Hydraulic fracturing with chlorine dioxide cleanup

Patent · Tue Oct 23 04:00:00 EDT 1990

OSTI ID:6220205

Williams, D A; Newlove, J C; Horton, R L

This patent describes a method for fracturing a subterranean formation penetrated by a wellbore. It comprises: injecting a fracturing fluid into the formation to form a vertical fracture therein, the fracturing fluid being gelled with a polymer selected from guar, guar derivatives, acrylamide, acrylamide derivatives, cellulose, cellulose derivatives, and mixtures thereof and crosslinked with an organometallic crosslinking compound and having temperature stability above about 175{degrees} F.; packing the fracture with particulate propping agent; backflowing fluids from the formation through the propped fracture to remove a portion of the polymer; injecting at matrix rates sufficient aqueous solution of chlorine dioxide down the wellbore and into the propped fracture to penetrate at least 60 feet of the propped fracture length and contact polymer in the fracturing fluid and polymer residue in the propped fracture and on the fracture walls, the amount of the chlorine dioxide in the aqueous medium being sufficient to degrade polymer in the fracturing fluid and polymer residue; permitting the chlorine dioxide to remain in contact with the polymer in the fracturing fluid and with the polymer residue on the fracture walls and in the fracture for sufficient time to degrade the polymer thereby reducing the fracturing fluid viscosity and dissolving portions of the polymer residue; and flowing formation fluid from the formation through the propped fracture and into the wellbore to remove substantial portions of the polymer and degraded polymer from the fracture.

• Assignee: Exxon Chemicals Patents Inc., Linden, NJ (USA)
• Patent Number(s): US 4964466; A
• Application Number: PPN: US s 7-390213
• OSTI ID: 6220205
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020300* -- Petroleum-- Drilling & Production
AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
CHLORINE OXIDES
COLLOIDS
COMMINUTION
DISPERSIONS
ENERGY SOURCES
ENHANCED RECOVERY
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FRACTURING
FRACTURING FLUIDS
FUELS
GELS
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDRAULIC FRACTURING
INJECTION WELLS
MIXTURES
OIL WELLS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PETROLEUM
POLYMERS
RECOVERY
SOLUTIONS
STIMULATION
WELL STIMULATION
WELLS