Patent ID: 7708069
Filing Date: 2010-05-04
Classification: C09K,E21B,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A method of mitigating proppant settling in a hydraulic fracture, the method comprising the following steps: a. providing a proppant-carrier fluid slurry; b. adding a low-density particulate material which defines an additive at a concentration of between 1% and 2% by weight of proppant volume to the proppant-carrier fluid slurry, the particulate additive having a specific gravity lower than the specific gravity of the carrier fluid; c. providing a proppant having a specific gravity that is greater than that of the carrier fluid; d. injecting the proppant-carrier fluid slurry having the low-density particulate material into the fracture; e. due to the specific gravity gradient between the particulate material, the proppant-carrier fluid slurry, and the proppant, causing the additive particles to rise in the carrier fluid while the proppant particles fall in the carrier fluid; and f. through interference from collisions of the upward moving additive particles with the downward moving proppant particles, slowing the proppant settling rate which results in a more uniform vertical distribution of proppant in the fracture at closure.