Abstract: A ball sealer for use in flow equalization during fluid injection into oil wells is described which has a layer of thermosetting filament wrapped around its core. After curing, the wrapping layer provides the major part of the ball's strength.

Abstract: A method of preventing overdisplacement and underdisplacement of proppant during well treatments to hydraulically induce and maintain a fracture in a subterranean formation traversed by a wellbore having a perforated casing. In the practice of the method, ball sealers are incorporated in the trailing end portion of a fracturing fluid-proppant slurry. The ball sealers have a density such that they do not sink in the slurry nor rise in the displacement fluid injected following the slurry. The ball sealers seat on at least some of the well perforations as the final portion of the slurry reaches the perforations. This causes the surface pumping pressure to increase, signalling the end of the treating operation. The detection of the time at which a selected portion of the injected fluid reaches the perforations allows the treatment to be terminated, minimizing proppant overdisplacement and providing for a fully packed fracture in the near-wellbore region.

Abstract: A method of preventing overdisplacement of propping agent particles during well treatments to hydraulically induce a fracture in a subterranean formation wherein buoyant or neutrally buoyant ball sealers are incorporated in the trailing end portion of the fracturing fluid. The ball sealers seat on at least some of the well perforations in final stages of particle injection thereby causing the surface pumping pressure to increase, signalling the end of the treating operation. This minimizes proppant overdisplacement and provides for a fully packed fracture in the near wellbore region.

Abstract: Ball sealers comprising a solid core coated with a polyurethane elastomer are introduced into a well to seal well perforations and divert fluid therein. In the preferred embodiment the ball sealers are used in a hydrocarbon liquid treating fluid and have a density less than the treating fluid.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to the composition and method for reducing the permeability of subterranean formations penetrated by a wellbore. The composition of the present invention comprises a wellbore fluid having dispersed therein a fluid loss control agent comprising a polyester polymer which is substantially insoluble in the wellbore fluid. The polymer degrades in the presence of water at an elevated temperature to form small molecules which are soluble in a fluid in the subterranean formation. The method of the present invention comprises reducing the permeability of subterranean formations penetrated by a wellbore by placing the composition of the present invention down the wellbore.

Abstract: There is disclosed a method for selective diversion in a deviated wellbore comprising generally perforating the casing with a first group of perforations at the top or bottom abutting an imaginary plane which is substantially in the vertical and extends along the longitudinal axis of the casing and perforating the casing with a second group of perforations circumferentially spaced-away from the plane. Diversion is accomplished by injecting buoyant or non-buoyant diverting agents into the casing and transporting them down the casing in a pathway adjacent to the casing and the imaginary plane. The diverting agents bypass the circumferentially spaced-away perforations and seat in at the perforations at the top or bottom of the casing.

Abstract: A ball sealer for use as a diverting agent when treating a well having a perforated casing. The ball sealer is sized to plug a perforation and has a density less than the treating fluid. The ball sealer comprises a material, such as syntactic foam or polymethylpentene. The ball sealer is also preferably provided with a protective covering material. After some of the treating fluid has been injected into the well, the ball sealers are injected and carried by the fluid flow down to the perforations where they seat and divert the further injection of treating fluid through the remaining open perforations.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for transporting ball sealers down a perforated casing of a well to affect fluid diversion when hydraulically treating a formation penetrated by the well. In this invention, ball sealers are transported to said perforations in a carrier fluid system comprising a leading fluid portion having a density greater than said ball sealers and a trailing fluid portion having a density less than said ball sealers. The ball sealers will be moved downwardly in the casing to the perforations and will seat onto the perforations through which fluids are flowing to divert fluid through the unplugged perforations.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for the selective placement of ball sealers for fluid treatment of a well, said ball sealers having a density less than the density of said fluid comprising a tubular member, means on said tubular member for positioning said apparatus in said well casing and means on said tubular member for deploying and blocking said well casing to prevent upward movement of said ball sealers past said apparatus.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are described for diverting fluid when treating a subterranean formation penetrated by a well provided with casing having a plurality of perforations. Ball sealers having a density less than fluid in the casing are lowered down the casing between upper perforations and lower perforations. A screen means is positioned above the ball sealers to prevent upward migration of the balls to a level adjacent the upper perforations. A preferred screen means comprises a cage which is open at its lower end and has openings in its upper end which prevent passage of ball sealers therethrough and permits fluid flow down the casing and through the cage. The cage with the ball sealers therein is lowered down the casing by a conventional wireline. Once the cage and ball sealers are between the upper and lower perforations, a treating fluid more dense than the ball sealers is injected into the well to cause fluid flow.

Abstract: A method for sequential treatment of formation strats when treating fluid is pumped into a well at a matrix rate by temporarily closing perforations in the well casing. The perforations are closed by ball sealers injected into the wall during the treatment. The ball sealers are sized to plug the perforations and have a density less than the density of the treating fluid. The treating fluid is injected at a rate which transports the ball sealers to the perforations but which is sufficiently low to prevent formation fracture.

Abstract: A method is described for using ball sealers as a diverting agent when treating a subterranean formation penetrated by a well provided with casing having perforations at a plurality of levels. Ball sealers sized to plug a perforation, a first fluid having a density greater than the ball sealers and a second fluid less dense than the ball sealers are introduced into the casing concurrently or in any order. The amount of the first fluid introduced should be sufficient to fill the lower portion of the casing to a level between the lower perforations to be plugged and the upper perforations to be left open to fluid flow. Once the ball sealers are disposed below the upper perforations, treating fluid is injected into the casing to cause a flow of the second fluid through the lower perforations to carry the ball sealers down the casing to plug the lower perforations and to cause fluid flow through the upper perforation which the ball sealers did not plug.

Abstract: A ball sealer for use as a diverting agent when treating a well having a perforated casing. The ball sealer is sized to plug a perforation and has a density less than the treating fluid. The ball sealer is made of a core material, such as syntactic foam or polymethylpentene, and a covering of a thin layer of an elastomeric material. After some of the treating fluid has been injected into the well, the ball sealers are injected and carried by the fluid flow down to the perforations where they seat and divert the further injection of treating fluid through the remaining open perforations.