PROPPANTS WITH IMPROVED FLOW BACK CAPACITY

• US 20150114641A1
• Filed: 10/30/2013
• Published: 04/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated (Baker Hughes Company)
• Original Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated (Baker Hughes Company)
• Inventors: Bestaoui-Spurr, Naima, Qu, Qi, Stephenson, Christopher J.
• Application Number:
  US14/066,918
• Publication Number:
  US 20150114641A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 166/280.2
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 14/024 Graphite
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 14/026 of particular shape, e.g. nanotubes
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 14/043 Alkaline-earth metal silicates, e.g. wollastonite
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 14/06 Quartz; Sand
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 14/08 Diatomaceous earth
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 14/10 Clay sepiolite C04B14/042; grog C04B18/025
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 14/14 Minerals of vulcanic origin granite C04B14/048
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 14/18 Perlite
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 14/20 Mica; Vermiculite mechanical splitting B28D
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 14/22 Glass ; Devitrified glass
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 14/28 of calcium
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 14/30 Oxides other than silica ferrites C04B14/363
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 14/303 Alumina
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 14/322 Carbides
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 14/386 Carbon carbon nanotubes C04B14/026
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 14/42 Glass
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 14/48 Metal
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 16/06 fibrous
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 18/0418 Wet materials, e.g. slurries
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 18/08 Flue dust , i.e. fly ash
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 18/20 : from macromolecular compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 18/241 : Paper, e.g. waste paper; Paper pulp
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 18/248 : from specific plants, e.g. hemp fibres
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 18/26 : Wood, e.g. sawdust, wood shavings
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 20/0076 : characterised by the grain distribution
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 22/16 : containing phosphorus in the anion, e.g. phosphates
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 24/26 : obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds C04B24/243 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 24/2652 : Nitrogen containing polymers, e.g. polyacrylamides, polyacrylonitriles
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 24/32 : Polyethers, e.g. alkylphenol polyglycolether
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 28/006 : containing mineral polymers, e.g. geopolymers of the Davidovits type
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 40/0082 : making use of a rise in temperature, e.g. caused by an exothermic reaction
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 2208/08 : Fiber-containing well treatment fluids
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 2208/10 : Nanoparticle-containing well treatment fluids
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 40/10 : Production of cement, e.g. improving or optimising the production methods; Cement grinding
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 30/91 : Use of waste materials as fillers for mortars or concrete

Abstract

A deformable particulate material made of cement materials such as aluminosilicate cement and having an aspect ratio of greater than 1 to about 25 may be mixed with conventional proppants to give a blend with improved flow back capacity when the blend is injected into a hydraulic fracture created in a subterranean formation.

Claims

1. A blend comprising:

deformable particulate material having an aspect ratio of greater than 1 to about 25 and comprising a material selected from the group consisting of aluminosilicate, magnesium phosphate, aluminum phosphate, zirconium aluminum phosphate, zirconium phosphate, zirconium phosphonate, carbide materials, tungsten carbide, polymer cements, high performance polymers, polyamide-imides and polyether ether ketones (PEEK), and combinations thereof; and

fracture proppant material.

2. The blend of claim 1 where the deformable particulate material is prepared by a process comprising:

mixing together an alkali metal hydroxide or an alkali metal oxide and an aluminosilicate binder in water to form a mixture in an aqueous solution; and

heating the mixture to polymerize the aluminosilicate.

3. The blend of claim 2 where in the process the aqueous solution has a mole ratio of SiO₂/Al₂O₃ ranging from about 1:

1 to about 30;

1.

4. The blend of claim 2 where in the process the ratio of silicate to alkali metal hydroxide or alkali metal oxide in the aqueous solution ranges from about 0.1:

1 to about 6;

1.

5. The blend of claim 2 where in the process the aqueous solution further comprises fillers selected from the group consisting of silica sand, Kevlar fibers, fly ash, sludges, slags, waste paper, rice husks, saw dust, volcanic aggregates, expanded perlite, pumice, scoria, obsidian, minerals, diatomaceous earth, mica, borosilicates, clays, metal oxides, metal fluorides, plant and animal remains, sea shells, coral, hemp fibers, manufactured fillers, silica, mineral fibers, mineral mats, chopped fiberglass, woven fiberglass, metal wools, turnings, shavings, wollastonite, nanoclays, carbon nanotubes, carbon fibers and nanofibers, graphene oxide, graphite, and combinations thereof.

6. The blend of claim 2 where in the process the heating is between about 20 and about 300°

C.

7. The blend of claim 1 where the fracture proppant material is selected from the group consisting of white sand, brown sand, ceramic beads, glass beads, bauxite grains, sintered bauxite, sized calcium carbonate, walnut shell fragments, aluminum pellets, nylon pellets, nuts shells, gravel, resinous particles, alumina, minerals, polymeric particles, and combinations thereof.

8. The blend of claim 1 where:

the fracture proppant material has a particle size of from about 4 mesh to about 100 mesh (from about 5 mm to about 0.1 mm),

the deformable particulate material has a particle size of from about 4 mesh to about 100 mesh (from about 5 mm to about 0.1 mm), and

the ratio of fracture proppant material to deformable particulate material ranges from about 20;

1 to about 0.5;

1 by volume.

9. The blend of claim 1 where the deformable particulate material is shaped by extrusion and size reduction.

10. A method of fracturing a subterranean formation, comprising:

injecting a blend into a hydraulic fracture created in a subterranean formation, where the blend comprises;

deformable particulate material having an aspect ratio of greater than 1 to about 25 and comprising a material selected from the group consisting of aluminosilicate, magnesium phosphate, aluminum phosphate, zirconium aluminum phosphate, zirconium phosphate, zirconium phosphonate, carbide materials, tungsten carbide, polymer cements, high performance polymers, polyamide-imides, polyether ether ketones (PEEK), and combinations thereof; and

fracture proppant material; and

flowing fluid back through the blend where the amount of the fracture proppant material flowed back is less than the fracture proppant material flowed back in the absence of the deformable particulate material.

11. The method of claim 10 where the deformable particulate material is prepared by a process comprising:

mixing together an alkali metal hydroxide or an alkali metal oxide and an aluminosilicate binder in water to form a mixture in an aqueous solution; and

heating the mixture to polymerize the aluminosilicate.

12. The method of claim 11 where in the process of preparing the deformable particulate material the aqueous solution has a mole ratio of SiO₂/Al₂O₃ ranging from about 1:

1 to about 30;

1.

13. The method of claim 11 where in the process of preparing the deformable particulate material the ratio of silicate to alkali metal hydroxide or alkali metal oxide in the aqueous solution ranges from about 0.1:

1 to about 6;

1.

14. The method of claim 11 where in the process of preparing the deformable particulate material, the aqueous solution further comprises fillers selected from the group consisting of silica sand, Kevlar fibers, fly ash, sludges, slags, waste paper, rice husks, saw dust, volcanic aggregates, expanded perlite, pumice, scoria, obsidian, minerals, diatomaceous earth, mica, borosilicates, clays, metal oxides, metal fluorides, plant and animal remains, sea shells, coral, hemp fibers, manufactured fillers, silica, mineral fibers, mineral mats, chopped fiberglass, woven fiberglass, metal wools, turnings, shavings, wollastonite, nanoclays, carbon nanotubes, carbon fibers and nanofibers, graphene oxide, graphite, and combinations thereof.

15. The method of claim 11 where in the process of preparing the deformable particulate material the heating is between about 20 and about 300°

C.

16. The method of claim 10 where the fracture proppant material is selected from the group consisting of white sand, brown sand, ceramic beads, glass beads, bauxite grains, sintered bauxite, sized calcium carbonate, walnut shell fragments, aluminum pellets, nylon pellets, nuts shells, gravel, resinous particles, alumina, minerals, polymeric particles, and combinations thereof.

17. The method of claim 10 where in the blend:

the fracture proppant material has a particle size of from about 4 mesh to about 100 mesh (from about 5 mm to about 0.1 mm),

the deformable particulate material has a particle size of from about 4 mesh to about 100 mesh (from about 5 mm to about 0.1 mm), and

the ratio of fracture proppant material to deformable particulate material ranges from about 20;

1 to about 0.5;

1 by volume.

18. The method of claim 10 where the amount of proppants flowed back is reduced from about 10 wt % or more less proppant produced to 100 wt %.

19. The method of claim 10 where a closure stress of the hydraulic fracture created during the injecting within the subterranean formation is from about 1000 to about 12,000 psi (about 6.9 MPa to about 83 MPa).

20. The method of claim 10 further comprising producing a fluid from the formation where the fines obtained are lower than about 10 wt %.

21. A method of fracturing a subterranean formation, comprising:

injecting a blend into a hydraulic fracture created in a subterranean formation, where the blend comprises;

deformable particulate material having an aspect ratio greater than 1 to about 25 and comprising a material selected from the group consisting of aluminosilicate, magnesium phosphate, aluminum phosphate, zirconium aluminum phosphate, zirconium phosphate, zirconium phosphonate carbide materials, tungsten carbide, polymer cements, high performance polymers, polyamide-imides, polyether ether ketones (PEEK), and combinations thereof; and

fracture proppant material selected from the group consisting of white sand, brown sand, ceramic beads, glass beads, bauxite grains, sintered bauxite, sized calcium carbonate, walnut shell fragments, aluminum pellets, nylon pellets, nuts shells, gravel, resinous particles, alumina, minerals, polymeric particles, and combinations thereof;

where in the blend;

the fracture proppant material has a particle size of from about 4 mesh to about 100 mesh (from about 5 mm to about 0.1 mm),

the deformable particulate material has a particle size of from about 4 mesh to about 100 mesh (from about 5 mm to about 0.1 mm), and

the ratio of fracture proppant material to deformable particulate material ranges from about 20;

1 to about 0.5;

1 by volume; and

flowing fluid back through the blend where the amount of proppants flowed back is reduced from about 10 wt % or more less proppant produced to 100 wt %.

22. A method of fracturing a subterranean formation, comprising:

injecting deformable particulate material into a fracture created in a subterranean formation in at least the near-wellbore region of the fracture, where the deformable particulate material has an aspect ratio of greater than 1 to about 25 and comprising a material selected from the group consisting of aluminosilicate, magnesium phosphate, aluminum phosphate, zirconium aluminum phosphate, zirconium phosphate, zirconium phosphonate, carbide materials, tungsten carbide, polymer cements, high performance polymers, polyamide-imides, polyether ether ketones (PEEK), and combinations thereof; and

flowing fluid back through the deformable particulate material where the conductivity through the fracture is increased as compared with an otherwise identical method where the deformable particulate material is replaced by conventional proppant.