Enhanced proppant transport for hydraulic fracturing
A dry composition of dry polyacrylamide and dry guar; or a liquid suspension made from the dry composition for treating subterranean formations and methods for enhancing proppant transport in fracturing fluids using the composition.
1. A method for enhancing proppant transport in fracturing fluids for hydraulic fracturing comprising the steps of:
a) combining from 10-90% by weight of a dry naturally-derived polymer having a particle size below 500 μm and from 10-90% by weight of dry synthetic friction reducer having a particle size below 500 μm to form a dry friction reducing composition;
b) forming a liquid suspension from said dry friction reducing composition by adding said at least 20 percent by weight of said composition to a liquid carrier, the liquid carrier comprising mineral oil;
c) introducing said liquid suspension into a hydraulic fracturing fluid to form a treated hydraulic fracturing fluid;
d) adding said treated hydraulic fracturing fluid to a wellbore having a hole in a subterranean formation and
e) pumping said treated hydraulic fracturing fluid down said hole to frac said wellbore;
wherein said treated hydraulic fracturing fluid carries a minimum of 3 ppa proppant, is more crosslinkable and has a higher breakability.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein said liquid carrier further comprises glycol.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein said synthetic friction reducer is a water-soluble polymer.
4. The method of claim 3 wherein said water-soluble polymer is selected from the group consisting of polyacrylamide, polyethylene oxide and combinations thereof.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein said naturally-derived polymer is selected from the group consisting of guar, guar derivatives, cellulose derivatives and combinations thereof.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein said naturally-derived polymer is guar and said synthetic friction reducer is polyacrylamide fine powder having a particle size below 200 μm.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein said liquid suspension further comprises a cross-linking agent.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein said liquid suspension has a minimum linear gel viscosity of 15 cP at 4 pptg polymer loading.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein the fracturing fluid is slickwater formed from additives selected from the group consisting of polyacrylamide, polyethylene oxide, guar, cellulosics and combinations thereof.
10. The method of claim 6 wherein the range of guar to polyacrylamide of said dry friction reducing composition is in the range of 10% to 90% by weight to 90% to 10% by weight.
11. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the liquid suspension further comprises an organophilic clay.
12. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the liquid suspension further comprises surfactant.
13. A method for increasing the efficiency of a polyacrylamide additive in slickwater fracturing comprising the steps of:
a) combining dry polyacrylamide fine powder having a particle size below 500 μm with dry guar having a particle size below 500 μm to form an additive composition to form a dry friction reducing composition;
b) forming a liquid suspension from said dry friction reducing composition by adding said at least 20 percent by weight of said composition to a liquid carrier, the liquid carrier comprising mineral oil;
c) introducing said liquid suspension into a hydraulic fracturing fluid to form a treated hydraulic fracturing fluid;
d) adding said treated hydraulic fracturing fluid to a wellbore having a hole in a subterranean formation and
e) pumping said treated hydraulic fracturing fluid down said hole to frac said wellbore;
wherein said treated hydraulic fracturing fluid carries a minimum of 3 ppa proppant, is more crosslinkable and has a higher breakability.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the liquid suspension further comprises an organophilic clay.
15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the liquid suspension further comprises surfactant.