Compositions and methods for pressure protection
Disclosed are compositions and methods for the pressure protection of existing wells during infill drilling operations.
1 . A method for pressure protection of a first wellbore in proximity to a second wellbore, the method comprising:
injecting an aqueous pressure protection composition into the first wellbore in fluid communication with an unconventional subterranean formation prior to, during, or prior to and during fracturing of the second wellbore in fluid communication with the unconventional subterranean formation;
wherein a region of an unconventional subterranean formation in proximity to the first wellbore is previously fractured; and
wherein the aqueous protection composition in the first wellbore biases fracture formation away from the previously fractured region in proximity to the first wellbore and towards virgin rock proximate to the second wellbore;
wherein the first wellbore has an existing reservoir pressure that is less than original reservoir pressure;
wherein the aqueous pressure protection solution is injected at a pressure and flowrate effective to increase the first wellbore pressure without fracturing the first wellbore; and
wherein the aqueous pressure protection solution comprises a surfactant package comprising a first surfactant.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a region of an unconventional subterranean formation in fluid communication with the first wellbore is naturally fractured, has been previously fractured one or more times, or a combination thereof.
3 . The method of any of claim 1 , wherein the fracturing of the second wellbore comprises fracturing a region of an unconventional subterranean formation in fluid communication with the second wellbore or refracturing a region of an unconventional subterranean formation in fluid communication with the second wellbore.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the aqueous pressure protection composition further comprises one or more secondary surfactants.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first wellbore was under production for at least three months prior to injection of the aqueous pressure protection composition.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein at least 10,000 barrels of hydrocarbon were produced from the first wellbore prior to injection of the aqueous pressure protection composition.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first wellbore pressure is from 20% to 70% of the original reservoir pressure.
8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein injecting the aqueous pressure protection composition comprises injecting the aqueous pressure protection composition at a pressure and flowrate effective to increase the first wellbore pressure by at least 30%, to increase the first wellbore pressure to from greater than the original reservoir pressure to 150% of the original reservoir pressure, to increase the first wellbore pressure to within 15% of original reservoir fracture pressure, or any combination thereof.
9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein injecting an aqueous pressure protection composition into the first wellbore comprises injecting the aqueous pressure protection composition at least 1 day before fracturing.
10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises injecting a fracturing fluid into the unconventional subterranean fomlation via the second wellbore at a sufficient pressure to create or extend at least one fracture in a rock matrix of the unconventional subterranean formation in a region proximate to the second wellbore.
11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the method further comprises producing a hydrocarbon from the first wellbore during, after, or during and after the injection of the fracturing fluid into the unconventional subterranean formation via the second wellbore.
12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein injection of the aqueous pressure protection composition into the first wellbore results in increased hydrocarbon recovery from the first wellbore as compared to an expected level of hydrocarbon recovery projected from a decline curve fit to production history of the first wellbore.
13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the injection of the aqueous pressure protection composition in the first wellbore impacts a direction, a geometry, or any combination thereof of the at least one fracture created or extended in the region during injection of the fracturing fluid into the unconventional subterranean formation via the second wellbore.
14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the injection of the aqueous pressure protection composition in the first wellbore reduces entry of fluid, debris, or any combination thereof into the first wellbore during injection of the fracturing fluid into the unconventional subterranean formation via the second wellbore.
15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein injection of the aqueous pressure protection composition in the first wellbore increases a relative permeability in a region proximate to the first wellbore.
16 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises modeling the first wellbore to determine a volume of the aqueous pressure protection composition into the unconventional subterranean formation via the first wellbore.
17 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further results in increased hydrocarbon recovery from the first wellbore, the second wellbore, or any combination thereof.
18 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the aqueous pressure protection composition comprises an aqueous solution comprising an acid, an alkali agent, a co-solvent, a chelating agent, a clay swelling inhibitor, a viscosity-modifying polymer, or any combination thereof.
19 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the primary surfactant comprises an anionic surfactant comprising a hydrophobic tail comprising from 6 to 60 carbon atoms.
20 . The method of claim 1 , wherein injection of the aqueous pressure protection composition into the first wellbore comprises:
injecting a first aqueous pressure protection composition into the first wellbore, then injecting a second aqueous pressure protection composition into the first wellbore; injecting an aqueous pressure protection composition into the first wellbore, then injecting a gas into the first wellbore,
injecting an aqueous pressure protection composition into the first wellbore, then injecting a hydrocarbon solvent such as LPG into the first wellbore; or
any combination thereof.