Baker Hughes Corporation

Akzo Nobel N.v.

Paul M McElfresh

Bennett M Richard

Chad Williams

Tianping Huang

Ping Duan

Allen Dale Gabrysch

James B Crews

Edward O'Malley

Roger W Fincher

Larry A Watkins

Daniel Lee Crosby

Perry Douglas Baycroft

Vu Thieu

Aftab Khokhar

A flow conduit may have at least one orifice, which conduit is in the vicinity of a flow source. The source is at least partially covered (and flow blocked by) an optional temporary coating or barrier (e.g. filter cake). The flow pathway between the orifice and the source is temporarily blocked with a degradable material. A delayed degradation material layer is present over or covering the degradable material. The delayed degradation material layer degrades at a rate slower than the degradable barrier. The degradable material and delayed degradation material layer disintegrate (e.g. via time, temperature, a solvent). The degradable material optionally produces a product that removes the temporary coating. The method is useful in one context of recovering hydrocarbons where the flow conduit is the casing or liner of the well and the flow source is a subterranean reservoir where the coating is filter cake.

Method for providing a temporary barrier in a flow pathway

Filtration devices may include a shape-memory material having a compressed run-in position or shape and an original expanded position or shape. The shape-memory material may include an open cell porous rigid polyurethane foam material held in the compressed run-in position at the temperature below glass transition temperature (T). The foam material in its compressed run-in position may be covered with a fluid-dissolvable polymeric film and/or a layer of fluid-degradable plastic. Once filtration devices are in place in downhole and are contacted by the fluid for a given amount of time at temperature, the devices may expand and totally conform to the borehole to prevent the production of undesirable solids from the formation.

Shape memory polyurethane foam for downhole sand control filtration devices

An aqueous, viscoelastic fluid gelled with a viscoelastic surfactant (VES) is inhibited against hydrate formation with an effective amount of an additive that could be one or more halide salts of alkali metals and alkali earth metals, formate salts, alcohols, glycols, glycol amines, sugars, sugar alcohols, amidoamine oxides, polymers such as polyamines, polyvinylpyrrolidones and derivatives thereof, polyvinyl alcohols and derivatives thereof, polycaprolactams and derivatives thereof, hydroxyethylcellulose, and mixtures thereof. These fluids are inhibited against hydrate formation and may have increased viscosity as well. The additives may increase viscosity to the point where less VES is required to maintain a given viscosity. These inhibited, aqueous, viscoelastic fluids may be used as treatment fluids for subterranean hydrocarbon formations, such as in stimulation treatments, e.g. hydraulic fracturing fluids.

Additives for hydrate inhibition in fluids gelled with viscoelastic surfactants

A flow conduit may have at least one orifice is in the vicinity of a flow source. The source is at least partially covered (and flow blocked by) an optional temporary coating or barrier. The flow pathway between the orifice and the source is temporarily blocked with a degradable material or barrier. The material disintegrates (e.g. under the influence of time or temperature) to optionally produce a product that removes the temporary coating in the area adjacent the barrier. The method is useful in one non-limiting context of recovering hydrocarbons where the flow conduit is the casing or liner of the well and the flow source is a subterranean reservoir where the temporary coating is a filter cake.

Apparatus for providing a temporary degradable barrier in a flow pathway

A screen assembly has a material that conforms to the borehole shape after insertion. The assembly comprises a compliant layer that takes the borehole shape on expansion. The outer layer is formed having holes to permit production flow. The selected conforming material swells with heat, and in one non-limiting embodiment comprises a shape memory foam that is thermoset or thermoplastic. Heat is provided by supplying a fuel (including an oxidant) to a catalyst in close proximity to the compliant layer so that the product from the catalytic reaction is heated steam which contacts and deploys the conforming material. The base pipe can have a screen over it to act as an underlayment for support of the conforming layer or alternatively for screening.

Heat generator for screen deployment

Gas hydrates, particularly natural gas hydrates e.g. methane hydrates, may be formed and controlled within conduits and vessels by imparting energy to gas and water, for instance using agitation or vibration. The systems and methods allow for improved flow characteristics for fluids containing the gases, e.g. hydrocarbon fluids being transported, and for improved overall efficiencies. The gas and water within a gas flow path may be perturbed or agitated to initiate formation of relatively small hydrate particles. The hydrate particles continue to form as long as energy is imparted and water and hydrate guest molecules are available. High amplitude agitation of the gas and water will repeatedly break up agglomerated hydrate particles that form and encourage the formation of more and smaller particles. As more hydrate forms in this manner, less and less free water may be available proximate the gas and water contact.

Formation and control of gas hydrates

The present invention generally relates to a method for treating a subterranean formation with an aqueous viscoelastic treating fluid that an aqueous base fluid and one or more non-ionic amido amine oxide surfactant gelling agents. The treatment method comprises injecting the aqueous viscoelastic surfactant treating fluid through a wellbore and into the subterranean formation under conditions effective to control fluid loss, and breaking the gel of the aqueous viscoelastic treating fluid subsequent to treating said formation.

Hydraulic fracturing using non-ionic surfactant gelling agent

It has been discovered that solid, particulate dicarboxylic acids are useful as diverting agents in methods for acidizing subterranean formations to improve the uniformity of the acid treatments (acid displacement) by diverting acid to intervals of relatively less permeability. Particularly suitable solid, particulate dicarboxylic acids include, but are not necessarily limited to, those insoluble in both aqueous and hydrocarbon liquids, but which are soluble in mutual solvents or alcohol blends. These acids may have melting points of from about 180 to about 300&#xb0; F. (about 82 to about 149&#xb0; C.), formula molecular weights of from 146 to 400, and mesh sizes of from about 20 mesh to about 400 mesh (about 841 to about 38 microns). Particular dicarboxylic acids that fit this description include, but are not necessarily limited to, dodecanedioic acid, undecanedioic acid, decanedioic acid, azelaic acid, suberic acid, and mixtures thereof.

Composition and method for diversion agents for acid stimulation of subterranean formations

Dicarboxylic acids are useful in acidizing subterranean formations to improve their permeability, particularly at elevated temperature, e.g. between about 200&deg; F. (92&deg; C.) and about 400&deg; F. (204&deg; C.). Particularly suitable dicarboxylic acids include, but are not necessarily limited to, succinic acid, glutaric acid, adipic acid, and mixtures thereof.

Growing community of inventors

Cypress, TX, United States of America

Paul M McElfresh