Method of using controlled release tracers
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of quantitatively monitoring the amount of fluids produced in multiple productive zones of a subterranean formation penetrated by a well, the method comprising:
- (a) pumping a fracturing fluid into the multiple productive zones at a pressure sufficient to enlarge or create fractures in each of the multiple productive zones, wherein the fracturing fluid comprises a composite comprising an immobilized pre-determined tracer which is either hydrocarbon soluble, water soluble or both hydrocarbon soluble and water soluble and further wherein the fracturing fluid pumped into each of the multiple productive zones contains a different immobilized pre-determined tracer and further wherein fluids produced from each of the multiple productive zones is quantitatively detectable by the immobilized pre-determined tracer in the fracturing fluid;
(b) solubilizing over a period of at least six months the immobilized pre-determined tracer into fluids produced from the productive zone into which the composite comprising the immobilized pre-determined tracer is pumped; and
(c) determining and monitoring the amount of fluids produced from each of the multiple productive zones by quantitatively detecting the amount of tracer in the produced fluid, wherein the produced fluid are hydrocarbons, water or both hydrocarbons and water.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Fluids produced from a fractured subterranean formation may be monitored by pumping into the well a fracturing fluid which contains a tracer. The method may be used to monitor produced hydrocarbons as well as produced water. The tracer may also be used in a sand control, frac pack or acid fracturing operation. The tracer is a component of a composite where it may be immobilized within a matrix (such as an emulsion) or porous particulate, onto a support or compressed with a binder into a solid particulate. The tracer may be slowly released from the composite.
35 Citations
30 Claims
-
1. A method of quantitatively monitoring the amount of fluids produced in multiple productive zones of a subterranean formation penetrated by a well, the method comprising:
-
(a) pumping a fracturing fluid into the multiple productive zones at a pressure sufficient to enlarge or create fractures in each of the multiple productive zones, wherein the fracturing fluid comprises a composite comprising an immobilized pre-determined tracer which is either hydrocarbon soluble, water soluble or both hydrocarbon soluble and water soluble and further wherein the fracturing fluid pumped into each of the multiple productive zones contains a different immobilized pre-determined tracer and further wherein fluids produced from each of the multiple productive zones is quantitatively detectable by the immobilized pre-determined tracer in the fracturing fluid; (b) solubilizing over a period of at least six months the immobilized pre-determined tracer into fluids produced from the productive zone into which the composite comprising the immobilized pre-determined tracer is pumped; and (c) determining and monitoring the amount of fluids produced from each of the multiple productive zones by quantitatively detecting the amount of tracer in the produced fluid, wherein the produced fluid are hydrocarbons, water or both hydrocarbons and water. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
-
-
4. A method of fracturing multiple zones of a subterranean formation penetrated by a well which comprises:
-
(a) pumping into each zone of the formation to be fractured a fracturing fluid, wherein the fracturing fluid pumped into each zone comprises a composite comprising an immobilized pre-determined tracer which is either hydrocarbon soluble, water soluble or both hydrocarbon soluble and water soluble and further wherein the tracer pumped into each zone is capable of being slowly solubilized into fluids produced from the zone in which the tracer is pumped and further wherein the tracer pumped into each zone is different such that the tracer pumped into each zone is quantitatively detectable in produced fluids produced from the zone in which the tracer is pumped; (b) enlarging or creating a fracture in the formation; and (c) slowly solubilizing the different tracers into fluids produced from the zone into which the tracer is pumped wherein the composite pumped into each zone is selected from the group consisting of; (i) tracer adsorbed onto a water-insoluble adsorbent, the water-insoluble adsorbent having a surface area between from about 1 m2/g to about 100 m2/g; (ii) tracer absorbed into the pores of a porous particulate, the porous particulate comprising a porous ceramic, polystyrene, styrene-divinylbenzene copolymer, a polyacrylate, a polyalkylacrylate, a polyacrylate ester or a polyalkyl acrylate ester; (iii) tracer adsorbed onto a calcined porous metal oxide;
the surface area of the calcined porous metal oxide being between from about 1 m2/g to about 10 m2/g and the diameter of the calcined porous metal oxide being between from about 0.1 to about 3 mm;
or(iv) a microemulsion comprising the tracer and an emulsified solvent-surfactant blend wherein the particle size of the tracer in the microemulsion is between from about 0.001 microns to about 100 microns and further wherein the lifetime of the tracer introduced into each zone is at least six months; and (d) determining the quantitative amount of tracers in the fluid produced from the well and determining the amount of fluid produced from the zones into which the tracers are pumped. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 30)
-
-
12. A method of fracturing multiple productive zones of a subterranean formation penetrated by a well and measuring the amount of produced fluids from the multiple productive zones, the method comprising:
-
(a) pumping fracturing fluid into the multiple productive zones at a pressure sufficient to enlarge or create fractures in the multiple productive zones, wherein the fracturing fluid pumped into the multiple productive zones comprises a composite comprising an immobilized pre-determined tracer which is either hydrocarbon soluble, water soluble or both hydrocarbon soluble and water soluble and further wherein the fracturing fluid pumped into each of the multiple productive zones contains a different immobilized pre-determined tracer and further wherein fluids produced from each of the multiple productive zones is quantitatively detectable by the immobilized pre-determined tracer in the fracturing fluid; (b) solubilizing over a period of at least six months the immobilized pre-determined tracer into fluids produced from the productive zone into which the composite comprising the immobilized pre-determined tracer is pumped wherein the composite either comprises; (i) the tracer adsorbed onto a water-insoluble adsorbent, the water-insoluble adsorbent having a surface area between from about 1 m2/g to about 100 m2/g; (ii) the tracer absorbed into the pores of a porous particulate, the porous particulate comprising a porous ceramic, polystyrene, styrene-divinylbenzene copolymer, a polyacrylate, a polyalkylacrylate, a polyacrylate ester or a polyalkyl acrylate ester; (iii) the tracer adsorbed onto a calcined porous metal oxide substrate;
the surface area of the calcined porous metal oxide substrate being between from about 1 m2/g to about 10 m2/g and the diameter of the calcined porous metal oxide substrate being between from about 0.1 to about 3 mm;
or(iv) a microemulsion comprising the tracer and an emulsified solvent-surfactant blend wherein the particle size of the tracer in the microemulsion is between from about 0.001 microns to about 100 microns; and (c) quantitatively determining the amount of the solubilized tracers in hydrocarbons produced from the well; and (d) determining the amount of hydrocarbons produced from the multiple productive zones from the solubilized tracers. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
-
Specification