Abstract: A segregating fluid for use in a wellbore includes an aqueous segregating carrier fluid; and a preformed synthetic polymer swellable in the aqueous segregating carrier fluid in an amount effective to segregate a first fluid from a second fluid in a wellbore.

Abstract: Methods to induce pressure transients in fluids for use in hydrocarbon recovery operations. Pressure transients are induced in a fluid by a collision process. The collision process employs a moving object that collides outside the fluid with a body that is in contact with the fluid inside a partly enclosed space. The pressure transients must be allowed to propagate in the fluid. The fluid may be one or more of the following group: primarily water, consolidation fluid, treatment fluid, cleaning fluid, drilling fluid, fracturing fluid and cement.

Abstract: A method, system, and apparatus required for creating a mixture of dry proppant and liquid carbon dioxide (LCO2) for fracturing oil and gas formations is presented. The operation includes making a mixture of dry proppant and liquid carbon dioxide (LCO2) for use in a fracturing operation by supplying dry proppant that is pressurized to between 75 and 600 psia with a gas; further supplying a stream of sub-cooled LCO2 having a pressure substantially equal to that of the pressurized dry proppant; and adding dry, pressurized proppant to the stream of sub-cooled LCO2, thereby forming a mixed LCO2 and proppant fracturing slurry.

Abstract: The oil production intensification method includes injecting the reagent into the reservoir and treating the bottom zone of the well with high voltage pulse discharges with an electric discharge device continuously traveling from bottom to top in the atmosphere of such reagent. The number of pulses of such high voltage pulse discharges is set subject to the real porosity of the reservoir and the empirical dependence of the number of pulses of high voltage pulse discharges per meter of the reservoir and porosity of rocks pre-estimated with the core material. After the electric discharge device stops traveling up, the treatment with high voltage pulse discharges also stops, and the well is pressurized until the pressure stabilizes in it. Then, the bottom hole area of the well is further treated with high voltage pulses as the electric discharge device travels from top to bottom. Whereby an intensified oil production is realized, from 2 to 20 times more oil may be extracted.

Abstract: Methods of treating a portion of a subterranean formation, including providing a treatment fluid comprising an aqueous base fluid, a treating agent, a foaming agent, a gas source, and a self-degradable diverting agent; placing the treatment fluid into the portion of the subterranean formation; and degrading the self-degradable diverting agent within the subterranean formation.

Abstract: A method of obtaining a hydrocarbon material from a subterranean formation comprises forming a flooding suspension comprising degradable particles and a carrier fluid. The flooding suspension is introduced into a subterranean formation containing a hydrocarbon material to form an emulsion stabilized by the degradable particles and remove the emulsion from the subterranean formation. At least a portion of the degradable particles are degraded to destabilize the emulsion. An additional method of obtaining a hydrocarbon material from a subterranean formation, and a stabilized emulsion are also described.

Abstract: A drilling fluid and method for drilling in a coal containing formation with a mixed metal-viscosified drilling fluid including at least 0.05% calcium sulfate.

Abstract: A method of treating a subterranean formation including providing a treatment fluid comprising a hardenable acid curable resin and a hydrolysable strong acid ester. The treatment fluid is combined with a diluent fluid and is introduced into a subterranean formation. Upon the hydrolyzing of the ester in the formation and the contacting of unconsolidated proppants, the treatment method produces consolidated proppants.

Abstract: A method of treating a subterranean formation including providing a treatment fluid comprising a hardenable acid curable resin and a hydrolysable dimer acid ester. The treatment fluid is combined with a carrier fluid and is introduced into a subterranean formation. Upon the hydrolyzing of the ester in the formation and the contacting of unconsolidated proppants, the treatment method produces consolidated proppants.

Abstract: A method to induce pressure transients in fluids for use in hydrocarbon recovery operations by inducing the pressure transients in a fluid by a collision process. The collision process employs a moving object (103,203,303,403) that collides outside the fluid with a body (102,202,302,402) that is in contact with the fluid inside a partly enclosed space (101,201,301,401). Furthermore, the pressure transients must be allowed to propagate in the fluid. The fluid may be one or more of the following group: primarily water, consolidation fluid, treatment fluid, cleaning fluid, drilling fluid, fracturing fluid and cement.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide methods and composition for stimulating a hydrocarbon-bearing, heavy oil containing formation, a deep oil reservoir, or a tight oil reservoir, whereby exothermic reactants are utilized to generate in-situ steam and nitrogen gas downhole in the formation or the reservoir as an enhanced oil recovery process. An oil well stimulation method is provided, which includes injecting, into the one of the formation and the reservoir, an aqueous composition including an ammonium containing compound and a nitrite containing compound. The method further includes injecting, into the one of the formation and the reservoir, an activator. The activator initiates a reaction between the ammonium containing compound and the nitrite containing compound, such that the reaction generates steam and nitrogen gas, increasing localized pressure and improving oil mobility, in the one of the formation and the reservoir, thereby enhancing oil recovery from the one of the formation and the reservoir.

Abstract: A method of hydraulic fracturing is provided which uses metal silicides to generate significant pressure inside a wellbore. The method comprises injecting a fracturing fluid and an aqueous or reacting fluid into the wellbore to react with the fracturing fluid. The fracturing fluid comprises metal silicide, which may be uncoated or coated, and hydrocarbon fluid. The reacting fluid comprises water or a solvent. A method of removing buildup in pipelines such as subsea pipelines which uses metal silicides to generate heat and pressure inside the pipeline is also provided. The method comprises injecting an organic slug and an aqueous slug. The organic slug comprises metal silicide and hydrocarbon fluid. The aqueous slug comprises water. Alternatively, there is also provided a method for purifying flowback water produced from a hydraulic fracturing process comprising adding metal silicide to the flowback water produced from a hydraulic fracturing process.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for enhancing the recovery of oil from a formation. An enhanced oil recovery formulation comprising a gas comprised of a hydrocarbon-containing gas and an ether having from 2 to 4 carbons is injected into an oil-bearing formation to mobilize the oil. The mobilized oil is then produced from the formation.

Abstract: Treatment fluids comprising methane sulfonic acid (MSA) and fully protonated N-(phosphonomethyl)iminodiacetic acid (PMIDA) solubilized in the MSA. Methods including introducing the treatment fluids into a wellbore in a subterranean formation comprising acid-soluble material at a first treatment interval, and reacting the MSA and the PMIDA in the treatment fluid with the acid-soluble material at a temperature in the range of about 65° C. to about 210° C., wherein the reacting removes the acid-soluble material, thereby forming conductive channels in the subterranean formation.

Abstract: An enhanced recovery method that optimizes the stages of pumping, transport and surface treatment of the production effluent, during which a sweep fluid having at least one polymer so as to displace hydrocarbons towards a production well is injected into a reservoir, the resulting production effluent having hydrocarbons is collected through the production well, and a degradation agent for a polymer within the sweep fluid is injected into the effluent.

Abstract: A treatment method for a hydrocarbon well includes placing a well treatment fluid containing a viscosifying agent in the well and, using the viscosifying agent, attaining a first viscosity of the fluid in the well. The method includes combining a porphyrin compound with the fluid and, using the porphyrin compound, decreasing viscosity of the fluid in the well to a second viscosity less than the first viscosity. A hydrocarbon well treatment fluid includes an aqueous carrier fluid, a polymer viscosifying agent, and a chlorophyll compound.

Abstract: A method of hydraulic fracturing is provided which uses metal silicides to generate significant pressure inside a wellbore. The method comprises injecting a fracturing fluid and an aqueous or reacting fluid into the wellbore to react with the fracturing fluid. The fracturing fluid comprises metal silicide, which may be uncoated or coated, and hydrocarbon fluid. The aqueous fluid comprises water. The reacting fluid comprises water or a solvent. A method of removing buildup in pipelines such as subsea pipelines which uses metal silicides to generate heat and pressure inside the pipeline is also provided. The method comprises injecting an organic slug and an aqueous slug. The organic slug comprises metal silicide and hydrocarbon fluid. The aqueous slug comprises water. Alternatively, there is also provided a method for purifying flowback water produced from a hydraulic fracturing process comprising adding metal silicide to the flowback water produced from a hydraulic fracturing process.

Abstract: Methods of treating a fracture in a subterranean formation including providing a proppant-free fluid comprising a first gelling agent; providing a proppant fluid comprising a second gelling agent and proppant aggregates, wherein the proppant-free fluid and the proppant fluid are substantially immiscible; continuously pumping the proppant-free fluid into the subterranean formation; continuously pumping the proppant fluid into the subterranean formation, wherein the proppant-free fluid and the proppant fluid are present simultaneously in a portion of the subterranean formation but remain immiscible; placing the proppant aggregates into a portion of the fracture in the subterranean formation so as to form a proppant pack having proppant-free channels therein.

Abstract: Enhanced oil recovery techniques include introduction of alkali metal silicides into subterranean reservoirs to generate hydrogen gas, heat, and alkali metal silicate solutions in situ upon contact with water. The alkali metal silicides, such as sodium silicide, are used to recover hydrocarbons, including heavier crudes where viscosity and low reservoir pressure are limiting factors. Hydrogen, which is miscible with the crude oil and can beneficiate the heavier fractions into lighter fractions naturally or with addition of catalytic materials, is generated in-situ. It. Heat is also generated at the reaction site to reduce viscosity and promote crude beneficiation. The resulting alkaline silicate solution saponifies acidic crude components to form surfactants which emulsify the crude to improve mobility toward a production well. The silicate promotes profile modification passively via consumptive reactions or actively via addition of acidic gelling agents.

Abstract: Inhibiting gas hydrate formation while transporting hydrocarbon fluids may include providing a kinetic gas hydrate inhibitor, adding the kinetic gas hydrate inhibitor to a fluid capable of producing gas hydrates, and transporting the fluid that comprises the kinetic gas hydrate inhibitor. Generally a kinetic gas hydrate inhibitor may include a heterocyclic compound comprising nitrogen, e.g., poly(vinyl pyrrolidone).