Granted Patent B1

US 7,897,063 · App. 11/743,280 · Granted Mar 1, 2011

Abstract

Claims (17)

1. A method for denaturing and breaking down a friction-reducing polymer introduced into gas and oil wells during the drilling and pumping process, said method comprising the following steps:

adding to a fracture fluid an oxidizing agent, selected from one of the following:

an oxy-chloro compound; and

an earth metal alkali oxidizing compound;

wherein said fracture fluid contains a friction-reducing polymer as one ingredient; and

introducing the fracture fluid and oxidizing agent concurrently and simultaneously downhole into a gas or oil well during a hydraulic fracturing process used to extract gas or oil from subterranean formations;

wherein the oxidizing agent initially denatures or unwinds the polymer.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the increased water solubility of the friction-reducing polymer allows said polymer to be recaptured during flow-back from the hydraulic fracturing process inside the gas or oil well.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein friction-reducing polymer that remains in the gas or oil well after flow-back is decomposed over time by the remaining oxidizing agent.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said method breaks down and destroys organic compounds and biohazards present within gas or oil wells, which are formed as a result of the introduction of contaminants during the drilling and pumping processes, including hydrogen sulfide produced by bacteria and including scale inhibitors, biocides, shale inhibitors, oxygen scavengers, friction-reducing agents, and flow-back additives.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the oxidizing agent and fracturing fluid are introduced into the gas or oil well under pressure during the fracturing process.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the oxidizing agent is selected from one or more of the following:

chlorine dioxide;

sodium N-chloro-para-toluenesulfonamide;

potassium peroxymonosulfate; and

N2, N4, N6-triazine triamino-s-triazine.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the oxidizing agent and the fracturing fluid are introduced simultaneously and concurrently into the gas well under pressure or the oil well under pressure during the fracturing process.

Assignments (10)