Fracturing of subsurface formations with Bingham plastic fluids
First Claim
1. A method of treating a fractured subsurface formation traversed by a well bore to increase its permeability comprising:
- a. pumping a Bingham plastic fluid into said well bore at a pressure such that it enters a fracture of said formation;
b. relieving pumping pressure on said Bingham plastic fluid after it is positioned within said fracture such that the pumping pressure on said Bingham plastic fluid is less than the fracture pressure of said formation; and
thereafterc. reapplying pumping pressure on said Bingham plastic fluid and said formation which is greater than said fracture pressure of said formation.
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Abstract
A method of increasing the permeability of a subsurface formation by the utilization of a Bingham plastic fracture fluid. The Bingham plastic fracture fluid is pumped into a preformed fracture or a fracture formed with the Bingham plastic fluid and hydraulic pressure is imparted to the formation which is greater than that which was required to initially fracture the formation (i.e., the formation is overpressurized) by either (1) relieving the pumping pressure on the Bingham plastic fluid in the fracture and allowing the fracture to heal and thereafter reapplying the pumping pressure on the Bingham plastic fluid in an increased amount, e.g., an amount sufficient to move the Bingham plastic fluid in the fracture; or (2) continuing pumping of the Bingham plastic fluid into the fracture such that the friction drop caused by the continued pumping results in such increase in pressure.
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Citations
34 Claims
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1. A method of treating a fractured subsurface formation traversed by a well bore to increase its permeability comprising:
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a. pumping a Bingham plastic fluid into said well bore at a pressure such that it enters a fracture of said formation; b. relieving pumping pressure on said Bingham plastic fluid after it is positioned within said fracture such that the pumping pressure on said Bingham plastic fluid is less than the fracture pressure of said formation; and
thereafterc. reapplying pumping pressure on said Bingham plastic fluid and said formation which is greater than said fracture pressure of said formation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method of fracturing a subsurface formation traversed by a well bore comprising:
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a. pumping a hydraulic fracture fluid into said formation from said well bore at a sufficient pressure to fracture said formation; b. pumping a Bingham plastic fluid into said fracture from said well bore; c. relieving pumping pressure on said Bingham plastic fluid after it is positioned within said fracture such that the pumping pressure on said Bingham plastic fluid is less than the pressure required to form said fracture in said formation; and
thereafterd. reapplying pumping pressure on said Bingham plastic fluid and said formation which is greater than the pressure that was required to form said fracture, to thereby increase the permeability of said formation. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. In a method of treating a subsurface formation traversed by a well bore by passing a fracture fluid therewithin to increase the permeability thereof, the improvement comprising:
pumping a Bingham plastic fluid into a permeable portion of said subsurface formation at a point where said formation is traversed by said well bore and next relieving the externally applied pumping pressure from said formation allowing the pressure within said formation to self equalize, and thereafter reapplying pumping pressure on said Bingham plastic fluid and said formation which is greater than the fracture pressure of said formation.
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19. A method of treating a subsurface formation traversed by a well bore to increase its permeability comprising:
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a. pumping a Bingham plastic fluid into said well bore at a pressure such that it enters the more permeable portions of said formation which are traversed by said well bore; b. discontinuing said pumping pressure after said Bingham plastic fluid is positioned within said permeable portions of said formation; and
thereafterc. reapplying pumping pressure on said Bingham plastic fluid and said formation with a fluid which is greater than the pressure initially required to pump said Bingham plastic fluid into said more permeable portions of said formation and thereby result in an increase of permeability of said formation. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. In a method of treating a subsurface formation traversed by a well bore by passing a fracture fluid therewithin and pumping said fracture fluid at a pressure greater than the fracture pressure of said formation for at least one of the following purposes;
- (1) forming new fractures within the formation, and (2) extending existing fractures within the formation, to thereby increase the permeability of the formation, the improvement comprising;
pumping a Bingham plastic fluid into said formation and continuing said pumping at increasing pressures caused by the friction loss of said Bingham plastic fluid being pumped into said formation until a pumping pressure in excess of the fracture pressure of said formation is obtained and maintaining said pumping at said excess of said fracture pressure to thereby further increase the permeability of said formation. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
- (1) forming new fractures within the formation, and (2) extending existing fractures within the formation, to thereby increase the permeability of the formation, the improvement comprising;
Specification