Patent ID: 7552770

Claim:
A method for treating a selected one of a plurality of subterranean formations penetrated from an earth surface by a well with a gravel pack comprising gravel positioned around an outer circumference of the well and over the subterranean formations with a screen inside the gravel, the well further including a perforated base pipe in fluid communication with an inside of the screen and the earth surface, the method comprising: a) positioning at least one packer in the base pipe to isolate at least the selected one of the subterranean formations; b) positioning a quantity of a particulate mixture consisting essentially of a wax having a melting point above the treatment temperature of the selected subterranean formation and a finely-divided particulate metal salt, the mixture having a specific gravity greater than water above the at least one packer in an amount sufficient to deform outwardly over the at least one packer, through the perforations in the base pipe and into a gap between an outside of the perforated base pipe and the inside of the screen; and, c) injecting a quantity of a sealing agent sufficient to plug the gravel pack above the particulate mixture into the well and into the selected subterranean formation.