IP Library Granted Patent US 11,098,567
Granted Patent B2
US 11,098,567 · App. 16/816,743 · Granted Aug 24, 2021

Well completion method

Inventors: Philip M. Snider (Houston, TX); David S. Wesson (Ft. Worth, TX); Steve Baumgartner (Houston, TX); John T. Hardesty (Fort Worth, TX)
Assignee: GEODYNAMICS, INC.
E21B43/26E21B33/12E21B43/117
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,098,567
App. No.
16/816,743
Granted
Aug 24, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method for fracturing a well casing includes forming plural perforation clusters into a stage N associated with the well casing; fracturing the plural perforation clusters; forming a current stage N+1 by placing a plug within the stage N, to isolate a first subset of the plural perforation clusters from a second subset of the plural perforation clusters; and fracturing a second time the second subset, but not the first subset.

Claims (40)

1. A method for fracturing a well casing, the method comprising:

forming plural perforation clusters into a stage N associated with the well casing, wherein the plural perforation clusters are made of a first subset of perforations and a second subset of perforations;

fracturing all the plural perforation clusters;

forming a current stage N+1 by placing a plug within the stage N, wherein the plug seals a first section of the well casing from a second section of the well casing to fluidly isolate the first subset of the plural perforation clusters from the second subset of the plural perforation clusters; and

fracturing a second time all perforations of the second subset, but not the first subset as the first subset is fluidly isolated by the plug.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

forming plural perforation clusters into the current stage N+1 associated with the well casing,

wherein the current stage N+1 is partially overlapped with the stage N.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the current stage N+1 and the stage N share the second subset of the plural perforation clusters.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:

fracturing simultaneously the plural perforation clusters of the current stage N+1 and the second subset of the plural perforation clusters of the stage N.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein an overlap of the stage N and the current stage N+1 is defined by the second subset of the perforation clusters.

6. The method of claim 2 , wherein one of the perforation clusters formed in the current stage N+1 is made to match a corresponding one of the perforation clusters formed in the stage N.

7. The method of claim 2 , wherein one of the perforation clusters formed in the current stage N+1 is made between two perforation clusters formed in the stage N.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein a perforation cluster in the stage N or the current stage N+1 includes plural holes formed through the well casing to fluidly communicate a bore of the well casing with an exterior of the well casing.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of fracturing a second time the second subset of the perforation clusters of the stage N increases a diameter of holes in the well casing associated with the perforation clusters.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of forming the plural perforation clusters in stage N includes lowering a gun into the well casing and detonating shaped charges of the gun to make holes through the well casing.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second subset includes one perforation cluster.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second subset includes one hole made in the well casing.

13. A method for fracturing a well, the method comprising:

pumping a given fluid through all plural perforation clusters formed into a stage N, which is associated with a first portion of a well casing, wherein the plural perforation clusters are made of a first subset of perforations and a second subset of perforations;

setting up a plug within the stage N, to close a first section of a bore of the well casing from a second section of the well casing, so that a first subset of the plural perforation clusters is fluidly sealed off from a second subset of the plural perforation clusters; and

pumping again the given fluid only through all perforations of the second subset, but not through the first subset as the first subset is fluidly isolated by the plug from the second subset.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the plug defines a toe-ward end of a current stage N+1.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the current stage N+1 is associated with a second portion of the well casing and the second portion overlaps with the first portion of the well casing.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the second subset of the plural perforation clusters is located in an overlap portion of the first and second portions of the well casing.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:

forming additional plural perforation clusters into the current stage N+1, in a part of the second portion that is not overlapped with the first portion.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:

simultaneously pumping the given fluid into the second subset of the plural perforation clusters and the additional plural perforation clusters of the current stage N+1.

19. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

setting up another plug at an upstream end of the current stage N+1, to close the bore of the well casing, so that all the plural perforation clusters of the current stage N+1 are fluidly sealed off;

forming new plural perforation clusters into a new stage N+2, in a third portion of the well casing, which does not overlap with the second portion; and

pumping the given fluid through the new plural perforation clusters of the new stage N+2.

20. A method for fracturing a well, the method comprising:

selecting a stage N that extends over a first portion of a well casing;

perforating and fracturing the stage N so that all plural perforation clusters are fractured, wherein the plural perforation clusters are made of a first subset of perforations and a second subset of perforations;

selecting a new stage N+1 that extends over a second portion of the well casing; and

perforating and fracturing the stage N+1 so that all perforations of the second subset of perforations are fractured, but none of the first subset, as the first subset of perforations is fluidly isolated by addition of a plug to the first portion of the well casing within the stage N, wherein the plug seals a first section of the first portion of the well casing from a second section of the first portion of the well casing,

wherein the first portion overlaps with the second portion and the second set of perforation holes made into the overlapped portion are fractured with the given fluid during the perforating and fracturing of the stage N and also during the perforating and fracturing of the stage N+1.

Assignments (2)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 10, 2022
From: OIL STATES ENERGY SERVICES, L.L.C.; OIL STATES INDUSTRIES, INC.; GEODYNAMICS, INC.
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 059861/0477 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 26, 2020
From: SNIDER, PHILIP M.; WESSON, DAVID S.; BAUMGARTNER, STEVE; HARDESTY, JOHN T.
To: GEODYNAMICS, INC.
Reel/Frame 054164/0183 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62819948 · Mar 18, 2019
Related Publication 20200300072A1 · Sep 24, 2020