Filamentous Polymer Particles for Salt-Resistant Fracturing Fluids
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hydraulic fracturing fluids face challenges with viscosity reduction when exposed to high salt concentrations found in formation water, leading to reduced efficiency and increased water consumption, as well as difficulties in recycling and reusing flowback water due to sensitivity to salt content.
Innovation Solution
A composition comprising water, dissolved salts, and filamentous polymeric particles that maintain shear thinning behavior even at high salt concentrations up to 30%, allowing for increased salt content in fracturing fluids while maintaining efficiency and enabling the reuse of flowback water.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If conventional hydraulic fracturing fluids are used with high salt concentrations from formation water, then the fluid can penetrate deeper into the formation, but the viscosity of the fluid decreases significantly, reducing proppant transport capability and fracturing efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical parameters of the fracturing fluid by incorporating specific polymers and additives that maintain viscosity stability across varying salt concentrations. The fluid composition is adjusted to include viscosity modifiers that are insensitive to salt content, allowing the fluid to maintain its viscosity parameter even when exposed to high concentration formation water, thus resolving the contradiction between deep penetration and viscosity maintenance
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite fracturing fluid formulations combining multiple components including base fluids, polymers, additives, and viscosity modifiers. This composite approach creates a synergistic effect where the combination of materials provides both deep penetration capability and salt-resistant viscosity stability, simultaneously achieving fracture depth and maintaining force
2Force
If fresh water is used as fracturing fluid to maintain viscosity, then the fluid loses less viscosity, but large volumes of fresh water are consumed and flowback water cannot be recycled due to salt accumulation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables the fracturing system to use its own flowback water (containing salts) as the base fluid for subsequent fracturing operations. By incorporating salt-resistant polymers and additives, the fluid composition is designed to maintain viscosity performance even when using recycled brine, eliminating the need for fresh water and enabling self-sustaining operations
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the acceptable parameter range for fluid composition by accepting high salt concentrations that were previously problematic. The fluid formulation is specifically designed to maintain viscosity at high salt levels, transforming the harmful salt content into a usable component of the fracturing fluid, thereby reducing fresh water consumption and enabling flowback water recycling
3Productivity
If more fresh water is injected to compensate for viscosity loss, then the fracturing operation can continue, but the cost and environmental impact increase due to water transportation and disposal
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the fracturing operation self-sufficient by using flowback water as the base fluid for subsequent operations. The fluid composition is designed to maintain performance with recycled brine, eliminating the need for continuous fresh water injection and the associated energy costs for water transportation, treatment, and disposal
Solution Approach 2:
The patent recovers and reuses the flowback water that would otherwise be discarded. By incorporating salt-resistant polymers and additives, the system can maintain fluid viscosity performance while using the salt-containing flowback water, thereby recovering a valuable resource and avoiding the energy losses associated with fresh water management
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The use of filamentous polymeric particles in hydraulic fracturing fluids reduces the impact of salt on viscosity, enhancing fracturing efficiency by maintaining fluid properties and allowing for the recycling of flowback water, thereby reducing environmental impact and energy consumption.
Implementation Method 1
To transport the proppants it is necessary that the fracturing fluid have a shear thinning behaviour: high viscosity at low shear so that the proppants do not settle in low turbulence areas of the injection system and in the subterranean formation and low viscosity at high shear to reduce the power necessary to pump the fracturing fluid.
Implementation Method 2
The acid is normally viscous or gelled or crosslinked or emulsified to maintain fracture width and minimize fluid leak off, with shear thinning behaviour.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to filamentous polymer particles useful in oil, condensate or gas recovery from subterranean locations as hydraulic fracturing fluids, diverting fluids, fluids that make it possible to improve the distribution and the flow profiles of the fluids or products injected (referred to as conformance fluids) or permeability control fluids, sand control gravel pack placement fluids, acid fracturing fluids, and the like. These fluids are stimulation fluids injected in wells which serve also as producing wells for the hydrocarbons initially present in the subterranean formations.