Viscous fluids provide improved results from hydraulic fracturing treatments

Conference · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1971 · Soc. Pet. Eng. AIME, Pap.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5607584

Rosene, R B; Shumaker, E F

Improved recovery of oil and gas is possible with the use of highly viscous fluids in the hydraulic fracturing process. These are water or oil-base gels that help create wider fractures than is possible with the so-called conventional fluids. This allows the placement of additional quantities (concentrations up to 6 lb per gal or more) of highly permeable propping agents in the fracture. Guar gum, cellulose derivatives, and synthetic polymers may be chemically modified to produce the thick gels that have viscosities in the 1,000 to 20,000 cp range. Chemical breakers are added to assure adequate viscosity reduction after the treatment. The oil-base gel is the latest development representing the introduction of the ester systems that can cross-link in refined oils such as kerosene, diesel oil, and low boiling aliphatic hydrocarbons. Field results with these viscous gels are summarized. Specific case histories are examined to show improvement over other methods of stimulation.

• Research Organization: Dowell Div Dow Chemical Co.
• OSTI ID: 5607584
• Report Number(s): CONF-710678-
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Soc. Pet. Eng. AIME, Pap.; (United States) Journal Volume: SPE-3347
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020300* -- Petroleum-- Drilling & Production
03 NATURAL GAS
030900 -- Natural Gas-- Artificial Stimulation
Plowshare-- (-1989)
ADDITIVES
CARBOHYDRATES
CELLULOSE
COLLOIDS
COMMINUTION
DISPERSIONS
ENHANCED RECOVERY
ESTERS
FAILURES
FIELD TESTS
FRACTURES
FRACTURING
GELS
GUMS
HYDRAULIC FRACTURING
NATURAL GAS WELLS
OIL WELLS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
POLYMERS
POLYSACCHARIDES
PROPPING AGENTS
RECOVERY
SACCHARIDES
STIMULATION
TESTING
VISCOSITY
WELL STIMULATION
WELLS