METHOD OF IMPROVING HYDRAULIC FRACTURING BY DECREASING FORMATION TEMPERATURE

• US 20150047846A1
• Filed: 08/13/2013
• Published: 02/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Board of Regents of the University of Texas System (University of Texas System)
• Original Assignee: Board of Regents of the University of Texas System (University of Texas System)
• Inventors: van Oort, Eric, Patzek, Tadeusz W., Enayatpour, Saeid
• Granted Patent: US 9,920,608 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 166/302
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/62 Compositions for forming crevices or fractures
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 36/001 Cooling arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/164 Injecting CO2 or carbonated water in combination with organic material C09K8/594
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/26 by forming crevices or fractures

Abstract

A method for producing fractures in a formation to release hydrocarbons (such as a hydrocarbon gas or liquid) from the formation is disclosed. The method comprises reducing the in-situ temperature at a location in a formation having a first temperature by contacting the location with a first fluid and contacting the location with a fracturing fluid to produce fractures in the formation while the location is at a second temperature below the first temperature to release hydrocarbons from the formation. The method can include using an endothermic process to reduce the temperature at the location in the formation.

Claims

1. A method for producing fractures in a formation to release hydrocarbons from the formation, comprising:

reducing the in-situ temperature at a location in a formation having a first temperature by contacting the location with a first fluid; and

contacting the location with a fracturing fluid that is different than the first fluid to produce fractures in the formation while the location is at a second temperature below the first temperature to release hydrocarbons from the formation.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of substantially removing the first fluid from the location prior to said contacting step.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said reducing step comprises providing the first fluid to the location at a temperature below the in-situ temperature.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first fluid is selected from the group consisting of water, liquid nitrogen, a liquid inert gas, and liquid CO₂.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first fluid is water.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising performing an endothermic process to produce a first fluid at a temperature below the in-situ temperature prior to providing the first fluid to the location.

17. The method of claim 1, comprising providing the first fluid to the location at a temperature 25°

C. to 250°

C. below the in-situ temperature of the location.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the first fluid is fed to the location for a time between 3 and 24 hours.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the temperature reduction in the reducing step is caused by providing an endothermic process at the location.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the reducing step comprises:

feeding a second fluid to the location, and

mixing the first fluid and the second fluid at the location to produce the endothermic process.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the reducing step comprises:

providing a first reactant in the first fluid; and

providing a second reactant in the second fluid,

wherein the first reactant and the second reactant react to produce an endothermic reaction.

23. The method of claim 21, comprising providing the first fluid and the second fluid to the location at a temperature below the in-situ temperature of the location.

24. The method of claim 21, further comprising the step of substantially removing the first fluid and the second fluid prior to said contacting step.

32. The method of claim 1, wherein the first temperature is reduced by at least 25°

C.

34. The method of claim 1, wherein the first fluid does not freeze at the location.

35. The method of claim 1, wherein the fracturing fluid is provided at a temperature below the second temperature.

3. (canceled)

8. (canceled)

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18. (canceled)

25. (canceled)

26. (canceled)

27. (canceled)

28. (canceled)

29. (canceled)

30. (canceled)

31. (Canceled)

33. (canceled)

36. (canceled)

37. A method for producing fractures in a formation to release hydrocarbons from the formation, comprising:

reducing the in-situ temperature at a location in a formation having a first temperature by contacting the location with a first fluid, wherein the first fluid produces an endothermic reaction at the location; and

producing fractures in the formation while the location is at a second temperature below the first temperature to release hydrocarbons from the formation.

39. The method of claim 37, wherein the producing step comprises contacting the location with a fracturing fluid to produce fractures in the formation.

38. (canceled)

40. A method for producing fractures in a formation to release hydrocarbons from the formation, comprising:

performing an endothermic process to produce a first fluid at a temperature below the in-situ temperature at a location in a formation;

reducing the in-situ temperature at the location by contacting the location with the first fluid; and

producing fractures in the formation while the location is at a second temperature below the first temperature to release hydrocarbons from the formation.

42. The method of claim 40, wherein the producing step comprises contacting the location with a fracturing fluid to produce fractures in the formation.

41. (canceled)