Method for making particulate slurries and particulate slurry compositions

• US 9,714,371 B2
• Filed: 04/13/2010
• Issued: 07/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trican Well Service Limited
• Original Assignee: Trican Well Service Limited
• Inventors: Zhang, Kewei
• Primary Examiner(s): Bland, Alicia
• Application Number:
  US12/759,469
• Publication Number:
  US 20100197526A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,660 Days
• Field of Search: 507205, 507234
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/035 Organic additives
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/18 characterised by the organic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/24 Polymers
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/665 containing inorganic compounds proppants C09K8/80
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/68 containing organic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/70 characterised by their form or by the form of their components, e.g. foams
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/80 Compositions for reinforcing fractures, e.g. compositions of proppants used to keep the fractures open
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/805 Coated proppants
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/86 containing organic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/92 characterised by their form or by the form of their components, e.g. encapsulated material C09K8/70 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/2607 Surface equipment specially adapted for fracturing operations
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/267 reinforcing fractures by propping
• CPC Class Codes: F17D 1/17 by mixing with another liquid , i.e. diluting

Abstract

An aqueous slurry composition for use in industries such as the petroleum and pipeline industries includes a particulate, an aqueous liquid and a chemical compound that renders the particulate surface extremely hydrophobic. The slurry is produced by rendering the surface of the particulate extremely hydrophobic during or before making the slurry.

Claims

1. An aqueous hydraulic fracturing slurry composition for use in hydraulic fracturing operations comprising:

(a) water;

(b) inorganic particulates ranging in size from about 10 to about 100 US mesh; and

(c) a chemical compound for rendering the surface of the particulates extremely hydrophobic,

wherein the chemical compound is selected from the group consisting of polysiloxanes modified with one or more organic cationic groups, polysiloxanes modified with one or more organic amphoteric groups, quaternary silanes, and combinations thereof,

and further wherein the aqueous hydraulic fracturing slurry composition is free of a viscosifier such that the aqueous hydraulic fracturing slurry composition suspends the particulates under static and dynamic conditions.

2. The composition of claim 1, wherein the chemical compound is a polysiloxane modified with one or more organic amphoteric groups.

3. The composition of claim 1, wherein the chemical compound is a polysiloxane modified with one or more organic cationic groups.

4. The composition of claim 1, wherein the chemical compound is a quaternary silane.

5. The composition of claim 1, wherein the chemical compound is a polysiloxane having the formula

6. The composition of claim 1, wherein the chemical compound is a polysiloxane having the formula

7. The composition of claim 1, wherein the chemical compound is a polysiloxane having the formula

8. The composition of claim 1, wherein the chemical compound is a polysiloxane having the formula

9. The composition of any one of claims 1 to 4 and 5 to 8, wherein the particulates are sand proppants.

10. The composition of any one of claims 1 to 4 and 5 to 8, wherein the particulates are ceramic particulates.

11. The aqueous hydraulic fracturing slurry composition of claim 1 further comprising a gas.

12. The composition of claim 11, wherein the chemical compound is a polysiloxane modified with one or more organic amphoteric groups.

13. The composition of claim 11, wherein the chemical compound is a polysiloxane modified with one or more organic cationic groups.

14. The composition of claim 11, wherein the chemical compound is a polysiloxane having the formula

15. The composition of claim 11, wherein the chemical compound is a polysiloxane having the formula

16. The composition of claim 11, wherein the chemical compound is a polysiloxane having the formula

17. The composition of claim 11, wherein the chemical compound is a polysiloxane having the formula

18. The composition of claim 11, wherein the gas is selected from a group consisting of air, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, methane and mixtures thereof.

19. The composition of claim 11, wherein the particulates are sand proppants and wherein the gas is nitrogen or carbon dioxide.

20. The composition of claim 1, wherein the water is re-used water after flow back from a well.

21. The composition of claim 11, wherein the water is re-used water after flow back from a well.

22. The composition of claim 6, wherein the water is re-used water after flow back from a well.

23. The composition of claim 6, wherein each of R₁ to R₆ and R₈ to R₁₀ is a methyl group.

24. The composition of claim 6, further comprising a gas.

25. The composition of claim 23, wherein the water is re-used water after flow back from the well.

26. The composition of claim 24, wherein the water is re-used water after flow back from the well.

27. A method of transporting proppants into a subterranean formation, comprising pumping the composition of claim 1 into the subterranean formation.

28. A method of transporting proppants into a subterranean formation, comprising pumping the composition of claim 6 into the subterranean formation.

29. A method of transporting proppants into a subterranean formation, comprising pumping the composition of claim 11 into the subterranean formation.

30. A method of transporting proppants into a subterranean formation, comprising pumping the composition of claim 3 into the subterranean formation.

31. A method of transporting proppants into a subterranean formation, comprising pumping the composition of claim 24 into the subterranean formation.

32. The composition of claim 3, wherein the water is re-used water after flow back from a well.

33. The composition of claim 11, wherein the particulates are sand proppants and wherein the gas is nitrogen or carbon dioxide.

34. The composition of claim 24, wherein the particulates are sand proppants and wherein the gas is nitrogen or carbon dioxide.