Methods of stimulating a subterranean formation comprising multiple production intervals

• US 7,273,099 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2004
• Issued: 09/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Original Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Inventors: Cavender, Travis W., East, Loyd E. Jr., Attaway, David J.
• Primary Examiner(s): SUCHFIELD, GEORGE A
• Application Number:
  US11/004,441
• Publication Number:
  US 20060118301A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,026 Days
• Field of Search: 166/55.1, 166/280.1, 166/280.2, 166/281, 166/282, 166/283, 166/285, 166/292, 166/294, 166/295, 166/297, 166/298, 166/307, 166/308.1, 166/308.2
• US Class Current: 166/280.1
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/114 Perforators using direct fluid action on the wall to be perforated, e.g. abrasive jets
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/25 Methods for stimulating production by vibrating earth formations E21B43/003
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/26 by forming crevices or fractures

Abstract

A method of stimulating a production interval adjacent a well bore having a casing disposed therein, that comprises introducing a carrier fluid comprising first particulates into the well bore, packing the first particulates into a plurality of perforations in the casing, perforating at least one remedial perforation in the casing adjacent to the production interval, and stimulating the production interval through the at least one remedial perforation. Also provided are methods of stimulating multiple production intervals adjacent a well bore.

Claims

1. A method of stimulating a production interval adjacent a well bore having a casing disposed therein, the method comprising:

introducing a carrier fluid comprising first particulates into the well bore;

packing the first particulates into a plurality of perforations in the casing;

perforating at least one remedial perforation in the casing adjacent to a production interval, subsequent to the packing the first particulates; and

stimulating the production interval through the at least one remedial perforation.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the well bore is a primary well bore or a branch well bore extending from a primary well bore.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the carrier fluid is an ungelled aqueous fluid, an aqueous gel, a hydrocarbon-based gel, a foam, a viscoelastic surfactant gel, or combinations thereof.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the carrier fluid comprises an aqueous component and a gelling agent.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the gelling agent is crosslinked using a crosslinking agent.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the first particulates have an average particle size of from about 10 mesh to about 100 mesh.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the first particulates comprise at least one material selected from the group consisting of sand, bauxite, ceramic materials, glass materials, polymer materials, fluoropolymer materials, nut shell pieces, seed shell pieces, cured resinous particulates comprising nut shell pieces, cured resinous particulates comprising seed shell pieces, fruit pit pieces, cured resinous particulates comprising fruit pit pieces, wood, composite particulates, and combinations thereof.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the first particulates comprise a degradable material.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the degradable material comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of a water-soluble material, a gas-soluble material, an oil-soluble material, a biodegradable material, a temperature degradable material, a solvent-degradable material, an acid-soluble material, an oxidizer-degradable material, and combinations thereof.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the degradable material comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of a dehydrated material, a wax, boric acid flakes, a degradable polymer, calcium carbonate, a paraffin, a crosslinked polymer gel, and combinations thereof.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the degradable material comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of a polyacrylic, a polyamide, a polyolefin, and combinations thereof.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein the degradable material comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of a polysaccharide, a chitin, a chitosan, a protein, an aliphatic polyester, a poly(lactide), a poly(glycolide), a poly(ε

-caprolactone), a poly(hydroxybutyrate), a poly(anhydride), an aliphatic polycarbonate, a poly(orthoester), a poly(amino acid), a poly(ethylene oxide), a polyphosphazene, a polyanhydride, and combinations thereof.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the first particulates are coated with an adhesive substance.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the adhesive substance comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of a non-aqueous tackifying agent, an aqueous tackifying agent, a silyl-modified polyamide, a curable resin composition, and combinations thereof.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the non-aqueous tackifying agent comprises at least one agent selected from the group consisting of a polyamide, a polyester, a polycarbonate, polycarbamate, a natural resins, and combinations thereof.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the non-aqueous tackifying agent further comprises a multifunctional material.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the aqueous tackifying agent comprises at least one agent selected from the group consisting of an acrylic acid polymer, an acrylic acid ester polymer, an acrylic acid derivative polymer, an acrylic acid homopolymer, an acrylic acid ester homopolymer, an acrylamido-methyl-propane sulfonate polymer, an acrylamido-methyl-propane sulfonate derivative polymer, an acrylamido-methyl-propane sulfonate co-polymer, an acrylic acid/acrylamido-methyl-propane sulfonate co-polymer, a copolymer thereof, and combinations thereof.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the aqueous tackifying agent is made tacky through exposure to an activator, the activator comprising at least one activator selected from the group consisting of an organic acid, an anhydride of an organic acid, an inorganic acid, an inorganic salt, a charged surfactant, a charged polymer, and combinations thereof.

19. The method of claim 14 wherein the curable resin composition comprises at least one resin selected from the group consisting of a two component epoxy based resin, a novolak resin, a polyepoxide resin, a phenol-aldehyde resin, a urea-aldehyde resin, a urethane resin, a phenolic resin, a furan resin, a furan/furfuryl alcohol resin, a phenolic/latex resin, a phenol formaldehyde resin, a polyester resin, a hybrid polyester resin, copolymer polyester resin, a polyurethane resin, a hybrid polyurethane resin, a copolymer polyurethane resin, an acrylate resin, and combinations thereof.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one remedial perforation is created in an interval of the casing that was previously perforated.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein the perforating is bullet perforating, jet perforating, hydraulic jetting, or combinations thereof.

22. The method of claim 1 wherein the perforating comprises:

positioning a hydraulic jetting tool adjacent to the casing in a location adjacent to the production interval, and

jetting a jetting fluid through the hydraulic jetting tool against the casing.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the jetting fluid comprises a base fluid and sand.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the sand is present in the jetting fluid in an amount of about 1 pound per gallon of the base fluid.

25. The method of claim 1 wherein the stimulating comprises introducing a fluid into the well bore and into the at least one remedial perforation so as to contact the production interval.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the fluid is an ungelled aqueous fluid, an aqueous gel, a hydrocarbon-based gel, a foam, an emulsion, a viscoelastic surfactant gel, or combinations thereof.

27. The method of claim 25 wherein the fluid comprises an acid.

28. The method of claim 25 wherein the fluid comprises proppant.

29. The method of claim 25 wherein the introducing the fluid comprises pumping the fluid into the well bore and into the at least one remedial perforation at a pressure sufficient to create or enhance at least one fracture in the production interval.

30. The method of claim 1 wherein the stimulating comprises jetting a jetting fluid through a hydraulic jetting tool and into the at least one remedial perforation, wherein the hydraulic jetting tool is attached to a work string, wherein the hydraulic jetting tool is positioned adjacent to the at least one remedial perforation.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein the jetting creates or enhances at least one fracture in the production interval.

32. The method of claim 30 wherein the stimulating comprises introducing a fluid into the well bore down an annulus defined between the casing and the work string.

33. The method of claim 32 the fluid is introduced into the well bore simultaneously with the jetting of the jetting fluid.

34. The method of claim 1 further comprising perforating at least one remedial perforation in the casing adjacent to a second production interval.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein the stimulating further comprises stimulating the second production interval through the at least one perforation in the casing adjacent to the second production interval.

36. The method of claim 1 further comprising repeating the acts of perforating and stimulating for each of the remaining production intervals.

37. The method of claim 1 further comprising introducing a clean-out fluid into the well bore.

38. The method of claim 1 wherein the first particulates form a particulate pack in each of the plurality of perforations.

39. The method of claim 1 further comprising contacting the particulate packs with a second carrier fluid comprising second particulates so that the second particulates plug at least a portion of the interstitial spaces between the first particulates in the particulate pack.

40. The method of claim 39 wherein the average particle size of the second particulates is smaller than the average particle size of the first particulates.

41. The method of claim 39 wherein the second carrier fluid is an ungelled aqueous fluid, an aqueous gel, a hydrocarbon-based gel, a foam, a viscoelastic surfactant gel, or combinations thereof.

42. The method of claim 39 wherein the second particulates comprise at least one material selected from the group consisting of silica flour, sand, bauxite, ceramic materials, glass materials, polymer materials, fluoropolymer materials, nut shell pieces, seed shell pieces, cured resinous particulates comprising nut shell pieces, cured resinous particulates comprising seed shell pieces, fruit pit pieces, cured resinous particulates comprising fruit pit pieces, wood, composite particulates, and combinations thereof.

43. The method of claim 39 wherein the second particulates comprise degradable materials.

44. A method of stimulating a production interval adjacent a well bore having a casing disposed therein, the method comprising:

introducing a carrier fluid comprising first particulates into the well bore;

packing the first particulates into a plurality of perforations in the casing;

providing a hydraulic jetting tool having at least one port, the hydrajetting tool attached to a work string;

positioning the hydraulic jetting tool in the well bore adjacent the production interval;

jetting a jetting fluid through the at least one nozzle in the hydraulic jetting tool against the casing in the well bore so as to create at least one remedial perforation in the casing; and

stimulating the production interval through the at least one remedial perforation.

45. The method of claim 44 wherein the first particulates have an average particle size in the range of from about 10 mesh to about 100 mesh.

46. The method of claim 44 wherein the first particulates are coated with an adhesive substance.

47. The method of claim 44 wherein the first particulates comprises a degradable material.

48. The method of claim 44 wherein the first particulates form a particulate pack in each of the plurality of perforations.

49. The method of claim 48 further comprising contacting the particulate pack in each of the plurality of perforations with a second carrier fluid comprising second particulates so that the second particulates plug at least a portion of the interstitial spaces between the first particulates in the particulate pack.

50. The method of claim 44 wherein the jetting fluid is an ungelled aqueous fluid, an aqueous gel, a hydrocarbon-based gel, a foam, a viscoelastic surfactant gel, or combinations thereof.

51. The method of claim 44 wherein the stimulating comprises introducing a stimulation fluid into an annulus so as to contact the at least one remedial perforation, the annulus is defined between the work string and the casing.

52. The method of claim 51 wherein the stimulation fluid is an ungelled aqueous fluid, an aqueous gel, a hydrocarbon-based gel, a foam, a viscoelastic surfactant gel, or combinations thereof.

53. The method of claim 51 wherein the stimulation fluid is introduced into the annulus at a pressure sufficient to create or enhance at least one fracture in the production interval.

54. The method of claim 51 wherein the stimulating comprises jetting a jetting fluid through the at least one nozzle in the hydraulic jetting tool, through the at least one remedial perforation, and against the production interval.

55. The method of claim 54 wherein the jetting the jetting fluid against the production interval and introducing the stimulation fluid into the annulus occur simultaneously.

56. The method of claim 54 wherein the jetting fluid is jetted against the production interval simultaneously with the introducing the stimulation fluid.

57. The method of claim 51 further comprising repeating the acts of positioning the hydraulic jetting tool, jetting the jetting fluid, and stimulating the production interval for each of the remaining production intervals.

58. A method of stimulating multiple production intervals adjacent a well bore having a casing disposed therein, the method comprising:

introducing a carrier fluid comprising first particulates into the well bore,

packing the first particulates into a plurality of perforations in the casing,

perforating at least one remedial perforation in the casing adjacent to a production interval, subsequent to the packing the first particulates,

introducing a stimulation fluid into the well bore and into the at least one remedial perforation so as to contact the production interval, and

repeating the acts of perforating at least one remedial perforation and introducing the stimulation fluid for each of the remaining production intervals.

59. The method of claim 58 further comprising contacting the packed perforations with a second carrier fluid comprising second particulates so that second particulates plug at least a portion of the interstitial spaces between the first particulates packed into the plurality of perforations.