Degradable perforation balls and associated methods of use in subterranean applications

• US 20100200235A1
• Filed: 02/11/2009
• Published: 08/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Original Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Inventors: Fulton, Dwight D., Luo, Hongyu
• Granted Patent: US 8,757,260 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 166/284
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/50 Compositions for plastering borehole walls, i.e. compositions for temporary consolidation of borehole walls compositions for consolidating loose sand or the like around wells C09K8/56
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/62 Compositions for forming crevices or fractures
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/76 for preventing or reducing fluid loss
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 33/138 Plastering the borehole wall; Injecting into the formation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 507/922 Fracture fluid

Abstract

Methods and compositions that include a method of treating a subterranean formation comprising the steps of providing a carrier fluid comprising degradable balls that comprise a carboxylic acid, a fatty alcohol, a fatty acid salt, a fatty ester, a fatty acid salt, or a combination thereof, and introducing the carrier fluid to the subterranean formation during a treatment.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing a carrier fluid comprising degradable balls that comprise a carboxylic acid, a fatty alcohol, a fatty acid salt, a fatty ester, or a combination thereof; and

introducing the carrier fluid to the subterranean formation during a treatment.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the degradable balls have a diameter from about 0.2 inches (0.51 cm) to about 5 inches (12.7 cm).

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the degradable balls are used in treatments involving a temperature range of about 75°

F. to about 550°

F.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the degradable balls are used in treatments involving differential pressures from about 500 psi to about 3,000 psi.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the degradable balls have a density from about 0.70 g/cc to about 1.5 g/cc.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the degradable balls comprise at least one carboxylic acid selected from the group consisting of:

sebacic acid, stearic acid, phthalic acid, isophthalic acid, phthalic acid, adipic acid, pamoic acid, suberic acid, succinic acid, traumatic acid, thapsic acid, azelaic acid, camphoric acid, campholic acid, muconic acid, undecanedioic acid, brassylic acid, melissic acid, p-toluic acid;

sorbic acid, dodecanedioc acid, and tetradecanedioic acid, α

-Aleuritic acid, and any combinations thereof.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the degradable balls comprise at least one fatty alcohol and/or one fatty ester selected from the group consisting of:

montanyl alcohol, tert-butylhydroquinone, cholesterol, cholesteryl nonanoate, benzoin, borneol, exo-norborneol, glyceraldehyde triphenylmethanol, dimethyl terephthalate, camphor, cholecalciferol, ricinoleyl alcohol, 1-Heptacosanol, 1-Tetratriacontanol, 1-Dotriacontanol, 1-Hentriacontanol, 1-Tricontanol, 1-Nonacosanol, 1-Octasanol, 1-Hexacosanol, 1,14-Tetradecanediol, 1,16-Hexadecanediol, 1,17-Heptadecanediol, 1,18-Octadecanediol, 1,19-Nonadecanediol, 1,20-Eicosanediol;

1,21-Heneicosanediol, 1,22-Docosanediol, prednisolone acetate, cellobiose tetraacetate, terephthalic acid dimethyl ester, ceryl palmitate, myricyl ceretate, myricyl alcohol, gliadin, hordein, secalin, zein, avenin, and any combinations thereof.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the degradable balls comprise at least one fatty acid salt from the group consisting of:

sucrose distearate, calcium stearate, glyceryl monostearate, zinc stearate, magnesium stearate, and any combinations thereof.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the fatty acids, fatty alcohols, fatty acid salts, or esters present in the degradable balls comprise in an amount greater than about 1% by weight.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the carrier fluid comprises a water based liquid, an oil based liquid, a gas, and any combination thereof.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the degradable balls further comprise filler materials.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the filler materials comprise at least one material from the group consisting of:

sodium chloride, sugar, silica flour, calcium carbonate, fumed silica, finely ground nut shells such as walnut, brazil nut, and macadamia nut, finely ground fruit pits such as peach pits, apricot pits, or olive pits, any resin impregnated or resin coated version of these, glass spheres, glass microspheres, glass beads, glass fibers, silica quartz sand, sintered Bauxite, silica flour, silica fibers, sands of all types, silicate minerals, Northern White Sands, Ottawa, Jordan, Brady, Hickory, Ariz., St. Peter, Wonowoc, Chalfort, clay minerals of the Kaolinite group, the Montmorillonite/smectite group, and the Illite group, ceramic beads;

clay powders, finely crushed spent fluid-cracking catalysts, finely crushed ultra lightweight porous ceramics;

finely crushed economy lightweight ceramics;

finely crushed lightweight ceramics, finely crushed intermediate strength ceramics transition metal powders, transition metal dust, plastic particles, beads or powders, nylon beads, nylon fibers, nylon pellets, nylon powder, SDVB (styrene divinyl benzene) beads, SDVB fibers, TEFLON®

fibers, carbon fibers, KYNOL™

novoloid “

S-type”

fillers, KYNOL™

novoloid “

S-type”

fibers, KYNOL™

novoloid “

S-type”

yarn, carbon powders, carbon dust, and any combination thereof.

13. A method of temporarily sealing off perforations comprising:

providing a carrier fluid comprising degradable balls that comprise a carboxylic acid, a fatty alcohol, a fatty acid salt, a fatty ester, or a combination thereof;

introducing the carrier fluid to the subterranean formation during a treatment;

allowing the carrier fluid to penetrate at least a portion of the perforation;

allowing the degradable balls to divert at least a portion of the treatment fluid; and

allowing the degradable balls to degrade in the subterranean formation such that the perforation is re-opened.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the degradable balls have a diameter from about ⅝

inches (1.58 cm) to about 1¼

inches (3.18 cm).

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the degradable balls are exposed to a temperature range of about 75°

F. to about 550°

F.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the degradable balls are exposed to differential pressures from about 500 psi to about 3,000 psi.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein the degradable balls have a density from about 0.70 g/cc to about 1.5 g/cc.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein the fatty acids, fatty alcohols, fatty acid salts, or esters present in the degradable balls comprise in an amount greater than about 1% by weight.

19. The method of claim 13 wherein the carrier fluid comprises a water based liquid, an oil based liquid, a gas, and any combination thereof.

20. The method of claim 13 wherein the portion of the fluid flow diverted is greater than about 90%.

21. The method of claim 13 wherein the degradable balls degrade in a time period ranging from about 1 hour to 72 hours.

22. The method of claim 13 wherein the degradable balls degrade by processes comprising melting, hydrolysis, solventolysis, complete dissolution, and any combination thereof.

23. A method of making a degradable ball composition comprising a carboxylic acid, a fatty alcohol, a fatty acid salt, a fatty ester, or a combination thereof comprising the steps of:

forming a thermoplastic mass, and

allowing the thermoplastic mass to cool as to form a degradable ball that is introduced in subterranean treatments by a carrier fluid.