Treatment of subsurface earth formations

• US 3,098,038 A
• Filed: 04/29/1959
• Issued: 07/16/1963
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/1959
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Eldred W. Hough, Gene D. Thompson, Harold M. Hibbs
• Original Assignee: Eldred W. Hough, Gene D. Thompson, Harold M. Hibbs
• Inventors: Thompson, Gene D., Hibbs, Harold M., Hough, Eldred W.
• Application Number:
  US03/809,587
• Time in Patent Office: 1,539 Days
• US Class Current: 166/308.4
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/62 Compositions for forming crevices or fractures
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/64 Oil-based compositions
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/267 reinforcing fractures by propping
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 507/904 Process of making fluids or additives therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 507/924 with specified propping feature

Claims

1. IN A METHOD FOR FRACTURING A SURFACE EARTH FORMATION WITH A SUSPENSION OF WATER CONTAINING A SAND-PROPPING AGENT IN WHICH THE SAND PROPPING AGENT IS LODGED IN AND MAINTANS THE RESULTING FRACTURE OPEN, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES RENDERING THE SAND-PROPPING AGENT WET WITH HYDROCARBON BY CONTACTING THE SAND-PROPPING AGENT WITH A COMPOSITION CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF A LIQUID HYDROCARBON AND A SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT HAVING A LOW HLB IN THE RANGE FRON ABOUT 0 TO ABOUT 8 PRIOR TO SUSPENDING IT IN SAID WATER WHEREBY THE TENDENCY OF THE SAND-PROPPING AGENT TO SETTLE IS DECREASED.