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US 9,429,005 B2Granted
Methods for hindering the settling of proppant in a subterranean formation
AssigneeHalliburton Energy Services, Inc.
InventorPhilip D. Nguyen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods of treating a subterranean formation including providing a subterranean formation comprising at least one fracture; providing proppant particulates coated with a binding agent and having a gas-generating chemical and a delayed encapsulated activator attached thereto so as to form coated proppant particulates; suspending the coated proppant particulates in a treatment fluid; placing the treatment fluid into the at least one fracture; and reacting the gas-generating chemical and the delayed encapsulated activator so as to produce a gas within the at least one fracture and form a proppant pack therein.
Claims18
A method comprising:
- providing coated proppant particulates comprising proppant particulates wherein the proppant particulates are coated with a binding agent,
- wherein the binding agent adheres a gas-generating chemical and a delayed encapsulated activator to the particulates, and
- wherein the delayed encapsulated activator comprises an activator surrounded by an encapsulating material;
- suspending the coated proppant particulates having the gas-generating chemical and the delayed encapsulated activator adhered thereto in a treatment fluid;
- placing the treatment fluid into at least one fracture in a subterranean formation;
- releasing the activator from its encapsulation within the at least one fracture;
- and
- reacting the adhered gas-generating chemical with the released activator so as to produce a gas within the at least one fracture and form a proppant pack therein, the reacting occurring while the gas-generating chemical is still adhered to the binding agent on the coated proppant particulates,
- wherein the gas acts specifically upon the coated proppant particulates.
6 more elements
A method comprising:
- providing coated proppant aggregates comprising proppant aggregates wherein the proppant aggregates are coated with a binding agent,
- wherein the binding agent adheres a gas-generating chemical and a delayed encapsulated activator to the aggregates, and
- wherein the delayed encapsulated activator comprises an activator surrounded by an encapsulating material;
- suspending the coated proppant aggregates having the gas-generating chemical and the delayed encapsulated activator adhered thereto in a treatment fluid;
- placing the treatment fluid into at least one fracture in a subterranean formation;
- releasing the activator from its encapsulation within the at least one fracture;
- and
- reacting the adhered gas-generating chemical with the released activator so as to produce a gas within the at least one fracture and form a proppant pillar therein, the reacting occurring while the gas-generating chemical is still adhered to the binding agent on the coated proppant aggregates,
- wherein the gas acts specifically upon the coated proppant aggregates.
6 more elements
A method comprising:
- providing a proppant mixture comprising proppant particulates, a gas-generating chemical, and a delayed encapsulated activator;
- wherein the delayed encapsulated activator comprises an activator surrounded by an encapsulating material;
- suspending the proppant mixture in a treatment fluid comprising a binding agent;
- coating the proppant particulates with the binding agent, thereby forming coated proppant particulates,
- wherein the binding agent adheres the gas-generating chemical and the delayed encapsulated activator to the coated proppant particulates;
- placing the treatment fluid comprising the coated proppant particulates having the gas-generating chemical and the delayed encapsulated activator adhered thereto into at least one fracture in a subterranean formation;
- releasing the activator from its encapsulation within the at least one fracture;
- and
- reacting the adhered gas-generating chemical with the released activator so as to produce a gas within the at least one fracture and form a proppant pack therein, the reacting occurring while the gas-generating chemical is still adhered to the binding agent on the coated proppant particulates,
- wherein the gas acts specifically upon the coated proppant particulates.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.