FRAC DIVERTER AND METHOD
A fracture diverter including a body having a porosity and permeability that allows the passage of fluid and not proppant and a set of dimensions selected to enter an expected dimension perforation.
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In the resource recovery industry, fracturing operations have become essential to maximizing production capability from most wells. Fracturing uses high pressure fluid to fracture the formation surrounding a borehole to allow formation fluids an easier path to drain into the borehole. Fracturing works well for this purpose but it is known that sometimes the fracture paths are not evenly distributed along the wellbore since different rock formations and fluid frictional issues can cause certain areas of the wellbore to fracture first and then allow the fracture fluid to follow the path of least resistance into those fracture points and effectively skip over other perforations where additional fractures would otherwise further increase production from the well. The art has tried several types of technologies to divert the fracture fluid from least resistance pathways to higher resistance pathways but has had limited success. Sometimes the methods employed fail to divert fluid sufficiently to fracture recalcitrant perforations and sometimes the diverters themselves become an issue later in production since things such as steel balls may end up damaging other well systems.
SUMMARYAn embodiment of a fracture diverter including a body having a porosity and permeability that allows the passage of fluid and not proppant and a set of dimensions selected to enter an expected dimension perforation.
The following descriptions should not be considered limiting in any way. With reference to the accompanying drawings, like elements are numbered alike:
A detailed description of one or more embodiments of the disclosed apparatus and method are presented herein by way of exemplification and not limitation with reference to the Figures.
Referring to
Also unique to the disclosure hereof is the porosity of the body 26 having the range as noted above. The particular porosity and permeability facilitates the diversion since at high pressure, the fluid will find a different path but at the lower pressures of production, the fluid flows through the body 26 essentially unimpeded. In addition, sand from the formation is excluded by the body 26 and hence cleanouts of the well are reduced. Diverters of the prior art offer no such screening while producing characteristics.
As to dimensions of the body 26, it is to be appreciated that nearly any geometric shape may be used with appropriate dimensions such that the body 26 is inclined to enter the perforation and then become jammed therein or radially outwardly thereof. In some embodiments the body 26 will be spherical or spheroidal (such as an oblate spheroid or prolate spheroid) while in other embodiments, the shape may be snake-like, or cubic or pyramidal, etc. In each case, the dimensions of the body 26 will be slightly larger than the dimensions of the perforation so that the high-pressure fluid will force the body 26 into the perforation and it will become jammed therein. For example, for a perforation whose nominal opening is 0.4 inches, an exemplary set of dimensions for a body 26 are 0.5 inch. This is only by way of example and no limitation is intended other than to understand the point for entry into the perforation and the tendency to jam therein.
Set forth below are some embodiments of the foregoing disclosure:
Embodiment 1: A fracture diverter including a body having a porosity and permeability that allows the passage of fluid and not proppant and a set of dimensions selected to enter an expected dimension perforation.
Embodiment 2: The diverter as in any prior embodiment, wherein the set of dimensions defines a sphere or spheroid geometric shape.
Embodiment 3: The diverter as in any prior embodiment, wherein the body comprises a shape memory property.
Embodiment 4: The diverter as in any prior embodiment, wherein the body comprises a swellable material.
Embodiment 5: The diverter as in any prior embodiment, wherein the body comprises a resilient material.
Embodiment 6: The diverter as in any prior embodiment, wherein the shape memory property is temperature based.
Embodiment 7: The diverter as in any prior embodiment, wherein the body comprises a shape memory polymer foam.
Embodiment 8: A method for fracturing a formation including pumping a diverter as in any prior embodiment into a borehole in a formation, automatically disposing a diverter body in a perforation in the borehole, and jamming the diverter body in the perforation thereby inhibiting future movement of the body in an opposite direction through the perforation.
Embodiment 9: The method as in any prior embodiment, wherein the pumping is with a fracture fluid.
Embodiment 10: The method as in any prior embodiment, wherein the automatically disposing is by the body following a path of least resistance for the fluid.
Embodiment 11: The method as in any prior embodiment, wherein the jamming is physically jamming the body into the perforation by fluid pressure.
Embodiment 12: The method as in any prior embodiment, wherein the fluid pressure associated with the jamming is higher than a flowback pressure from the formation.
Embodiment 13: The method as in any prior embodiment, wherein the jamming is by expanding a set of dimensions of the body.
Embodiment 14: The method as in any prior embodiment, wherein the expanding occurs within the perforation.
Embodiment 15: The method as in any prior embodiment, wherein the expanding occurs radially outwardly the perforation.
Embodiment 16: The method as in any prior embodiment, wherein the expanding is by shape memory.
Embodiment 17: The method as in any prior embodiment, wherein the method further comprises producing fluid from the formation through the body.
Embodiment 18: The method as in any prior embodiment, wherein the method further comprises diverting fracture fluid to perforations other than the perforation in which the body is jammed.
Embodiment 19: The method as in any prior embodiment, wherein the method further comprises automatically disposing additional bodies in additional perforations as a path of least resistance for the fluid is established in the additional perforations.
Embodiment 20: A wellbore system including a borehole in a subsurface formation, a string in the borehole having a perforation therein, and a fracture diverter as in any prior embodiment disposed in the wellbore system.
The use of the terms “a” and “an” and “the” and similar referents in the context of describing the invention (especially in the context of the following claims) are to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. Further, it should be noted that the terms “first,” “second,” and the like herein do not denote any order, quantity, or importance, but rather are used to distinguish one element from another. The terms “about”, “substantially” and “generally” are intended to include the degree of error associated with measurement of the particular quantity based upon the equipment available at the time of filing the application. For example, “about” and/or “substantially” and/or “generally” can include a range of ±8% or 5%, or 2% of a given value.
The teachings of the present disclosure may be used in a variety of well operations. These operations may involve using one or more treatment agents to treat a formation, the fluids resident in a formation, a wellbore, and/or equipment in the wellbore, such as production tubing. The treatment agents may be in the form of liquids, gases, solids, semi-solids, and mixtures thereof. Illustrative treatment agents include, but are not limited to, fracturing fluids, acids, steam, water, brine, anti-corrosion agents, cement, permeability modifiers, drilling muds, emulsifiers, demulsifiers, tracers, flow improvers etc. Illustrative well operations include, but are not limited to, hydraulic fracturing, stimulation, tracer injection, cleaning, acidizing, steam injection, water flooding, cementing, etc.
While the invention has been described with reference to an exemplary embodiment or embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the claims. Also, in the drawings and the description, there have been disclosed exemplary embodiments of the invention and, although specific terms may have been employed, they are unless otherwise stated used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention therefore not being so limited.
Claims
1. A fracture diverter comprising a body having a porosity and permeability that allows the passage of fluid and not proppant and a set of dimensions selected to enter an expected dimension perforation.
2. The diverter as claimed in claim 1 wherein the set of dimensions defines a sphere or spheroid geometric shape.
3. The diverter as claimed in claim 1 wherein the body comprises a shape memory property.
4. The diverter as claimed in claim 1 wherein the body comprises a swellable material.
5. The diverter as claimed in claim 1 wherein the body comprises a resilient material.
6. The diverter as claimed in claim 3 wherein the shape memory property is temperature based.
7. The diverter as claimed in claim 1 wherein the body comprises a shape memory polymer foam.
8. A method for fracturing a formation comprising:
- pumping a diverter as claimed in claim 1 into a borehole in a formation;
- automatically disposing a diverter body in a perforation in the borehole; and
- jamming the diverter body in the perforation thereby inhibiting future movement of the body in an opposite direction through the perforation.
9. The method as claimed in claim 8 wherein the pumping is with a fracture fluid.
10. The method as claimed in claim 9 wherein the automatically disposing is by the body following a path of least resistance for the fluid.
11. The method as claimed in claim 8 wherein the jamming is physically jamming the body into the perforation by fluid pressure.
12. The method as claimed in claim 11 wherein the fluid pressure associated with the jamming is higher than a flowback pressure from the formation.
13. The method as claimed in claim 8 wherein the jamming is by expanding a set of dimensions of the body.
14. The method as claimed in claim 13 wherein the expanding occurs within the perforation.
15. The method as claimed in claim 13 wherein the expanding occurs radially outwardly the perforation.
16. The method as claimed in claim 13 wherein the expanding is by shape memory.
17. The method as claimed in claim 8 wherein the method further comprises producing fluid from the formation through the body.
18. The method as claimed in claim 8 wherein the method further comprises diverting fracture fluid to perforations other than the perforation in which the body is jammed.
19. The method as claimed in claim 8 wherein the method further comprises automatically disposing additional bodies in additional perforations as a path of least resistance for the fluid is established in the additional perforations.
20. A wellbore system comprising:
- a borehole in a subsurface formation;
- a string in the borehole having a perforation therein;
- and a fracture diverter as claimed in claim 1 disposed in the wellbore system.
Type: Application
Filed: Mar 2, 2021
Publication Date: Sep 8, 2022
Applicant: Baker Hughes Oilfield Operations LLC (Houston, TX)
Inventor: Gabriel Casanova (Spring, TX)
Application Number: 17/189,468