Low density proppant particles and use thereof

• US 20070144736A1
• Filed: 12/28/2005
• Published: 06/28/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Wallace, John, Shinbach, Madeline, Culler, Scott, Thurber, Ernest
• Granted Patent: US 7,845,409 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 166/250.100
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/80 Compositions for reinforcing fractures, e.g. compositions of proppants used to keep the fractures open
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/267 reinforcing fractures by propping

Abstract

Composite proppant particles each of which comprises a plurality of microbubbles and a resin binder are disclosed. Also disclosed are a method of using such composite proppant particles to prop fractures in wells formed in underground formations.

Claims

1. A method of propping open fractures in the walls of a bored well, comprising:

(a) introducing into the well a fluid mixture of carrier fluid and a plurality of composite proppant particles, said composite proppants comprising a composite of a plurality of microbubbles and a resin binder wherein said composite proppant particles have a density from about 0.5 to about 1.8 g/cm³ and a sphericity of less than about 0.7, and (b) depositing a plurality of said composite proppant particles in said fractures to yield one or more propped channels.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said microbubbles are hollow.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said microbubbles comprise glass or ceramic.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the density of said microbubbles is from about 0.1 to about 0.9 g/cm³.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the density of said microbubbles is from about 0.2 to about 0.7 g/cm³.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the average size of said microbubbles is from about 5 to about 1000 microns.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the average size of said microbubbles is from about 10 to about 800 microns.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the composite proppant particles are at least 200 micrometers in average size.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the average size of said composite proppant particles is from about 100 to about 5000 microns.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the average size of said composite proppant particles is from about 200 to about 1000 microns.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein said resin binder is selected from the group consisting of thermoplastic resins and thermoset resin.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said resin binder is selected from the group consisting of polyolefin homo- and copolymers;

styrene copolymers and terpolymers;

ionomers;

ethyl vinyl acetate homo- and copolymers;

polyvinylbutyrate homo- and copolymers;

polyvinyl chloride homo- and copolymers;

metallocene polyolefins;

poly(alpha olefins) homo- and copolymers;

ethylenepropylene-diene terpolymers;

fluorocarbon elastomers;

polyester polymers and copolymers;

polyamide polymers and copolymers, polyurethane polymers and copolymers;

polycarbonate polymers, and copolymers;

polyketones; and

polyureas; and

blends thereof.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said resin binder is selected from the group consisting of epoxy resins, acrylated urethane resins, acrylated epoxy resins, ethylenically unsaturated resins, aminoplast resins, isocyanurate resins, phenolic resins, vinyl ester resins, vinyl ether resins, urethane resins, cashew nut shell resins, napthalinic phenolic resins, epoxy modified phenolic resins, silicone resins, polyimide resins, urea formaldehyde resins, methylene dianiline resins, methyl pyrrolidinone resins, acrylate and methacrylate resins, isocyanate resins, unsaturated polyester resins, and blends thereof.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein said composite proppant particles comprise a substantially continuous phase of resin binder.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein said composite particles comprise a substantially discontinuous phase of resin binder.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein said composite proppant particles comprise from about 0.1 to about 75 weight percent microbubbles.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein the isotactic collapse strength of said composite proppant particles is about 500 psi (3.45 MPa) or greater.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the isotactic collapse strength of said composite proppant particles is about 2000 psi (13.8 MPa) or greater.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein the isotactic collapse strength of said composite proppant particles is about 10,000 psi (69.0 MPa) or greater.

24. The method of claim 1 wherein said fluid mixture comprises about from about 25 to about 50 volume percent of said composite proppant particles.

25. The method of claim 1 wherein said carrier fluid has a density from about 0.8 to about 1.5 g/cm³.

26. The method of claim 1 further comprising forming fractures in the walls of a bored well prior to said introducing said fluid mixture.

27. The method of claim 1 further comprising transmitting a subject fluid through said one or more propped channels after depositing of said composite proppant particles.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein said subject fluid is oil or gas.

29. The method of claim 27 wherein said subject fluid is being extracted from subsurface formations.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein said composite proppant particles are color coded and further comprising monitoring said extracted subject fluid for removal of said composite proppant particles.

31. The method of claim 27 wherein said subject fluid is being injected into subsurface formations.

32. The method of claim 1 wherein said composite proppant particles are relatively uniform in size and shape.

33. The method of claim 1 wherein said composite proppant particles differ in at least one of size or shape according to a desired distribution.

6. (canceled)

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the density of said composite proppant particles is from about 0.8 to about 1.2 g/cm³.

22. (canceled)

23. (canceled)