Method of recycling fracturing fluids using a self-degrading foaming composition

1. A method of fracturing a subterranean zone penetrated by a well bore comprising the steps of:

(a) injecting a fracturing fluid into a subterranean zone, said fracturing fluid comprising an aqueous solution, a gelling agent, and a self-degrading foaming composition whereby said self-degrading foaming composition comprises a mixture of anionic surfactant and nonionic surfactant, wherein the anionic surfactant comprises disodium lauramide monoethanol amine sulfosuccinamate;

(b) adding a predetermined amount of gas to said subterranean zone to foam said fracturing fluid and form a foamed fracturing fluid;

(c) contacting said subterranean zone with said foamed fracturing fluid under conditions effective to create at least one fracture therein;

(d) maintaining the foamed fracturing fluid in contact with the subterranean zone for a predetermined time; and

(e) recovering the foamed fracturing fluid after fracturing operations, wherein the self-degrading foaming composition forms a less stable foam when the foamed fracturing fluid is recovered after fracturing operations.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said gelling agent comprises a polysaccharide selected from the group consisting of gum arabic, gum ghatti, gum karaya, tamarind gum, tragacanth gum, guar gum, locust beam gum, carboxymethylguar, hydroxypropylguar, carboxymethylhydroxypropylguar, and mixtures thereof.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the gelling agent comprises hydroxypropylguar.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the anionic surfactant is present in an amount of about 0.05 to about 2 percent of the liquid component by volume.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the nonionic surfactant is an ethoxylated fatty acid ester of polyethylene glycol.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the nonionic surfactant is present in an amount of about 0.05 to about 2 percent of the liquid component by volume.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of adding a proppant to the fracturing fluid before adding said gas.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the foamed fracturing fluid has reduced foam quality after aging up to about 24 hours at temperatures from about room temperature to about 140° F.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said gas in said foamed fracturing fluid is selected from the group consisting of air, nitrogen, carbon dioxide and combinations thereof.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said gas in said foamed fracturing fluid is present in an amount in the range from about 20% to about 80% by volume of said aqueous solution.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein said aqueous solution is selected from the group consisting of fresh water, salt water, produced water, and combinations thereof.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the anionic surfactant comprises a mixture selected from the group consisting of dodecylbenzenesulfonate, diphenyloxide disulfonate, sulfosuccinate, sulfosuccinamate, naphthalene-formaldehyde condensate, alkyl sulfoester, alkyl sulfoamide and mixtures thereof.

13. A method of fracturing a subterranean zone penetrated by a well bore comprising the steps of:

(a) injecting a fracturing fluid into a subterranean zone, said fracturing fluid comprising an aqueous solution, a gelling agent, and a self-degrading foaming composition whereby said self degrading foaming composition comprises a mixture of anionic surfactant and nonionic surfactant, wherein the anionic surfactant comprises disodium lauramide monoethanol amine sulfosuccinamate;

(b) adding a predetermined amount of gas to said subterranean zone to foam said fracturing fluid and form a foamed fracturing fluid;

(c) contacting said subterranean zone with said foamed fracturing fluid under conditions effective to create at least one fracture therein; and

(d) forming a less stable foam when the foamed fracturing fluid is recovered after fracturing operations.