US 7,081,439 B2 · Methods for controlling the fluid loss properties of viscoelastic surfactant based fluids

Abstract

Disclosed are methods of treating subterranean formations by first providing a suspension of colloidal particles prior to the injection of viscoelastic based treatment fluid, and injecting the treatment fluid into a well. The colloidal particles reduce fluid loss into the formation. According to a second embodiment, the treating fluid includes a hydrophobically-modified polymer, said hydrophobically-modified polymer being present at a concentration between approximately its overlap concentration c* and approximately its entanglement concentration ce. The method is particularly useful for fracturing operations in medium to high permeability formations.

Claims22

Dependent claims

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

(a) providing an aqueous suspension of dispersed particles, wherein the dispersed particles consist essentially of colloidal particles comprising a material selected from the group consisting of silica, aluminum oxide, antimony oxide, tin oxide, cerium oxide, yttrium oxide and zirconium oxide, with the proviso that the colloidal particles are not mica;
(b) injecting down a well an aqueous fluid comprising a thickening amount of a viscoelastic surfactant;
and,
(c) injecting down a well the aqueous suspension of dispersed particles;
wherein the permeability of said subterranean formation is between about 5 and about 100 md.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

10/707,011Filed 13 Nov 2003

Published

US 2005/0107265 A119 May 2005

Granted

25 Jul 2006

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

C09K 8/845
Compositions based on water or polar solvents: containing inorganic compounds
C09K 8/602
Compositions for stimulating production by acting on the underground formation: containing surfactants
C09K 8/665
Compositions based on water or polar solvents: containing inorganic compounds
C09K 8/68
Compositions based on water or polar solvents: containing organic compounds

Methods for controlling the fluid loss properties of viscoelastic surfactant based fluids

Life of this patent

Methods for controlling the fluid loss properties of viscoelastic surfactant based fluids

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims22