IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,542,815
Granted Patent B2
US 11,542,815 · App. 17/107,428 · Granted Jan 3, 2023

Determining effect of oxidative hydraulic fracturing

Inventors: Katherine Leigh Hull (Houston, TX); Younane N. Abousleiman (Norman, OK); Dung Phan (Brookshire, TX); Khalid AlRuwaili (Dhahran, SA)
Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
E21B49/00E21B43/26E21B47/10G01N15/08G01N33/24E21B49/02G01N2015/0846G01V99/005
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,542,815
App. No.
17/107,428
Granted
Jan 3, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

Estimating permeability enhancement of a subterranean formation due to presence of an oxidizer in a fracturing fluid, including determining kerogen volume percent in the subterranean formation and estimating fractured kerogen porosity, wherein the fractured kerogen porosity is associated with presence of the oxidizer. The technique includes determining an increase in connected porosity in the subterranean formation correlative with the kerogen vol % and the fractured kerogen porosity.

Claims (17)

1. A method, comprising:

determining porosity of a subterranean formation before hydraulic fracturing the subterranean formation with a fracturing fluid that is a hydraulic fracturing fluid comprising an oxidizer;

determining percent of the porosity that is connected porosity before the hydraulic fracturing;

determining kerogen volume percent (vol %) in the subterranean formation;

collecting a sample of the subterranean formation comprising kerogen before the hydraulic fracturing;

performing oxidative treatment via the oxidizer on the sample;

estimating, via imaging of the sample, fractured kerogen porosity caused by the oxidizer in the oxidative treatment;

predicting an increase in the connected porosity in the subterranean formation that would be caused by the hydraulic fracturing of the subterranean formation with the fracturing fluid based on the kerogen vol % of the subterranean formation and the fractured kerogen porosity of the sample caused by the oxidizer in the oxidative treatment of the sample; and

wherein the fracturing fluid is utilized in hydraulic fracturing of the subterranean formation.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the kerogen vol % comprises determining kerogen weight percent (wt %) in the subterranean formation and determining kerogen density in the subterranean formation, and wherein the kerogen vol % is correlative with the kerogen wt % and the kerogen density.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein determining the kerogen density comprises estimating the kerogen density based on maturity of the kerogen.

4. The method of claim 3 , comprising estimating the maturity via pyrolysis testing.

5. The method of claim 1 , comprising hydraulic fracturing the subterranean formation with the fracturing fluid.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the kerogen wt % comprises estimating the kerogen wt % via pyrolysis testing.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein estimating, via the imaging of the sample, the fractured kerogen porosity caused by the oxidative treatment performed on the sample comprises identifying pores of the sample in an image of the sample, and wherein the pores are caused by the oxidizer.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sample is from a core sample of the subterranean formation collected via a well comprising the wellbore.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the imaging comprises imaging via a scanning electron microscope.

Assignments (4)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 24, 2021
From: ARAMCO SERVICES COMPANY
To: SAUDI ARAMCO UPSTREAM TECHNOLOGY COMPANY
Reel/Frame 055704/0733 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 24, 2021
From: SAUDI ARAMCO UPSTREAM TECHNOLOGY COMPANY
To: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
Reel/Frame 055704/0852 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 5, 2021
From: ALRUWAILI, KHALID
To: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
Reel/Frame 054814/0199 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 5, 2021
From: HULL, KATHERINE LEIGH; ABOUSLEIMAN, YOUNANE N.; PHAN, DUNG
To: ARAMCO SERVICES COMPANY
Reel/Frame 055682/0243 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220170365A1 · Jun 2, 2022
Cited By (2)
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