsequently react therewith to form a hard reaction product;
• depositing the tackifying compound coated particulates in the subterranean formation;
• and
• flowing back fluid from the formation whereby the tackifying compound coated particulate retards movement of at least a portion of the particulate within said formation and said multifunctional material causes a hard reaction product to form that subsequently consolidates at least a portion of the particulate within said formation.

A method of treating a subterranean formation penetrated by a wellbore comprising the steps of:

• providing a fluid suspension including a mixture of a particulate material and another material selected from the group of particles comprising metal, natural or synthetic polymers, ceramics and glass which are at least partially coated with a liquid or solution of a tackifying compound comprising a polyamide and a multifunctional material;
• introducing the fluid suspension into a subterranean formation through a wellbore;
• depositing the fluid suspension in the formation;
• and flowing back fluid from the formation whereby the tackifying compound retards movement of at least a portion of the particulate material from the formation into the wellbore and said multifunctional material subsequently reacts with said polyamide to consolidate at least a portion of the particulate material within said formation.