Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method comprising disposing in a formation fracture, a proppant and/or a fracturing fluid that comprises a radiation susceptible material that comprises indium and/or vanadium; irradiating the radiation susceptible material with neutrons; measuring gamma-radiation emitted from the radiation susceptible material in a single pass; wherein the single pass does not involve measuring of background radiation from previous or subsequent logging passes; and determining formation fracture height from the measured gamma-radiation.

Abstract: A method of altering the properties of a drilling fluid includes adding effective amounts of crushed or whole oilseeds or mixtures of crushed or whole oilseeds to a drilling fluid. The crushed or whole oilseeds or mixture of crushed or whole oilseeds are selected to impart any one of or a combination of effects including but not limited to: an increase in drilling fluid emulsion stability in oil-based or invert emulsion fluids, decreased specific gravity of the drilling fluid, seepage loss control, filtration control, oil wetting and deflocculation/dispersion, of entrained solids and/or reduced torque and drag of the drilling string.

Abstract: A method for removing water from a wellbore fluid is disclosed. The method may include the steps of contacting a wellbore fluid with a water absorbing polymer, where the wellbore fluid includes an aqueous fluid, allowing the water absorbing polymer to interact with the wellbore fluid for a sufficient period of time so that the water absorbing polymer absorbs at least a portion of water in the aqueous fluid, and separating the water absorbing polymer containing the absorbed water from the wellbore fluid.

Abstract: An engineered composition for reducing lost circulation in a well includes a mixture of coarse, medium and optional fine particles, and a blend of long fibers and short fibers. The long fibers are rigid and the short fibers are flexible. The long fibers form a tridimensional mat or net in the lost-circulation pathway that traps the mixture of particles and short flexible fibers to form a mudcake. The mixture of particles and blend of fibers may be added to water-based and oil-based drilling fluids. The composition, size, and concentration of each component of the mixture of particles and blend of fibers may be fine-tuned for each application.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for manufacturing ceramic microspheres from industrial slag. The microspheres have a particle size of about 38 microns to about 150 microns. The microspheres are used to create a cement slurry having a density of at least about 11 lbs/g. The resultant cement slurry may then be used to treat subterranean wells.

Abstract: Methods and compositions useful in treating subterranean formations, and more particularly, breaker compositions that may be useful in treating subterranean formations wherein synthetic polymers are used, are provided. Of the many methods and compositions provided herein, one composition comprises a source of hydrogen peroxide and an activator. One method comprises providing a polymer breaker composition comprising a source of hydrogen peroxide and an activator; introducing the polymer breaker composition into a well bore which penetrates a subterranean formation; allowing the activator to activate the source of hydrogen peroxide to create an oxidizing species; and allowing the oxidizing species to break synthetic polymers present in the subterranean formation.

Abstract: A method of heterogeneous proppant placement in a subterranean fracture is disclosed. The method comprises injecting well treatment fluid including proppant (16) and proppant-spacing filler material called a channelant (18) through a wellbore (10) into the fracture (20), heterogeneously placing the proppant in the fracture in a plurality of proppant clusters or islands (22) spaced apart by the channelant (24), and removing the channelant filler material (24) to form open channels (26) around the pillars (28) for fluid flow from the formation (14) through the fracture (20) toward the wellbore (10). The proppant and channelant can be segregated within the well treatment fluid, or segregated during placement in the fracture. The channelant can be dissolvable particles, initially acting as a filler material during placement of the proppant in the fracture, and later dissolving to leave the flow channels between the proppant pillars.

Abstract: The inventions are for methods of forming and delivering a treatment fluid into a wellbore. In one aspect, methods are provided of treating a base aqueous solution to obtain a first aqueous solution, for example, to have a substantially reduced concentration of at least one component relative to the concentration of the component in the base aqueous solution, and using the first aqueous solution and a lower-quality water, such as the base aqueous solution, to form a treatment fluid. The first aqueous solution and the lower-quality water are merged after pumping the fluid portions toward the wellbore. The component is selected for being deleterious to the use or performance of a treatment fluid. More particularly, the component is selected from the group consisting of: a dissolved ion, oil, grease, a production chemical, and suspended, water-insoluble solids. This allows the use of lower-quality water for some of the water required for making up the treatment fluid.

Abstract: Agents, chemicals and particles may be controllably released at remote locations, such as pre-selected or predetermined portions of subterranean formations, by binding or associating or trapping them with an association of micelles formed by a viscoelastic surfactant (VES) in an aqueous base fluid to increase the viscosity of the fluid. An internal breaker within the association of micelles disturbs the association of micelles at some later, predictable or predetermined time thereby reducing the viscosity of the aqueous viscoelastic treating fluid and releasing the agent, chemical or particle at a predetermined or selected location.

Abstract: Alkaline earth metal compounds may be fluid loss control agents for viscoelastic surfactant (VES) fluids used for well completion or stimulation in hydrocarbon recovery operations. The VES fluid may further include proppant or gravel, if it is intended for use as a fracturing fluid or a gravel packing fluid, although such uses do not require that the fluid contain proppant or gravel. The fluid loss control agents may include, but not be limited to, oxides and hydroxides of alkaline earth metal, and in one case magnesium oxide where the particle size of the magnesium oxide is between 1 nanometer to 0.4 millimeter. The fluid loss agent appears to associate with the VES micelles and together form a novel pseudo-filter cake crosslinked-like viscous fluid layer that limits further VES fluid flow into the porous media. The fluid loss control agent solid particles may be added along with VES fluids.

Abstract: Piezoelectric crystal particles (which include pyroelectric crystal particles) enhance the viscosity of aqueous fluids that have increased viscosity due to the presence of viscoelastic surfactants (VESs). In one non-limiting theory, when the fluid containing the viscosity enhancers is heated and/or placed under pressure, the particles develop surface charges that associate, link, connect, or relate the VES micelles thereby increasing the viscosity of the fluid. The higher fluid viscosity is beneficial to crack the formation rock during a fracturing operation, reduce fluid leakoff, and carry high loading proppants to maintain the high conductivity of fractures.

Abstract: A fracturing fluid, gravel pack fluid and/or frac pack fluid containing particles such as proppants, gravel and/or sand, may contain an effective amount of a nano-sized particulate additive to fixate or reduce fines migration, where the particulate additive is an alkaline earth metal oxide, alkaline earth metal hydroxide, alkali metal oxides, alkali metal hydroxides, transition metal oxides, transition metal hydroxides, post-transition metal oxides, post-transition metal hydroxides piezoelectric crystals and pyroelectric crystals. The nano-sized particulate additive is bound to the particles with a coating agent such as an oil. The particle size of the magnesium oxide or other agent may be nanometer scale, which scale may provide unique particle charges that help fixate the formation fines. The carrier fluid used in the treating fluid may be aqueous, brine, alcoholic or hydrocarbon-based.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the present invention provides a drilling fluid composition that comprises a surfactant-free emulsion comprising an oleaginous fluid, a fluid that is at least partially immiscible with the oleaginous fluid, and emulsion facilitating particles. In another embodiment, the present invention provides a method of treating a subterranean formation comprising providing a treatment fluid that comprises a surfactant-free emulsion, the surfactant-free emulsion comprising an oleaginous fluid, a fluid that is at least partially immiscible with the oleaginous fluid, and emulsion facilitating particles; and treating the subterranean formation.

Abstract: Methods of incorporating a chemical breaker onto a proppant that will permit release of the breaker after the proppant has been placed in a hydraulic fracture are provided. The methods utilize a chemical breaker coated on the surface of a non-porous proppant grain or placed in the pore space of a porous proppant grain and secondarily coated with an outer layer which can be tailored to delay the release of the breaker.

Abstract: A proppant composition comprises a non-radioactive, detectable tracer at least partially embedded in a ceramic composition. The composition may be prepared by agglomerating granules of the ceramic material and granules of the non-radioactive, detectable material to produce the particle by compression. Backflow of proppants in a fractured subterranean formation into which a plurality of particles of the proppant composition have been introducted may be tracked by analyzing a sample of the backflow by detecting for presence of the tracer in the sample.

Abstract: A composition and method for use in drilling or completing a subterranean well comprising a solids free, high-density brine composed of alkali metal polytungstate and blends thereof. These high-density brines are also useful as wellbore fluids and other non-oilfield fluids requiring high density properties.

Abstract: The invention deals with the microorganism protection of liquid media, mainly, in the petroleum industry; and it can be applied for the microorganism protection of liquid media used, particularly, when simulating hydrocarbon production, most preferentially, for liquid medium, used in hydraulic fracturing. Biocide is fine particles consisting of silver, at least partially, their specific surface area being up to 2000 m2/g.

Abstract: The present invention provides variable density fluid compositions and methods for using such compositions in a subterranean formation. One exemplary embodiment of the variable density fluid compositions of the present invention comprises a variable density fluid comprising: a base fluid, and a portion of variable pressure weighting material particles.

Abstract: The present invention provides the use of surface-modified nanoparticles in fluids used to recover hydrocarbon from underground formations. The use of surface-modified nanoparticles in such fluids provides foams that are stable under pressure yet have a shorter foam lifetime than typical surfactant-stabilized foams after the pressure is released or lowered.

Abstract: The present invention involves methods and compositions for treating subterranean formations, and more specifically, relates to improved methods and compositions for degrading filter cake deposited in a subterranean formation by effecting a uniform distribution of a filter cake breaker. One embodiment of the present invention provides a weighted encapsulated breaker comprising a breaker material; and, a coating material comprising a polymer material and a filler material having a specific gravity of at least about 6.5.

Abstract: A system and method for removing particles from a well bore penetrating a possible hydrocarbon producing formation, according to which drilling fluid is mixed with a weighted material, and the mixture is introduced into a well bore so that the mixture scours any particles accumulated in the well bore. A well-completion fluid is introduced into the well bore that dissolves the weighted material.

Abstract: A wellbore fluid having a non-aqueous continuous liquid phase that exhibits an electrical conductivity of not less than 10 &mgr;S m−1 at 1 kHz comprises a polar organic liquid (POL) which exhibits a dielectric constant of at least about 5.0 and a Hildebrand Solubility Parameter of at least about 17 (J cm−3)1/2. Oils or other organic liquids (OL) known to be suitable as the continuous liquid phase of wellbore fluids, may be used in admixture with POL component. Certain inorganic salts, organic bases, quaternary ammonium salts or hydroxides (the dissolved component, DC), display sufficient solubility (and current carrying abilities) in POL, OL or in mixtures of liquid (POL) and liquid (OL) to further improve the electrical conductivity of the mixture. The wellbore fluid can be used for providing enhanced information from electrical logging tools, measurement while drilling, logging while drilling, geosteering and the like.

Abstract: Methods of reducing proppant flowback during production of fluids form subterranean formations are provided. Compressed sieves made from a shape memory material are introduced into hydraulic fracturing opera into hydraulic fractures in subterranean formations during hydraulic fracturing operations or subsequent thereto. The heat of the formation, or introduced heat, triggers the return of the sieves to their previous uncompressed shape and size. The sieves thereby wedge themselves into position within the fractures and serve to filter proppant and formation fines from produced fluids.

Abstract: An oil well capsule to reduce the paraffin and asphaltene which accumulate on the walls of the pipes which are used to bring the oil up from underground deposits, and a method of using the oil well capsule. An oil well capsule having a shell encapsulating a chemically active mass wherein the chemically active mass consists essentially of alkaline or alkaline earth metal.

Abstract: A modified cellulose product comprising cellulose ether, such as carboxymethyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellullose, carboxymethyl hydroxyethyl cellulose, methyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl methyl cellulose or ethyl hydroxyethyl cellulose, or xanthan gum product, characterized in that it further comprises salts of aluminium-, ferro-, ferri-, zinc-, nickel-, tin(2)- or tin(4)-cations, and nitrilo-tri-acetic acid, 1,2-cyclo-hexan-di-amin-N,N,N′,N′-tetra-acetic acid, di-ethylen-tri-amine-penta-acetic acid, ethylen-di-oxy-bis(ethylen-nitrilo)-tetra-acetic acid, (N-(2-hydroxy-ethyl)-ethylen-diamin-N, N′,N′,tri-acetic acid, tri-ethylen-tetra-amine-hexa-acetic acid or N-(hydroxyethyl) ethylene-di-amine-tri-acetic acid as a ligand. The product can be used especially as a drilling mud additive.

Abstract: New compositions have been discovered which are useful as slurry concentrates to carry solid particles along in a fluid. A non-limiting example would be to carry proppants in a concentrate to a completion fluid being pumped downhole in a hydrocarbon recovery operation. The composition employs both a trivalent salt, such as aluminum chlorohydrate, as a viscosifying agent, and a surfactant. Surprisingly, it has been discovered that a synergistic effect is present between the aluminum chlorohydrate and the surfactant in that less of each component is required when both are used together to suspend the same amount of solids, than if one or the other is used separately. The viscoelasticity of the concentrate may be easily broken by dilution; other mechanisms are also anticipated.

Abstract: Drilling fluid additives are designed to increase the density of drilling fluids while minimizing the increase in the resistance to flow of the drilling fluid. In particular, barite particles are added to the drilling fluid as a weight material where the barite particles include at least 85% by weight particles less than 75 microns and greater than 6 microns in equivalent spherical diameter.

Abstract: A composition of matter for matrix conformance formed from an aqueous solution of an alginate polysaccharide and a method of forming an alginate polysaccharide gel. A Group IIA cation, Fe.sup.2+, Fe.sup.3+, Al.sup.3+, Mn.sup.2 +, Zn.sup.2+, a dialdehyde, or a diamine may be used to crosslink the resulting alginate gel. The gel may also comprise a modifier, such as a polyvinyl alcohol, a polycarboxylic acid, or a polyacrylamide. The rate and extent of crosslinking are controlled by varying the alginate molecular weight, the alginate concentration, or the type and concentration of crosslinker, or by adding a sequestering agent such as EDTA or citrate.