Environmentally benign viscous well treating fluids and methods
AssigneeHalliburton Energy Services, Inc.
InventorsRobert E. Hanes, Jr., Jim D. Weaver, Billy F. Slabaugh, David M. Barrick
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Abstract
Environmentally safe viscous well treating fluids and methods are provided by the present invention. The treating fluids are basically comprised of water, a viscosity producing polymer, a boron cross-linking agent for cross-linking the polymer, and a delayed cross-link delinker that chelates the boron and breaks the treating fluid into a low viscosity fluid selected from polysuccinamide and polyaspartic acid.
Claims53
A method of treating a subterranean zone penetrated by a well bore comprising the steps of:
- providing a gelled and cross-linked viscous treating fluid that comprises water, a viscosity producing polymer, a boron cross-linking agent for cross-linking the polymer, and a delayed cross-link delinker wherein the delayed cross-link delinker is polysuccinimide or polyaspartic acid;
- and
- introducing the treating fluid into the subterranean zone.
A viscous treating fluid that delayingly breaks into a low viscosity fluid comprising:
- water;
- a viscosity producing polymer;
- a boron cross-linking agent;
- and
- a delayed cross-link delinker wherein the delayed cross-linker is polysuccinimide or polyaspartic acid.
A viscous treating fluid comprising a boron cross-linked viscosity producing polymer and a delayed cross-link delinker, wherein the delayed cross-link delinker is polysuccinimide or polyaspartic acid.
A method of reducing the viscosity of a viscous treating fluid comprising the steps of:
- providing a viscous treating fluid that comprises a boron cross-linked viscosity producing polymer and a delayed cross-link delinker, wherein the delayed cross-link delinker is polysuccinimide or polyaspartic acid;
- and
- allowing the cross-linked viscosity producing polymer and the delayed cross-link delinker to interact so as to reduce the viscosity of the viscous treating fluid.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.