US5447199A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Controlled degradation of polymer based aqueous gels
Assignee: BJ Services Co USA
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Filing: 1993-07-02
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Granted: 1995-09-05
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Expires: 2013-07-02
Abstract
Abstract A method of fracturing a subterranean formation in a well bore is shown in which a gellable fracturing fluid is first formed by blending together an aqueous fluid, a hydratable polymer, a suitable crosslinking agent for crosslinking the hydratable polymer to form a polymer gel and a breaker comprising a slightly water soluble, organic peroxide. The crosslinked polymer gel is pumped into the well bore under sufficient pressure to fracture the surrounding formation. The breaker is allowed to degrade the crosslinked polymer with time to reduce the viscosity of the fluid so that the fluid can be pumped from the formation back to the well surface.
Inventors
- 👤 Jeffrey C. Dawson
- 👤 Hoang V. Le
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 09:51
CPC Classifications
C; C09; C09K; C09K8/00; C09K8/60; C09K8/62; C09K8/66; C09K8/68; C09K8/685; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S507/00; Y10S507/921; Y10S507/922
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
81 words
A method of fracturing a subterranean formation which surrounds a well bore comprising the steps of: formulating a viscous fracturing fluid by blending together an aqueous fluid, a hydratable polymer, and a breaker comprising a slightly water soluble, organic peroxide and a water immiscible, nonoxidizable, organic solvent; pumping the fracturing fluid to a desired location within the well bore under sufficient pressure to fracture the surrounding subterranean formation; and allowing the breaker to degrade the polymer and produce a pumpable fluid.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
81 words
A method of fracturing a subterranean formation which surrounds a well bore comprising the steps of: formulating a viscous fracturing fluid by blending together an aqueous fluid, a hydratable polymer, and a breaker comprising a slightly water soluble, organic peroxide and a water immiscible, nonoxidizable, organic solvent; pumping the fracturing fluid to a desired location within the well bore under sufficient pressure to fracture the surrounding subterranean formation; and allowing the breaker to degrade the polymer and produce a pumpable fluid.
Claim 3
Independent Claim
97 words
A method of fracturing a subterranean formation which surrounds a well bore comprising the steps of: formulating a gellable fracturing fluid by blending together an aqueous fluid, a hydratable polymer, a suitable crosslinking agent for crosslinking the hydratable polymer to form a polymer gel, and a breaker comprising a slightly water soluble, organic peroxide and a water immiscible, nonoxidizable organic solvent; pumping the cross-linked polymer gel to a desired location within the well bore under sufficient pressure to fracture the surrounding subterranean formation; and allowing the breaker to degrade the cross-linked polymer and produce a pumpable fluid.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
97 words
A method of fracturing a subterranean formation which surrounds a well bore comprising the steps of: formulating a gellable fracturing fluid by blending together an aqueous fluid, a hydratable polymer, a suitable crosslinking agent for crosslinking the hydratable polymer to form a polymer gel, and a breaker comprising a slightly water soluble, organic peroxide and a water immiscible, nonoxidizable organic solvent; pumping the cross-linked polymer gel to a desired location within the well bore under sufficient pressure to fracture the surrounding subterranean formation; and allowing the breaker to degrade the cross-linked polymer and produce a pumpable fluid.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
45 words
The method of claim 2, wherein the slightly water soluble, organic peroxide is selected from the group consisting of: cumene hydroperoxide, t-butyl cumyl peroxide, di-t-butyl peroxide, di-(2-t-butylperoxyisopropyl) benzene, 2,5-dimethyl-2,5-di(t-butylperoxy) hexane, di-isopropyl benzene monohydroperoxide, di-cumyl peroxide, 2,2-di-(t-butyl peroxy) butane, t-amyl hydroperoxide, benzoyl peroxide, and mixtures thereof.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 2, wherein the organic peroxide is selected from the group consisting of: cumene hydroperoxide, t-butyl cumyl peroxide, and mixtures thereof.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 2, wherein the amount of slightly water soluble, organic peroxide ranges from about 5 to about 10,500 ppm based on the fracturing fluid.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method of claim 2, wherein the water immiscible, nonoxidizable, organic solvent is selected from the group consisting of: straight chain saturated alkanes, branched chain saturated alkanes, paraffinic oils, isoparaffinic oils, and mixtures thereof.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 2, wherein the water immiscible, nonoxidizable, organic solvent is selected from the group consisting of: hexane, paraffinic oils, isoparaffinic oils, and mixtures thereof.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 2, wherein the hydratable polymer is selected from the group consisting of: galactomannan gums, guars, derivatized guars, cellulose and derivatized celluloses.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method of claim 2, wherein the hydratable polymer is selected from the group consisting of: guar gum, hydroxypropyl guar, carboxymethyl hydroxypropyl guar, cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, carboxymethyl hydroxyethyl cellulose and hydroxyethyl cellulose.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 2, wherein the effective temperature ranges from about 125° to about 275°.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 10, wherein the slightly water soluble, organic peroxide has a solubility of about 0.1 g or less of organic peroxide in 100 g of water.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1998-09-04 | 1999-03-06 | 1999-09-05 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2002-09-04 | 2003-03-06 | 2003-09-05 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2006-09-04 | 2007-03-06 | 2007-09-05 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |