Simultaneous gas-solid chemical stimulation of hydraulically fractured oil wells and gas-condensate wells in shales
View Patent ↗A method for providing simultaneous gas-solid or gas-solid slurry mixture chemical well stimulation of hydraulically fractured oil and gas-condensate wells in shales according to the present invention is disclosed. Injected with gas, chemicals having interacted with in-situ water alter rock properties near the fractures/fissures allowing liquids to move better, thus enlarging the swept volumes and recovery factor. The injected gas-solid mixture or gas-solid slurry mixture re-opens fractures that were closed previously due to well depletion and pressure dropping below fracture closure pressure. The process results in greater relative permeability (flow through the larger pores) which leads to more mobile fluids and greater production rates.
1. A method for providing simultaneous gas-solid mixture chemical well stimulation of hydraulically fractured oil and gas-condensate wells in shales, the method comprises:
setting-up a gas-solid mixing manifold at surface adjacent a wellhead of a horizontal well that penetrates an oil or gas-condensate shale reservoir, the shale reservoir comprising a plurality of networks, the plurality of networks comprising at least one of a plurality of hydraulic fractures or a plurality of natural fractures;
using a gas compressor to flow gas into the gas-solid mixing manifold to create a gas-solid mixture, the gas-solid mixture comprising of a gas and a plurality of solids, the plurality of solids comprising at least one of a plurality of nanoparticles or a plurality of surfactants, to inject through the wellhead and fill the well and the plurality of networks with the gas-solid mixture;
injecting the gas-solid mixture through the wellhead;
filling the well and the plurality of networks with the gas-solid mixture;
stopping the gas-solid mixture injection;
shutting in the well for a soak period of time in order to allow a plurality of chemicals of the gas-solid mixture to interact with existing in-situ water and shale to be treated by a chemical-water mixture formed from a combination of the existing in-situ water and the plurality of chemicals;
opening the well to adjust a pressure of fluid contained within the reservoir; and
flowing hydrocarbons from the reservoir into the well and to the surface.
2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the soak period has a duration of less than a minute.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising performing the steps simultaneously in a plurality of different locations.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising performing the step of injecting at a first location while performing the step or allowing to soak or produce in a second location.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the gas-solid mixture does not comprise any water.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the gas-solid mixture comprises a gas-solid slurry mixture.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the gas-solid mixture comprises a cold gas.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the gas-solid mixture comprises a pre- heated gas.
9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method is repeated until a desired amount of hydrocarbons is from the reservoir is extracted.
10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the method is repeated after a pre-defined out flow time period.