Patent ID: 8709983
Filing Date: 2014-04-29
Classification: C09K

Abstract:
1. A liquid non-phosphorus gellant for gelling a fracturing fluid comprising: a mixture of asymmetrical di-salts and tri-salts resulting from reaction in an organic solvent of: a multivalent metal salt, being a multivalent metal carboxylate salt or multivalent metal carboxylate amine salt; one or more organic acids; and a carboxylate ester selected to match at least a smaller carboxylate group formed on the multivalent metal carboxylate salt or multivalent metal carboxylate amine salt and drive the reaction to form a stable mixture of the asymmetrical di and tri-salts; and an effective amount of a rheology modifier sufficient to preferentially interact with, and prevent the interaction of the mixture of asymmetrical di-salts and tri-salts so as to prevent solidifying of the mixture until such time as the liquid gellant is mixed in the fracturing fluid in which an activator is present; wherein upon mixing the liquid gellant with the fracturing fluid, the fracturing fluid gels in less than about 30 seconds; wherein the mixture of asymmetrical di-salts and tri-salts comprise the tri-salt of Species 1 and the di-salt of Species 2: wherein x and y are from about 5 to about 54 and x is not equal to y; and wherein M is a multivalent metal.