Nanoparticle-Associated Surfactant Micellar Fluids: An Alternative to Crosslinked Polymer Systems

Abstract

Hydraulic fracturing has become an increasingly important completion method to allow reservoirs to become economically producible and to improve the rate of hydrocarbon production. Crosslinked polymer fluids have been the most commonly used fracturing fluid. These fluids exhibit exceptional performance to initiate and propagate a fracture and carry proppant into the reservoir during a treatment. However, crosslinked polymer fluids can leave a significant amount of polymer in the fracture once a treatment is completed. Decades of improving oxidative, enzyme and other breakers for the polymer fluids has only marginally improved the amount of polymer residue left within the fracture. The result has been wells with subpar hydrocarbon recovery rates and in many geographic areas the return of large volume waterfracs. Over the past two decades surfactant-based fluids have been developed as a low-damage alternative. However, surfactant-based systems have had major limitations for hydraulic fracturing. This paper will introduce improved fluid technology that uses nanoparticles, internal breakers and low molecular weight surfactants to achieve the performance of crosslinked polymer fluids but leaves little to no gel residue. Nanoparticles have been found that uniquely associate thread-like micelles into 3-deminsional network that imparts wall-building leak-off control and fluid efficiency. The system also utilizes internal breakers that reside within the micelles and go wherever the fluid goes to insure complete viscosity reduction. The nanoparticle enhanced surfactant-based fluid technology may allow a wide range of hydraulically fractured reservoirs to produce at higher sustained rates than presently achievable, particularly for wells highly sensitive to fracture conductivity damage. This paper will present laboratory data that shows how uniquely charged nanoparticles improve surfactant-based fluid rheology and leak-off control properties. The mechanisms for the observed performance enhancements also will be discussed.

Effect of Nanoparticles with Different Chemical Nature on the Stability and Rheology of Acrylamide Sodium Acrylate Copolymer/Chromium (III) Acetate Gel for Conformance Control Operations

“…Nanoparticles are proposed as a novel alternative to enhance polymer gel properties. In the past few years, nanotechnology has been widely studied in the oil and gas industry [18][19][20][21][22][23][24]. Nanoparticles are particles that present a high surface area to volume ratio and a diameter size between 1 nm and 100 nm [19].…”

Enhancement of Filtration Properties in Surfactant-Based and Polymeric Fluids by Nanoparticles

“…Besides, the regular occurrence of thick filter cake and formation damage issues is overwhelming. When filter cake is not totally removed from fracture walls, fracture conductivity damage occurs (Crews et al, 2008;Crews and Gomaa, 2012). Adequate efforts should be geared towards preventing formation damage because the restoration of a damaged reservoir is difficult and costly (Krueger, 1986), especially in low permeability reservoirs like shale gas.…”

A State-of-the-Art Review of Nanoparticles Application in Petroleum with a Focus on Enhanced Oil Recovery

“…Increase low shear rate viscosity on Threadlike micelle fluids and more stable [36] Metal oxides based Improve fracturing fluid stability and viscosity at high temperature (300 F). [37] Non-ferrous NPS Combine with surfactant for IFT reduction [38] Refinery Nano-supported HDS Patent on nano-supported HDS catalyst [39] MoS 2 nano-catalyst Observe atomic-scale edge structures of MoS 2 [40] TiO 2 NPs Improve water treatment by reducing fouling effect [41] TiO 2 , ZrO 2 , and SiO 2 NPs…”

“…Barati et al [74] applied polyelectrolyte complex NPs, which worked to clean up fracturing fluids by delaying the release of enzymes that cause premature gel breaking and improve fracturing efficiency. Crews and Gomaa [36] found that ZnO NPs could raise the low shear rate viscosity of threadlike micellar fluids that exhibit similar behavior as crosslinked polymer systems. Li et al [37] conducted experimental studies on the effect of metal oxide NPs on fracturing fluids and found that adding NPs to the fracturing fluid improved the viscosity by 23-116% at an elevated temperature and reduced polymer loading.…”