Patent ID: 9670398
Date: 2017-06-06
CPC Classifications: C09K,E21B

Claim:
1. A method for treating a hydrocarbon-bearing formation comprising: blending a carrier fluid with a copolymer, an oxidizing agent, and a reducing agent to form a fracturing fluid; the copolymer being a synthetic polymer, wherein the synthetic polymer comprises a labile group that is operative to facilitate decomposition of the synthetic polymer upon activation of the labile group, the labile group comprising ester groups, carbonate groups, azo groups, disulfide groups, orthoester groups, acetal groups, etherester groups, ether groups, silyl groups, phosphazine groups, urethane groups, esteramide groups, etheramide groups, anhydride groups, a derivative thereof, or a combination thereof; the oxidizing agent comprising a brominated compound; and the reducing agent comprising sodium erythorbate, iron sulfate, oxalic acid, formic acid, ascorbic acid, erythorbic acid, a compound comprising a metal ion wherein the metal ion is a copper ion, an iron ion, a tin ion, a manganese ion or a sulfur ion, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing; and the oxidizing agent and the labile group being selected such that the oxidizing agent is effective to activate the labile group and the activated labile group facilitates the decomposition of the synthetic polymer; discharging the fracturing fluid into a downhole fracture in the hydrocarbon-bearing formation; crosslinking the synthetic polymer in the fracturing fluid, the fracturing fluid having a viscosity of about 200 to about 3000 centipoises; activating the labile group on the synthetic polymer with the oxidizing agent; decomposing the synthetic polymer upon activation of the labile group to provide a decomposed polymer; and removing the decomposed polymer from the hydrocarbon-bearing formation, wherein the synthetic polymer is devoid of guar.