Methods and compositions for treating subterranean formations with swellable lost circulation materials
AssigneeHalliburton Energy Services, Inc.
InventorsDale E. Jamison, Robert J. Murphy, Matthew L. Miller
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Abstract
Methods of treating a fluid loss zone in a wellbore in a subterranean formation including providing swellable particles having an initial unswelled volume, wherein the swellable particles upon swelling adopt a specific shape; introducing the swellable particles into the wellbore in the subterranean formation; and swelling the swellable particles so as to adopt a swelled volume beyond the initial unswelled volume; and sealing at least a portion of the fluid loss zone.
Claims19
A method of treating a fluid loss zone in a wellbore in a subterranean formation comprising:
- providing swellable particles having an initial unswelled volume and a first shape,
- wherein the swellable particles comprise a non-swellable polymer portion that is coextruded adjacent and attached to a swellable polymer portion,
- wherein the coextrusion is asymmetric,
- wherein the swellable polymer portion is present in a greater proportion than the non-swellable polymer portion,
- wherein the swellable particles upon swelling adopt a second shape, and
- wherein the first and second shape are different due to the swelling of the swellable particle alone, and at least one of the first or second shapes is a cone-shape;
- a torus-shape;
- a cross-shape;
- a lattice-shape;
- a star-shape;
- a crescent-shape;
- a bowtie-shape;
- or a spiral-shape;
- introducing the swellable particles into the wellbore in the subterranean formation;
- and
- swelling the swellable particles so as to adopt a swelled volume beyond the initial unswelled volume and the second shape;
- and
- sealing at least a portion of the fluid loss zone.
A method of treating a fluid loss zone in a wellbore in a subterranean formation comprising:
- providing a hollow, flexible member having multiple ends, wherein one end is a closed end;
- providing a swellable particle having an initial unswelled volume;
- placing the swellable particle into a first portion of the hollow, flexible member, while leaving a second portion empty;
- collapsing the second portion of the hollow, flexible member around the swellable particle so as to form a collapsed swellable particle having a volume approximately equivalent to the initial unswelled volume of the swellable material and a first shape;
- introducing the collapsed swellable particle into the wellbore in the subterranean formation;
- and
- swelling the swellable particle so as to adopt a swelled volume beyond the initial unswelled volume,
- wherein the swelling of the swellable particle causes the hollow, flexible member and the swellable particle to take a second shape so as to form an encased swelled fluid loss particle, and
- wherein the first and second shape are different due to the swelling of the swellable particle alone, and at least one of the first or second shapes is a cone-shape;
- a torus-shape;
- a cross-shape;
- a lattice-shape;
- a star-shape;
- a crescent-shape;
- a bowtie-shape;
- or a spiral-shape;
- and
- sealing at least a portion of the fluid loss zone with the encased swelled fluid loss particle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.