The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 12, 2016
Filed:
Aug. 25, 2010
Trevor Hughes, Cambridge, GB;
Evgeny Barmatov, Cambridge, GB;
Jill Geddes, Cambridge, GB;
Michael Fuller, Houston, TX (US);
Bruno Drochon, Cambridge, GB;
Sergey Makarychev-mikhailov, St. Petersburg, RU;
Trevor Hughes, Cambridge, GB;
Evgeny Barmatov, Cambridge, GB;
Jill Geddes, Cambridge, GB;
Michael Fuller, Houston, TX (US);
Bruno Drochon, Cambridge, GB;
Sergey Makarychev-Mikhailov, St. Petersburg, RU;
Schlumberger Technology Corporation, Cambridge, MA (US);
Abstract
A wellbore fluid comprises an aqueous carrier liquid, hydrophobic particulate material suspended therein and a gas to wet the surface of the particles and bind them together as agglomerates. The hydrophobic particulate material has a specified maximum volume median particle size dof not more than 200 micron, and/or a minimum surface area of at least 30 mper liter. Agglomerates of the particles contain gas and so have a bulk density lower than the density of the particles. This reduces the rate of settling. The fluid is particularly envisaged as a slickwater fracturing fluid in which the suspended particles are proppant. The small particle size and/or substantial surface area increases the amount of gas which can be retained within agglomerates and so enhances the buoyancy of the agglomerates. The end result is that a greater proportion of a hydraulic fracture is propped open.