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AssigneeBaker Hughes Incorporated
InventorsHarold Dean Brannon, Brian N. Ward, D. V. Satyanarayana Gupta, Scott Gregory Nelson
Estimating the term…
The method includes the introduction of a proppant-free stage and a proppant laden stage into the wellbore and/or subterranean formation. The method increases the effective fracture width and enhances fracture conductivity within the formation. Either the proppant-free stage or the proppant laden stage contains a breaker. At least one of the proppant-free stage or proppant laden stage contains a viscosifying agent to which the breaker has affinity. The viscosifying agent may be a superabsorbent, a viscosifying polymer (other than a superabsorbent) or a viscoelastic surfactant. The breaker has greater affinity for the viscosifying agent not present in the same stage as the breaker. Either the proppant-free stage or the proppant laden stage may be foamed.
A method of hydraulically fracturing a subterranean formation comprising:
A method of hydraulically fracturing a subterranean formation comprising pumping into the formation at least two stages wherein a first stage is proppant-free and a second stage is proppant laden and further wherein (i) one of the stages contains at least one superabsorbent polymer and the other stage contains a breaker;
A method of hydraulically fracturing a subterranean formation comprising pumping into the formation at least two stages wherein a first stage is proppant-free and a second stage is proppant laden and further wherein:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.