WELL SERVICING FLUID

• US 20110290491A1
• Filed: 05/28/2010
• Published: 12/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Baker Hughes Holdings LLC (Baker Hughes Company)
• Original Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated (Baker Hughes Company)
• Inventors: CAWIEZEL, KAY ELAINE, GUPTA, D.V. SATYANARAYANA
• Granted Patent: US 9,080,097 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 166/305.1
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 2208/10 Nanoparticle-containing well treatment fluids
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/665 containing inorganic compounds proppants C09K8/80
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/68 containing organic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/685 containing cross-linking agents
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/80 Compositions for reinforcing fractures, e.g. compositions of proppants used to keep the fractures open
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/845 containing inorganic compounds

Abstract

A nano-dispersion well servicing fluid is disclosed. The well servicing fluid is formulated with components comprising: nanoparticles comprising at least one material chosen from aluminum oxides, aluminum hydroxides, aluminum hydroxyoxides, zirconium oxides, zirconium hydroxides, zirconium hydroxyoxides, wherein the concentration of nanoparticles is greater than 0.5% by weight based on the total weight of the nano-dispersion well servicing fluid. The well servicing fluid also comprises an aqueous base continuous phase. Methods of employing the nano-dispersion to service a wellbore are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A nano-dispersion well servicing fluid formulated with components comprising:

nanoparticles comprising at least one material chosen from aluminum oxides, aluminum hydroxides, aluminum hydroxyoxides, zirconium oxides, zirconium hydroxides, zirconium hydroxyoxides, wherein the concentration of nanoparticles is greater than 0.5% by weight based on the total weight of the nano-dispersion well servicing fluid; and

an aqueous base continuous phase.

2. The fluid of claim 1, wherein the concentration of nanoparticles ranges from about 2% to about 20% by weight based on the total weight of the nano-dispersion well servicing fluid.

3. The fluid of claim 1, wherein the fluid does not comprise a viscoelastic surfactant gelling agent in an amount effective to significantly increase the viscosity of the fluid.

4. The fluid of claim 1, wherein the nanoparticles comprise more than 50 wt. % boehmite.

5. The fluid of claim 1, wherein the nanoparticles have a crystallized size of 100 nm or less in diameter.

6. The fluid of claim 1, having a Zeta potential ranging from about 0 to about 50.

7. The fluid of claim 1, having a pH ranging from about 2 to about 14.

8. The fluid of claim 1, further comprising at least one compound chosen from pH adjusters, surfactants and esters.

9. The fluid of claim 8, wherein the at least one compound is a pH adjuster chosen from NaOH, KOH, Ca(OH)₂, sodium bicarbonate, potassium carbonate, and sodium carbonate.

10. The fluid of claim 8, wherein the at least one compound is an ester of polycarboxylic acid.

11. The fluid of claim 1, further comprising a proppant.

12. The fluid of claim 1, wherein the continuous phase is a liquid chosen from fresh water, brine, and produced water.

13. The fluid of claim 12, wherein the concentration of salt in the brine is 0.5% by weight or more, based on the total weight of the brine.

14. The fluid of claim 1, wherein the fluid is formulated with at least one breaker.

15. The fluid of claim 1, wherein the fluid is formulated with at least one additional compound chosen from water wetting surfactants, non-emulsifiers, additional viscosifying agents, surfactants, clay stabilization additives, scale dissolvers, biopolymer degradation additives, fluid loss control additives and high temperature stabilizers.

16. A method of servicing a wellbore, the method comprising:

forming a nano-dispersion well servicing fluid by blending an aqueous base continuous phase and nanoparticles comprising at least one material chosen from aluminum oxides, aluminum hydroxides, aluminum hydroxyoxides, zirconium oxides, zirconium hydroxides, and zirconium hydroxyoxides, wherein the concentration of nanoparticles is greater than 0.5% by weight based on the total weight of the nano-dispersion well servicing fluid; and

introducing the well servicing fluid into the wellbore.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising adjusting the Zeta potential of the fluid to adjust the viscosity.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the fluid has a first pH, and further wherein the Zeta potential of the fluid is adjusted by adjusting the first pH to a second pH.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising adjusting the Zeta potential of the fluid by adding a surfactant to the fluid.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising adding an ester to the fluid to adjust the viscosity.

21. The method of claim 16, further comprising fracturing the wellbore with the well servicing fluid.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein the well servicing fluid is employed for gravel packing the wellbore.

23. The method of claim 16, wherein the concentration of nanoparticles ranges from about 2% to about 20% by weight based on the total weight of the nano-dispersion well servicing fluid.

24. The method of claim 16, wherein the fluid does not comprise a viscoelastic surfactant gelling agent in an amount effective to significantly increase the viscosity of the fluid.