Patent ID: 8461087
Filing Date: 2013-06-11
Classification: B82Y,C04B,C09K,E21B,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A method for fracture stimulation of a subterranean formation having a wellbore, comprising: providing a polymeric impact modified nanocomposite spherical bead proppant comprising: a polymer matrix, wherein said polymer matrix comprises a styrene-divinylbenzene copolymer or a styrene-ethylvinylbenzene-divinylbenzene terpolymer; from 0.1 to 65 weight percent of a polymeric impact modifier; and from 0.001 to 60 volume percent of nanofiller particles possessing, a length that is less than 0.5 microns in at least one principal axis direction; said nanofiller particles comprising at least one of dispersed fine particulate material, fibrous material, discoidal material, or a combination of such materials, and wherein said nanofiller particles are selected from the group of nanofillers consisting of: carbon black, fumed silica, fumed alumina, carbon nanotubes, carbon nanofibers, cellulosic nanofibers, fly ash, polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes, or mixtures thereof, wherein said nanofiller particles are dispersed throughout said polymeric impact modified nanocomposite spherical bead proppant, wherein said polymeric impact modified nanocomposite spherical bead proppant has a diameter ranging from 0.1 mm to 4 mm, and wherein said polymeric impact modified nanocomposite spherical bead proppant has about neutral buoyancy relative to water; forming a slurry comprising a fluid and said polymeric impact modified nanocomposite spherical bead proppant; injecting into the wellbore said slurry at sufficiently high rates and pressures such that said formation fails and fractures to accept said slurry; and emplacing said polymeric impact modified nanocomposite spherical bead proppant within a fracture network in said formation in a packed mass or a partial monolayer of polymeric impact modified nanocomposite spherical bead proppant which packed mass or partial monolayer props open the fracture network; thereby allowing produced gases, fluids, or mixtures thereof, to flow towards the wellbore.