U.S. patent application number 12/971153 was filed with the patent office on 2011-04-14 for proppant and production method thereof.
Invention is credited to Jonathan Abbott, Evgeny Borisovich Barmatov, Konstantin Mikhailovich Lyapunov, Elena Mikhailovna Pershikova.
Application Number | 20110083850 12/971153 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39766608 |
Filed Date | 2011-04-14 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110083850 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Barmatov; Evgeny Borisovich ;
et al. |
April 14, 2011 |
PROPPANT AND PRODUCTION METHOD THEREOF
Abstract
The invention relates to the oil-and-gas production industry and
can be used for enhancement of the production of oilfield wells as
it prevents the fracture from closing by pumping of propping
granules (proppant) during the hydraulic fracturing of
oil-producing formations. Higher stimulation of a reservoir through
using hydraulic fracturing is provided with the proppant as
particulate with spherical or elliptic form, made of ceramic,
polymer, metal, or glass and having higher roughness than regular
proppant, wherein the surface roughness is nonuniform and described
by two criteria A and B, varying in the intervals: A =0.0085-0.85;
B=0.001-1.0. The proppant manufacturing method comprising the
preparation of raw material, mixing, granulation, drying, firing,
wherein an additional stage of creation of surface roughness is
added at the granulation stage and/or the firing stage.
Inventors: |
Barmatov; Evgeny Borisovich;
(Sipachi, RU) ; Pershikova; Elena Mikhailovna;
(Moscow, RU) ; Lyapunov; Konstantin Mikhailovich;
(Novosibirsk, RU) ; Abbott; Jonathan; (Didcot,
GB) |
Family ID: |
39766608 |
Appl. No.: |
12/971153 |
Filed: |
December 17, 2010 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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12049528 |
Mar 17, 2008 |
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12971153 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
166/280.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
C09K 8/805 20130101;
C09K 8/80 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
166/280.1 |
International
Class: |
E21B 43/267 20060101
E21B043/267 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Mar 22, 2007 |
RU |
2007105188 |
Mar 22, 2007 |
RU |
2007110505 |
Claims
1-13. (canceled)
14. A method comprising: (a) providing a proppant with a rough
surface; (b) delivering the proppant to a fracture created in a
subterranean formation by hydrofracturing operation; (c) flowing
back fluids delivered to the subterranean formation during the
hydrofracturing operation; whereby at least a significant
prevention of flowback of the proppant is realized during (c),
while maintaining high proppant pack permeability.
15. The method of claim 14 wherein the proppant comprises a
particulate with spherical or elliptic form, made of ceramic,
polymer, metal, or glass and having higher roughness than regular
proppant, wherein the surface roughness is nonuniform and described
by two criteria A and B, varying in the intervals: A=0.0085-0.85;
B=0.001-1.0.
16. The method of claim 14 further comprising manufacturing the
proppant by preparation of raw material, mixing, granulation,
drying, firing, and wherein creation of surface roughness is added
at the granulation stage and/or the firing stage.
17. The method of claim 16 wherein ceramic, polymer, metallic,
glass, cement materials or mixtures thereof are added to a
pelletizer before the granulation stage.
18. The method of claim 17 wherein powder, granules or fibers and
their combinations, or various agglomerates of ceramic, polymer,
metallic, glass, and cement powders and/or fibers and mixtures
thereof are the raw material.
19. The method of claim 16 wherein the roughness-producing
treatment is carried out in several stages, thereby these stages
are intermitted by a powdering stage.
20. The method of claim 17 wherein various forms of roughness and
irregularities are created at different stages after the
granulation stage.
21. The method of claim 16 wherein a tackifying agent is
additionally used for higher adhesion between a roughness
particulate and a granule surface.
22. The method of claim 21 wherein the tackifying agent is
deposited as a thin layer on the granules before the roughness
stage and/or it is mixed with particulate for making roughness.
23. The method of claim 14 wherein the proppant comprises a
strengthening ceramic, glass, polymer, metallic, cement coating or
mixture thereof deposited on proppant particles before a firing
stage.
24. The method of claim 23 wherein the firing stage has the
temperature high enough for partial flashing of ceramic surface and
buckling of surface during the firing stage.
25. The method of claim 16 wherein an additional layer is deposited
on the granule with the melting temperature below the melting
temperature of basic material of granule.
26. The method of claim 16 wherein the powdering of the
semi-finished granule during the granulation stage is carried out
with a powder with the melting temperature below the melting
temperature of basic material of granule.
27. The method of claim 16 wherein the firing stage is followed by
adding of ceramic, polymeric, metallic, glass, cement powders
and/or fibers or mixtures thereof; the said materials stick to
proppant and create at least one form of roughness and
irregularities.
28. The method of claim 14 provided the rough surface of the
proppant is not a polymer coating.
29. The method of claim 14 wherein the rough surface of the
proppant has same or higher hardness than the particle used to form
the rough surfaced proppant.
30. A method comprising: (a) providing a proppant with a rough
surface, the proppant comprising a particle coated with a
tackifying substance and a roughness element, provided the
roughness element does not comprises a polymer; and, (b) delivering
the proppant to a fracture created in a subterranean formation by
hydrofracturing operation.
31. The method of claim 30 whereby at least a significant
prevention of flowback of the proppant is realized while
maintaining high proppant pack permeability.
32. The method of claim 30 wherein the roughness element has same
or higher hardness than the particle.
33. A method of proppant flowback prevention comprising: (a)
providing a proppant with a rough surface, the proppant comprising
a particle and a roughness element disposed thereupon, provided the
roughness element has same or higher hardness than the particle;
(b) delivering the proppant to a fracture created in a subterranean
formation by hydrofracturing operation; and (c) forming a high
permeability proppant pack in the fracture.
Description
[0001] This application claims foreign priority benefits to Russian
Patent Application No. 2007110505, filed on Mar. 22, 2007
BACKGROUND
[0002] The statements in this section merely provide background
information related to the present disclosure and may not
constitute prior art.
[0003] The invention relates to the oil-and-gas production industry
and can be used for enhancement of the production of oilfield wells
as it prevents the fracture from closing by pumping of propping
granules (proppants) during the hydraulic fracturing of
oil-producing formations.
[0004] Presently, hydraulic fracturing is the most advanced
stimulation method for hydrocarbon production. The essence of the
hydraulic fracturing method is injection of a viscous fluid into
oil-bearing and gas-bearing reservoir under high pressure, which
results in growth of fractures open for fluid flow. To keep the
fractures open, spherical granules (proppant) are delivered by the
carrier fluid into the fracture and the proppant fills the fracture
making a strong propping pack still permeable for formation fluid.
Proppant particles are made strong enough to withstand a high
formation pressure and resist the impact of a corrosive medium
(moisture, acid gases, brine) at high temperatures. Quartz sand,
bauxites, kaolines, alumina, as well as different silica-alumina
types of the feedstock are used as raw materials for the production
of proppants.
[0005] The sphericity and roundness of particles, as well as
uniformity of their size and shape are important properties of
proppants. The said properties are crucial for permeability of the
proppant packs in the fracture and, consequently, for ability of
hydrocarbon fluids to flow from the fracture surface through spaces
in the proppant pack.
[0006] Presently, there are a number of known methods for
considerable reduction in the flowback of proppant particulates or
other propping agents out from the fracture.
[0007] The most commonly used approach is based on application of
curable resin coated proppant, which is pumped into the fracture at
the end of treatment. However, there are a number of considerable
restrictions imposed on application of this type of proppant; these
restrictions are caused by side chemical reactions between the
resin coating and the fracturing fluid. On the one hand, this
interaction results in partial degradation and disintegration of
the resin coating, reducing the strength of adhesion between the
proppant particles and, consequently, the strength of the proppant
packing. On the other hand, the interaction between the resin
coating components and the fracturing fluid leads to uncontrolled
changes in the fluid rheology. This also reduces the efficiency of
the hydraulic fracturing method. The above-listed factors, and
cyclic loads during well completion and shitting-in of well (or
long shut-in periods) may damage the strength of the proppant
packing.
[0008] Also, there is a known method for mixing a solid proppant
with a deformable material consisting of beaded particles. The
deformable particles are made of a polymeric material. The shape of
deformable polymeric particles may be different (oval, wedge-like,
cubical, rod-like, cylindrical or conical), but with the maximum
length-to-base aspect ratio preferably being less than or equal to
5. Spherical plastic beads or composite particles with solid core
and a deformable coating may also serve as deformable particles.
Usually, the volume of the non-deformable core is about 50 to 90
vol. % of the total volume of the particle. The solid core can be
quartz, cristobalite, graphite, gypsum or talc.
[0009] In another embodiment, the proppant core consists of
deformable materials and may include grinded or crushed materials,
e.g., nutshell, shell of seeds, fruit pits and processed wood.
[0010] For securing propping agent and restricting it removal we
may use mixture of proppant with adhesive polymer materials.
Adhesive compositions make mechanical contact with particles of the
propping agent, wrapping around and covering them with tackifying
layer. That leads to tackifying between particles, and also with
sand or crushed fragments of the propping agent, which leads to
significant or total prevention of solid particles flowback. The
tackifying compounds main remain tacky for a long time even at high
temperatures avoiding cross-linking or curing.
[0011] Tackifying material can be combined with other chemicals
regularly applied in the fracturing treatment, i.e., inhibitors,
bactericide, polymer gel breakers, and also inhibitors of wax
formation and corrosion.
[0012] In one known method for propping a fracture by using
tackifying agents and resin coated proppants, proppant flowback
control is achieved by delivering of tackifying coated particulate
mixed with deformable particulates (the latter is already the
effective tool for flowback control).
[0013] The known methods of proppant flowback control are costly in
manufacturing, and difficult to make. Besides that, the use of the
above mentioned materials for proppant flowback control, including
the propping agents with curable resin coating, leads to a
significant decrease in the permeability of proppant packs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0014] The invention relates to compositions and methods for
application in subterranean formations, particularly spherical or
elliptic rough-surfaced proppant and the procedure of proppant
delivery for proppant flowback control.
[0015] In a first embodiment, disclosed is a proppant material
include a particulate with spherical or elliptic form, made of
ceramic, polymer, metal, or glass and having higher roughness than
regular proppant, where the surface roughness is nonuniform and
described by two criteria A and B, varying in the intervals:
A=0.0085-0.85; B=0.001-1.0.
[0016] In another aspect, the invention is a method for proppant
manufacturing which includes preparing a raw material, mixing,
granulation, drying, and/or firing, where an additional stage of
creation of surface roughness is conducted at the granulation stage
and/or the firing stage. Ceramic, polymer, metallic, glass, cement
materials or mixtures thereof may be added to a pelletizer before
the granulation stage. Powder, granules or fibers and their
combinations, or various agglomerates of ceramic, polymer,
metallic, glass, and cement powders and/or fibers and mixtures
thereof may be used as raw material. The roughness-producing
treatment may be carried out in several stages, thereby these
stages may be intermitted by a powdering stage. The various forms
of roughness and irregularities may be created at different stages
after the granule growth stage.
[0017] The tackifying agent may be also used for higher adhesion
between roughness particulate and the granule surface. The
tackifying agent may be deposited as a thin layer on the granules
before the roughness stage and/or it is mixed with particulate for
inducing roughness.
[0018] In some embodiments, strengthening ceramic, glass, polymer,
metallic, cement coating or mixture thereof is deposited on the
particles before the firing stage. The firing stage may have a
temperature high enough for partial flashing of ceramic surface and
buckling of surface during the firing stage. In yet other
embodiments, an additional layer is deposited on the granule with
the melting temperature below the melting temperature of basic
material of granule. Alternatively, the powdering of the
semi-finished granule during the granulation stage may be carried
out with a powder with the melting temperature below the melting
temperature of basic material of granule.
[0019] The firing stage may be followed by adding of ceramic,
polymeric, metallic, glass, cement powders and/or fibers or
mixtures thereof These materials may stick to proppant and create
at least one form of roughness and irregularity.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0020] Certain embodiments of the invention will hereafter be
described with reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein like
reference numerals denote like elements, and:
[0021] FIG. 1 is cross-sectional view of a proppant granule having
irregularities upon the surface, according to an embodiment of the
present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0022] At the outset, it should be noted that in the development of
any such actual embodiment, numerous implementation--specific
decisions must be made to achieve the developer's specific goals,
such as compliance with system related and business related
constraints, which will vary from one implementation to another.
Moreover, it will be appreciated that such a development effort
might be complex and time consuming but would nevertheless be a
routine undertaking for those of ordinary skill in the art having
the benefit of this disclosure.
[0023] The description and examples are presented solely for the
purpose of illustrating the preferred embodiments of the invention
and should not be construed as a limitation to the scope and
applicability of the invention. While the compositions of the
present invention are described herein as comprising certain
materials, it should be understood that the composition could
optionally comprise two or more chemically different materials. In
addition, the composition can also comprise some components other
than the ones already cited. In the summary of the invention and
this detailed description, each numerical value should be read once
as modified by the term "about" (unless already expressly so
modified), and then read again as not so modified unless otherwise
indicated in context. Also, in the summary of the invention and
this detailed description, it should be understood that a
concentration range listed or described as being useful, suitable,
or the like, is intended that any and every concentration within
the range, including the end points, is to be considered as having
been stated. For example, "a range of from 1 to 10" is to be read
as indicating each and every possible number along the continuum
between about 1 and about 10. Thus, even if specific data points
within the range, or even no data points within the range, are
explicitly identified or refer to only a few specific, it is to be
understood that inventors appreciate and understand that any and
all data points within the range are to be considered to have been
specified, and that inventors possession of the entire range and
all points within the range.
[0024] The invention solves the formulated technical problem by
offering the production method for spherical or elliptic
rough-surfaced proppant and the procedure of proppant delivery for
proppant flowback control.
[0025] The technical result of the present invention is a higher
stimulation of a reservoir through using hydraulic fracturing.
[0026] This improvement in hydrofracturing is achieved by pumping
of proppant with rough surface. The particulate is spherical or
elliptic and made of ceramic, polymers, metal, or glass, with the
surface roughness criteria A and B in the ranges: A=0.0085-0.85;
B=0.001-1.0.
[0027] The criteria of the particle surface roughness are given by
following formulas:
A=1/D n (1),
B=h/D (2),
where n is the average number of irregularities per 1 mm.sup.2 of
proppant surface, h is the average height of irregularities, and D
is the diameter of a proppant particle in case of spheroids or the
length of the longer axis for elliptic, lamellated, cylindrical,
tubular granules or other granules of non-spherical shape.
[0028] Parameter A describes the ratio of the average distance
between the irregularities (in the shape of peaks and cavities--see
FIG. 1) to the diameter of proppant granules in case of spheroids
or to the length of the longer axis of elliptic and other granules
with non-spherical shape.
[0029] Parameter B provides the ratio of the average height (or
depth) of surface irregularities to the diameter of proppant
granules in case of spheroids or to the length of the longer axis
of elliptic and other granules with non-spherical shape.
[0030] Besides, one can use both the combinations of ceramic and
polymer materials, and the introduction of glass and metallic
components.
[0031] FIG. 1 shows the scheme of a proppant granule 1 section,
having the irregularities upon the surface in the form of peaks 2-6
and cavities 7. Proppant granules might have peaks of the following
types: sphere-shaped, elliptic or drop-like 2, pyramidal or conic
3, rectangular or trapezoidal 4, thread-like, thorn-like or
lathlike 5, dome-shaped 6, and combinations thereof.
[0032] The distribution of peaks and cavities on the surface may be
random or regular.
[0033] The irregularities 2-6 upon the surface of the proppant have
the same hardness as proppant material 1 or have lower/higher
hardness.
[0034] The proppant granule shape described in the invention
provides a high resistance to the proppant flowback during well
completion, cleaning, flushing, acid treatment and other
treatments, as well as during production period of the well. The
method efficiency is explained by development of mechanical bonds
inside the proppant pack due to high friction between the granules
and a partial matching of the peaks on the proppant surface to
cavities on the surface of another proppant granule; this is also
enhanced by compacting of proppant fines on the sites of proppant
granules contact. A special case of interaction is partial
penetration of the hard peaks (3, 5, 6) into the surface of
adjacent proppant granules.
[0035] Even though the technology of the use of the suggested
proppant is standard, the use of this type of proppant with rough
surface increases dramatically the resistance to proppant flowback,
keeping at the same time a high permeability of the proppant
pack.
[0036] The method proposed allows using a propping material
throughout the whole fracturing treatment or only at the final
phase of the propping stage.
[0037] The standard proppant technology includes preparation of raw
material, its mixing, granulation, drying, and firing. The
extra-rough surface of the proppant granules, manufactured with the
suggested method, is created during the granulation stage (granule
nucleation or growth) and/or during the firing of proppant.
[0038] While manufacturing proppant with the offered technology,
the choice of raw material is the same as for conventional
technology. The primary raw materials are various bauxites, clays,
kaolin, sintering additives, structure-forming components, and
their combinations. Raw components are mixed by formula, then
granulated, dried, fired and screened. However, now the development
of roughness and irregularities is a controllable process at
granulation and/or firing stages. Note that the proppant
granulation might be performed either by dry or wet method.
[0039] According to one variant of method embodiment, ceramic,
polymer, metallic, glass, binding materials and their combinations
are added into the pelletizer during the powdering stage between
the granule growth stage and granulation stage. This fine ceramic
powdering is required to prevent the sticking and packing of
unfinished proppant. Materials added are powder, pellets, fibers
(or their combinations), or various agglomerates of ceramic,
polymer, metallic, glass or binding powders and/or fibers, and also
their combinations. Materials added on the powdering stage create
at least one type of rough and bumpy surface, described by criteria
1 and 2 and depicted in the figure. The amount of material, added
at this intermediate stage, is calculated on the basis of the
average number of irregularities upon 1 mm.sup.2 of proppant
surface, the average height and diameter of proppant in the case of
spheroids. According to this method, the regular stages of ceramic
proppant technology are applied after the granulation (drying,
screening classification, firing, and final screening).
[0040] According to the second variant of the invention embodiment,
additional coating stage is applied between the stage of shaping
the elliptic, slated, cylindrical, tubular particles or other
non-spherical particles and their combinations and the stage of
surface powdering with fine ceramic powder control of raw particles
caking. This additional coating is applied from the classes of
ceramic, polymer, metallic, glass, binding materials, and also
their compositions, thereby the materials are powders, granules or
fibers (or their combinations), or various agglomerates of ceramic,
polymer, metallic, glass or binding materials (powders and/or
fibers), and their combinations. This additional coating creates
one type of roughness and irregularity described by correlations 1
and 2 and depicted in the figure. The amount of material, added at
the given intermediate stage, is calculated on the basis of the
average number of irregularities per 1 mm.sup.2 of proppant
surface, their average height/depth and the length of the major
axis of elliptic and other particles of non-spherical shape.
According to this method, the particle formation stage is followed
by traditional stages of ceramic proppant technology (drying,
screening, firing, and final screening).
[0041] However, the stage of powdering, depending on the kind of
the raw material used for proppant production, might be skipped for
both embodiments.
[0042] Besides, the treatment of the proppant surface for
development of bumpy surface might be divided into few stages
making a single roughness type on every stage; this treatment
follows the granule growth stage, so the stages intermitted by the
powdering stage.
[0043] The adhesion between the roughness elements and the particle
surface created by any of the listed procedures can be reinforced
by different tackifying agents. These tackifying substances can be
applied:
[0044] on particles as a fine coating followed by the
roughness-depositing stage;
[0045] mixed preliminary with particulate for roughness and
irregularities;
[0046] as a combination of these two approaches.
[0047] The granules before the firing stage may be reinforced by
additional coating: ceramic, glass, polymer, metallic, glass or
binding materials and combinations thereof.
[0048] In the standard technology for proppant production (this
includes the firing stage), the firing temperature must provide the
completion of phase transitions to achieve the desired density and
strength of particles. The firing temperature must be enough for
complete or partial flashing of the ceramic surface; the latter
process causes the partial deformation of granule surface.
[0049] At the granulation stage (between the growth stage and the
powdering stage), a coating with the melting point below the
sintering temperature of the main granule can be deposited on the
semi-finished granules. This easy-melting layer keeps tightly the
roughness-making particulate on the surface of the ready
granules.
[0050] The same goal can be achieved by applying of powdering agent
with the melting temperature below the melting temperature of the
granule body.
[0051] In yet another respect, the proppant manufacturing method
includes additional stage between firing and fractional
classification: proppant particle are mixed with ceramic,
polymeric, metallic, glass, cement materials and compositions
thereof (these materials may be in the form of powder, granules,
fibers, or combinations thereof), or various agglomerates of
ceramic, polymeric, metallic, glass, cement powders and/or fibers,
and also their combinations; these materials stick to the proppant
and create at least one type of roughness and irregularities,
described by formulas 1 and 2 and depicted in the figure. Thereby
the amount of material, added at the intermediate stage, is
calculated on the basis of the average number of irregularities
upon 1 mm.sup.2 of proppant surface, the average height of
irregularities and proppant diameter (for spheroids).
[0052] The produced proppant is used by the standard technology of
hydraulic fracturing.
[0053] In particular, the advantage of the developed proppant was
tested at a well cluster, i.e., under identical conditions.
[0054] 1. The hydrofracturing was carried out in the West Siberia
oilfields at the depth of 3700 m under typical conditions with the
expected productivity of 80-140 m.sup.3 per day. The pumping of
traditional spherical ceramic proppant (smooth surface) resulted in
the well production rate 90 m.sup.3 per day.
[0055] 2. Under the same conditions and same proppant composition,
but with artificially rough surface (described by the first
criterion in our formula), the hydrofracturing resulted in the well
rate about 117 m.sup.3 per day with the expected productivity range
80-140 M.sup.3 per day.
[0056] The use of the developed proppant instead of the
smooth-surface proppant makes the well rate higher by approximately
30% under other conditions being identical.
* * * * *