Method of fracturing a well formation
First Claim
7. A METHOD OF PRODUCING A FRACTURE AT A SELECTED ELEVATION IN A PERMEABLE FORMATAION PENETRATED BY A WELL INCLUDING DEPOSITING IN SAID WELL A TEMPORARY SEALING AGENT ING MATERIAL COMPRISING A GRADATION OF PARICLES SIZES WITH AT LEAST THE SMALLER PARTICLES BEING TEMPORARY IN SAID WELL AND BEING CAPABLE OF BEING REMOVED FROM SAID WELL BY SOLUTION IN WELL FLUIDS PRODUCED BY SAID WELL, SAID GEL HAVING A VISCOSITY SUFFICIENT TO PREVENT SETTLING OF SAID BRIDGING AGENT THEREIN AND SAID SLURRY BEING IN SUFFICIENT QUANTITY TO COVER ALL THE PERMEABLE FORMATIONS EXPOSED TO SAID WELL PUMPING A QUANTITY OF FRACTURING LIQUID INTO SAID WELL, AT SAID SELECTED ELEVATION AS SAID TEMPORARY SEALING AGENT INCLUDING SAID BRIDGING MATERIAL IS DISPLACED FROM SAID SELECTED ELEVATION, RESTRICTING THE MOVEMENT OF SAID SLURRY IN SAID WELL AS SAID FRACTURING LIQUID IS PUMPED INTO SAID WELL SO THAT SAID FRACTURING LIQUID IS FORCED INTO SAID FORMATION AT SAID SELECTED ELEVATION, SAID FRACTURING LIQUID BEING PUMPED INOT SAID SLURRY IN SAID WELL AT SAID SELECTED ELEVATION AT A RATE SUFFICIENT TO INCREASE THE PRESSURE EXERTED ON SAID FORMATION UNTIL A FORMATION FRACTURE IS INDICATED BY A DECREASE IN THE RESISTANCE TO FLOW OF SAID FRACTURING LIQUID, CONTINUING SAID PUMPING AFTER INDICATION OF FRACTURE TO DISPLACE AT LEAST A PART OF SAID FRACTURING LIQUID INTO THE PASSAGES FORMED IN SAID FORMATION, SAID FRACTURING LIQUID BEING CAPABLE OF REVERSION TO A LIQUID WHICH FLOWS FREELY THROUGH SAID PASSAGES AFTER REMAINING IN SAID FORMATION, AND SAID GEL BEING CAPABLE OF REVERSION TO A LIQUID WHICH FLOWS EADILY FROM SAID WELL, ALLOWING SAID GEL AND SAID FRACTURING LIQUID TO REMAIN IN SAID WELL AND IN SAID PASSAGES RESPECTIVELY FOR A PERIOD OF TIME, TO PERMIT SAID REVERSION, AND THEN PRODUCING SAID WELL TO REMOVE SAID GRANULAR SOLID, THE DISSOLVED GRANULAR SOLID, AND THE REVERTED GEL AND FRACTURING LIQUID FROM SAID WELL.
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Accused Products
46 Citations
7 Claims
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7. A METHOD OF PRODUCING A FRACTURE AT A SELECTED ELEVATION IN A PERMEABLE FORMATAION PENETRATED BY A WELL INCLUDING DEPOSITING IN SAID WELL A TEMPORARY SEALING AGENT ING MATERIAL COMPRISING A GRADATION OF PARICLES SIZES WITH AT LEAST THE SMALLER PARTICLES BEING TEMPORARY IN SAID WELL AND BEING CAPABLE OF BEING REMOVED FROM SAID WELL BY SOLUTION IN WELL FLUIDS PRODUCED BY SAID WELL, SAID GEL HAVING A VISCOSITY SUFFICIENT TO PREVENT SETTLING OF SAID BRIDGING AGENT THEREIN AND SAID SLURRY BEING IN SUFFICIENT QUANTITY TO COVER ALL THE PERMEABLE FORMATIONS EXPOSED TO SAID WELL PUMPING A QUANTITY OF FRACTURING LIQUID INTO SAID WELL, AT SAID SELECTED ELEVATION AS SAID TEMPORARY SEALING AGENT INCLUDING SAID BRIDGING MATERIAL IS DISPLACED FROM SAID SELECTED ELEVATION, RESTRICTING THE MOVEMENT OF SAID SLURRY IN SAID WELL AS SAID FRACTURING LIQUID IS PUMPED INTO SAID WELL SO THAT SAID FRACTURING LIQUID IS FORCED INTO SAID FORMATION AT SAID SELECTED ELEVATION, SAID FRACTURING LIQUID BEING PUMPED INOT SAID SLURRY IN SAID WELL AT SAID SELECTED ELEVATION AT A RATE SUFFICIENT TO INCREASE THE PRESSURE EXERTED ON SAID FORMATION UNTIL A FORMATION FRACTURE IS INDICATED BY A DECREASE IN THE RESISTANCE TO FLOW OF SAID FRACTURING LIQUID, CONTINUING SAID PUMPING AFTER INDICATION OF FRACTURE TO DISPLACE AT LEAST A PART OF SAID FRACTURING LIQUID INTO THE PASSAGES FORMED IN SAID FORMATION, SAID FRACTURING LIQUID BEING CAPABLE OF REVERSION TO A LIQUID WHICH FLOWS FREELY THROUGH SAID PASSAGES AFTER REMAINING IN SAID FORMATION, AND SAID GEL BEING CAPABLE OF REVERSION TO A LIQUID WHICH FLOWS EADILY FROM SAID WELL, ALLOWING SAID GEL AND SAID FRACTURING LIQUID TO REMAIN IN SAID WELL AND IN SAID PASSAGES RESPECTIVELY FOR A PERIOD OF TIME, TO PERMIT SAID REVERSION, AND THEN PRODUCING SAID WELL TO REMOVE SAID GRANULAR SOLID, THE DISSOLVED GRANULAR SOLID, AND THE REVERTED GEL AND FRACTURING LIQUID FROM SAID WELL.
Specification
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Current AssigneeLloyd O. Goodwin
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Original AssigneeLloyd O. Goodwin
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InventorsGoodwin, Lloyd O.
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Application NumberUS03/271,419Time in Patent Office1,882 DaysField of SearchUS Class Current166/281CPC Class CodesC09K 8/62 Compositions for forming cr...
