Well treatment method using fluid containing lactic acid or salt thereof

1. A method of fracturing a subterranean formation of an oil or gas well to stimulate production of hydrocarbons, the method comprising the steps of:

(1) injecting into the formation a fracturing fluid at a pressure sufficient to form fractures within the formation, the fracturing fluid comprising an aqueous acid, a synthetic polymer a metal crosslinking agent and lactic acid or lactic acid salt, wherein the concentration of lactic acid or lactic acid salt in the fracturing fluid is between from about 10 to about 1,000 pounds per 1,000 gallons of fracturing fluid; and

(2) crosslinking the synthetic polymer and metal crosslinking agent for a time sufficient to render a crosslinked acid gel.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the amount of lactic acid or lactic acid salt present in the fracturing fluid is an amount sufficient to retard or prevent the crosslinking reaction of synthetic polymer and metal crosslinking agent until a temperature of least 120° F. is reached in the subterranean formation.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the amount of lactic acid or lactic acid salt present in the fracturing fluid is an amount sufficient to retard or prevent the crosslinking reaction of synthetic polymer and metal crosslinking agent until a temperature of at least 140° F. is reached in the subterranean formation.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the lactic acid or lactic acid salt is present at a concentration less than about 80 pounds per 1000 gallons of fracturing fluid.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the lactic acid or lactic acid salt is present at a concentration less than about 25 pounds per 1,000 gallons of fracturing fluid.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the aqueous acid is hydrochloric acid.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the aqueous acid further includes formic acid, acetic acid or mixtures thereof.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal crosslinking agent contains either titanium, zirconium, aluminum, iron or antimony or a mixture thereof.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the metal crosslinking agent contains aluminum and zirconium.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the metal crosslinking agent is zirconium oxychloride, zirconium acetate, zirconium lactate, zirconium malate, zirconium citrate, titanium lactate, titanium malate, or titanium citrate or a combination thereof.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the synthetic polymer is polyvinyl alcohol, polyacrylamide or a copolymer of acrylamide.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the synthetic polymer is a copolymer of the formula:

wherein m is 2 to 5 and n is 4 to 8.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the polyacrylamide is an acrylamide polymer having less than 1% of the acrylamide groups in the form of carboxylate groups.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the subterranean formation is a carbonate formation.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the carbonate formation is limestone or dolomite.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the amount of aqueous acid in the fracturing fluid is between from about 3 to about 28 percent of the total weight percent of the fracturing fluid.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the amount of aqueous acid in the fracturing fluid is between from about 15 to about 20 percent of the total weight percent of the fracturing fluid.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fracturing fluid further comprises a gel breaker.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pH of the aqueous acid is about 0.0.

20. The method of claim 1 , wherein the synthetic polymer is an emulsion polymer.

21. A method of fracturing a subterranean carbonate formation of an oil or gas well to stimulate production of hydrocarbons, the method comprising injecting into the carbonate formation a fracturing fluid at a pressure sufficient to form fractures within the formation, the fracturing fluid comprising an aqueous acid, synthetic polymer, metal crosslinking agent and lactic acid or a lactic acid salt and a gel breaker, wherein the amount of lactic acid or lactic acid salt in the fracturing fluid is between from about 10 to about 1000 pounds per 1,000 gallons of fracturing fluid.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the lactic acid or lactic acid is present at a concentration less than about 80 pounds per 1,000 gallons of fracturing fluid.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the aqueous acid is present at a concentration less than about 50 pounds per 1,000 gallons of fracturing fluid.

24. The method of claim 21 , wherein the aqueous acid is hydrochloric acid.

25. The method of claim 24 , wherein the aqueous acid further includes formic acid, acetic acid or a mixture thereof.

26. The method of claim 21 , wherein the metal crosslinking agent contains either titanium, zirconium, aluminum, iron or antimony or a mixture thereof.

27. The method of claim 26 , wherein the metal crosslinking agent contains aluminum and zirconium.

28. The method of claim 26 , wherein the metal crosslinking agent is zirconium, oxychloride, zirconium acetate, zirconium lactate, zirconium malate, zirconium citrate, titanium lactate, titanium malate, or titanium citrate or a combination thereof.

29. The method of claim 21 , wherein the synthetic polymer is polyvinyl alcohol, polyacrylamide or a copolymer of acrylamide.

30. The method of claim 29 , wherein the synthetic polymer is a copolymer of

wherein m is 2 to 5 and n is 4 to 8.

31. The method of claim 21 , wherein the carbonate formation is limestone or dolomite.

32. The method of claim 21 , wherein the pH of the aqueous acid is about 0.0.

33. In a method of fracturing a subterranean formation of an oil or gas well to stimulate production of hydrocarbons by injecting at high pressure into the formation a fracturing fluid comprising an aqueous acid, a synthetic polymer and a metal crosslinking agent, the improvement comprising retarding or preventing crosslinking between the synthetic polymer and metal crosslinking agent at temperatures less than about 100° F. by inclusion of lactic acid or a lactic acid salt in the fracturing fluid, the lactic acid or lactic acid salt being present in an amount between from about 10 to about 1000 pounds per 1000 gallons of fracturing fluid.

34. The method of claim 33 , wherein the lactic acid or lactic acid salt is present at a concentration less than about 80 pounds per 1,000 gallons of fracturing fluid.

35. The method of claim 34 , wherein the Lactic acid or lactic acid salt is present at a concentration less than about 25 pounds per 1,000 gallons of fracturing fluid.

36. The method of claim 33 , wherein the aqueous acid is hydrochloride acid.

37. The method of claim 36 , wherein the aqueous acid further includes formic acid acetic acid or mixture thereof.

38. The method of claim 33 , wherein the metal crosslinking agent contains either titanium, zirconium, aluminum, iron or antimony or a mixture thereof.

39. The method of claim 38 , wherein the metal crosslinking agent contains aluminum and zirconium.

40. The method of claim 38 , wherein the metal crosslinking agent is zirconium oxychloride, zirconium acetate, zirconium lactate, zirconium malate, zirconium citrate, titanium lactate, titanium malate or titanium citrate or a combination thereof.

41. The method of claim 33 , wherein the synthetic polymer is polyvinyl alcohol, polyacrylamide or a copolymer or acrylamide.

42. The method of claim 41 , wherein the synthetic polymer is a copolymer of the formula:

wherein m is 2 to 5 and n 4 to 8.

43. The method of claim 33 , wherein the fracturing fluid further comprises a gel breaker.