Schlumberger Technology Corporation

Schlumberger Canada Limited

Ivan Vitalievich Kosarev

Dean Michael Willberg

Anatoly Vladimirovich Medvedev

J Ernest Brown

Timothy M Lesko

Alexander Alexandrovich Burukhin

Oleg Olegovich Medvedev

Jonathan Abbott

Alejandro Pena

Fedor Nikolaevich Litvinets

Konstantin Mikhailovich Lyapunov

Alexander Vuacheslavovich Mikhaylov

Andrey Vladimirovich Bogdan

Marc J Thiercelin

Sergey Makarychev-Mikhailov

Ian C Walton

Matthew J Miller

Matthew Miller

James Ernest Brown

Timothy Michael Lesko

Sergey Mikhailovich Makarychev-Mikhaliov

Dean M Willberg

Sergey Mikhailovich Makarychev-Mikhailov

Marc Thiercelin

Dean Willberg

Oleg Medvedev

A method of heterogeneous proppant placement in a subterranean fracture is disclosed. The method comprises injecting well treatment fluid including proppant () and proppant-spacing filler material () through a wellbore () into the fracture (), heterogeneously placing the proppant in the fracture in a plurality of proppant clusters or islands () spaced apart by the material (), and removing the filler material () to form open channels () around the pillars (). The filler material can be dissolvable particles, initially acting as a consolidator during placement of the proppant in the fracture, and later dissolving to leave flow channels between the proppant pillars. The well treatment fluid can include extrametrical materials to provide reinforcement and consolidation of the proppant and, additionally or alternatively, to inhibit settling of the proppant in the treatment fluid.

Heterogeneous proppant placement in a fracture with removable extrametrical material fill

A method of injecting well treatment fluid including proppant and proppant-spacing filler material through a wellbore into the fracture, heterogeneously placing the proppant in the fracture in a plurality of proppant clusters or islands spaced apart by the material, and removing the filler material to form open channels around the pillars for fluid flow from the formation through the fracture toward the wellbore. The proppant and channelant can be segregated within the well treatment fluid, or segregated during placement in the fracture. The filler material can be dissolvable particles, initially acting as a filler material during placement of the proppant in the fracture, and later dissolving to leave the flow channels between the proppant pillars. The well treatment fluid can include extrametrical materials to provide reinforcement and consolidation of the proppant and/or to inhibit settling of the proppant.

A method of heterogeneous proppant placement in a subterranean fracture is disclosed. The method comprises injecting well treatment fluid including proppant () wherein the proppant comprises from 1 to 100 percent in weight of stiff, low-elasticity and low-deformability elongated particles () and proppant-spacing filler material called a channelant () through a wellbore () into the fracture (), heterogeneously placing the proppant in the fracture in a plurality of proppant clusters or islands () spaced apart by the channelant (), and removing the channelant filler material () to form open channels () around the pillars () for fluid flow from the formation () through the fracture () toward the wellbore (). The proppant and channelant can be segregated within the well treatment fluid, or segregated during placement in the fracture. The channelant can be dissolvable particles, initially acting as a filler material during placement of the proppant in the fracture, and later dissolving to leave the flow channels between the proppant pillars. The well treatment fluid can include fibers to provide reinforcement and consolidation of the proppant and, additionally or alternatively, to inhibit settling of the proppant in the treatment fluid.

Heterogeneous proppant placement in a fracture with removable channelant fill

A method of heterogeneous proppant placement in a subterranean fracture is disclosed. The method comprises injecting a first treatment fluid comprising a gas and substantially free of macroscopic particles through a wellbore to initiate a fracture in a subterranean formation; injecting a second treatment fluid comprising proppant and channelant through the wellbore into the fracture; placing the proppant in the fracture in a plurality of proppant clusters forming pillars spaced apart by the channelant; and removing the channelant to form open channels around the pillars for fluid flow from the subterranean formation through the fracture toward the wellbore.

A method of heterogeneous proppant placement in a subterranean fracture is disclosed. The method comprises injecting well treatment fluid including proppant () and proppant-spacing filler material called a channelant () through a wellbore () into the fracture (), heterogeneously placing the proppant in the fracture in a plurality of proppant clusters or islands () spaced apart by the channelant (), and removing the channelant filler material () to form open channels () around the pillars () for fluid flow from the formation () through the fracture () toward the wellbore (). The proppant and channelant can be segregated within the well treatment fluid, or segregated during placement in the fracture. The channelant can be dissolvable particles, initially acting as a filler material during placement of the proppant in the fracture, and later dissolving to leave the flow channels between the proppant pillars. The well treatment fluid can include fibers to provide reinforcement and consolidation of the proppant and, additionally or alternatively, to inhibit settling of the proppant in the treatment fluid.

The invention provides economically effective methods for hydraulic fracturing a subterranean formation that ensure improvement of the hydraulic fracture conductivity because of forming strong proppant clusters uniformly placed in the fracture throughout its length. One of these methods comprises: a first stage comprising injection of fracturing fluid into a borehole, the fluid containing thickeners to create a fracture in the formation; and a second stage comprising introduction of proppant into the injected fracturing fluid to prevent closure of the created fracture, and further, comprising introducing an agent into the fracturing fluid to provide formation of proppant clusters in the created fracture and channels for flowing formation fluids.

Method for hydraulic fracturing of subterranean formation

Hydraulic fracturing an individual reservoir fracturing layer of a subterranean formation to produce heterogeneous proppant placement is given in which pillars of proppant are placed such that the pillars do not extend the entire height of the fracture (for a vertical fracture) but are themselves interrupted by channels so that the channels between the pillars form pathways that lead to the wellbore. The method combines methods of introducing slugs of proppant-carrying and proppant-free fluids through multiple clusters of perforations within a single fracturing layer of rock, with methods of ensuring that the slugs exiting the individual clusters do not merge.

Perforation strategy for heterogeneous proppant placement in hydraulic fracturing

A method of heterogeneous proppant placement in a subterranean fracture is disclosed. The method comprises injecting well treatment fluid including proppant and a channelant through a wellbore into the fracture, heterogeneously placing the proppant in the fracture in a plurality of proppant clusters or islands spaced apart by the channelant, and removing the channelant filler material to form open channels around the pillars for fluid flow from the formation through the fracture toward the wellbore. The proppant and channelant can be segregated within the well treatment fluid, or segregated during placement in the fracture. The channelant can be dissolvable particles, initially acting as a filler material during placement of the proppant, and later dissolving to leave the flow channels between the proppant pillars. The well treatment fluid can include fibers to provide reinforcement and consolidation of the proppant and/or to inhibit settling of the proppant in the treatment fluid.

The invention provides economically effective methods for hydraulic fracturing a subterranean formation that ensure improvement of the hydraulic fracturcconductivity because of forming strong proppant clusters uniformly placed in the fracture throughout its length. One of these methods comprises: a first stage that involves injection into a borehole of fracturing fluid containing thickeners to create a fracture in the formation; and a second stage that involves periodic introduction of proppant into the injected fracturing fluid to supply the proppant into a created fracture, to form proppant clusters within the fracture to prevent fracture closure and channels for flowing formation fluids between the clusters, wherein the second stage or its sub-stages involve additional introduction of either a reinforcing or consolidation material or both, thus increasing the strength of the proppant clusters formed into the fracture fluid.

Growing community of inventors

Moscow, Russia

Ivan Vitalievich Kosarev