Micro proppants for far field stimulation
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of fracturing a subterranean zone surrounding a well bore, comprising:
- fracturing the subterranean zone with a fracturing fluid to form near field primary fractures and far field secondary fractures;
mixing a proppant with the fracturing fluid;
pumping the proppant into the near field primary fractures of the subterranean zone with the fracturing fluid;
propping the near field primary fractures substantially with the proppant;
pumping a micro proppant, generated in the fracturing fluid, into the far field secondary fractures of the subterranean zone with the fracturing fluid, the micro proppant smaller than the proppant; and
propping the far field secondary fractures substantially with the micro proppant.
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Abstract
A subterranean zone surrounding a well bore is fractured with a fracturing fluid. Micro proppant of 200 mesh or smaller is pumped into far field fractures of the subterranean zone and props the far field fractures open.
163 Citations
26 Claims
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1. A method of fracturing a subterranean zone surrounding a well bore, comprising:
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fracturing the subterranean zone with a fracturing fluid to form near field primary fractures and far field secondary fractures; mixing a proppant with the fracturing fluid; pumping the proppant into the near field primary fractures of the subterranean zone with the fracturing fluid; propping the near field primary fractures substantially with the proppant; pumping a micro proppant, generated in the fracturing fluid, into the far field secondary fractures of the subterranean zone with the fracturing fluid, the micro proppant smaller than the proppant; and propping the far field secondary fractures substantially with the micro proppant. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A well fracturing system, comprising:
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a pumping system; a fracturing fluid source coupled to the pumping system; a proppant source coupled to the pumping system to combine with the fracturing fluid source; and a micro proppant source coupled to the pumping system to combine with the fracturing fluid source and form the micro proppant in the fracturing fluid to yield a fracturing fluid mixture comprising the proppant and the micro proppant, the micro proppant smaller than the proppant. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22)
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23. A method, comprising:
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fracturing a low permeability subterranean zone around a well bore with a fracturing fluid to generate primary fractures that extend from the wellbore and dendritic fractures that extend from the primary fractures; combining a micro proppant pre-cursor with an activator to generate, in the fracturing fluid, a micro proppant of 200 mesh or smaller; and propping the primary fractures substantially with a proppant of 100 mesh or larger that is mixed into the fracturing fluid at a terranean surface; propping the dendritic fractures substantially with the micro proppant. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25)
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26. A method of fracturing a subterranean zone surrounding a well bore, comprising:
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fracturing the subterranean zone with a fracturing fluid to form near field primary fractures and far field secondary fractures; pumping proppant into far field fractures of the subterranean zone, the proppant comprising substantially micro proppant; generating the micro proppant in the fracturing fluid by hydrolyzing aluminoxane in the fracturing fluid; and propping far field fractures substantially with the micro proppant.
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Specification