Method of treating a subterranean formation with natural gas
A fracturing method wherein a foamed or energized fluid comprising natural gas is introduced into a subterranean formation to enhance or create fractures and to enhance production of hydrocarbons from a reservoir penetrated by a wellbore.
1. A method of treating a subterranean formation penetrated by a well comprising pumping a gelled foamed or energized non-aqueous fluid into the subterranean formation, the gelled foamed or energized fluid formulated from natural gas and a non-aqueous based fluid comprising a gellant wherein at least one of the following conditions prevail:
(a) the gelled foamed or energized fluid further comprises proppant;
(b) the well is a gas well or oil well and the subterranean formation contains coal or shale;
(c) the natural gas is compressed natural gas; or
(d) the natural gas in the foamed or energized fluid is in an amount sufficient to provide a foam quality between from about 30 to about 99.9%.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the natural gas originates from a gas producing well located at the wellsite of the well penetrating the subterranean formation.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the natural gas in the foamed fluid is in an amount sufficient to provide a foam quality from 53% to 99.9%.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the natural gas in the foamed fluid is in an amount sufficient to provide a foam quality greater than or equal to 90%.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the foamed or energized fluid is further formulated with a foaming agent other than natural gas.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the gellant is oil-based.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the oil-based gellant is a phosphate ester.
8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the oil-based gellant is an oil.
9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the oil-based gellant is diesel fuel.
10. The method of claim 1 , the natural gas comprising the foamed or energized fluid being supplied into the well at the wellhead either from:
(a) a gas producing well via a flowline extending from a producing well to the well penetrating the hydrocarbon-bearing formation;
(b) a field gathering unit;
(c) a pipeline plumbed to the wellsite of the well penetrating the hydrocarbon-bearing formation;
(d) a storage tank on the wellsite of the well penetrating the hydrocarbon-bearing formation; or
(e) a central gathering unit.
11. A method for enhancing productivity of a hydrocarbon-bearing formation penetrated by a well comprising introducing a foamed or energized fluid having a foam quality from 53 to about 99.9 percent into the hydrocarbon-bearing subterranean formation penetrated by the well, the foamed or energized fluid formulated by mixing natural gas and a non-aqueous based fluid wherein the foamed or energized fluid is further formulated with a phosphate ester gellant or a foaming agent other than natural gas and wherein the natural gas is supplied into the well at the wellhead either from:
(a) a gas producing well via a flowline extending from a producing well to the well penetrating the hydrocarbon-bearing formation;
(b) a field gathering unit;
(c) a pipeline plumbed to the wellsite of the well penetrating the hydrocarbon-bearing formation;
(d) a storage tank on the wellsite of the well penetrating the hydrocarbon-bearing formation; or
(e) a central gathering unit.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the natural gas in the foamed or energized fluid is in an amount sufficient to provide a foam quality greater than or equal to 90%.
13. A method of treating a subterranean formation penetrated by a well which comprises:
(a) formulating a foamed or energized fluid by mixing natural gas and a non-aqueous based fluid or aqueous based fluid wherein the natural gas in the foamed or energized fluid is in an amount sufficient to provide a foam quality between from about 30 to about 99.9%; and
(b) introducing the foamed or energized fluid into the subterranean formation and further wherein:
(a) the foamed or energized fluid is formulated with a gellant selected from the group consisting of galactomannan gums, cellulose and cellulose derivatives, starch, starch derivatives, xanthan, derivatized xanthan and mixtures thereof; or
(b) the foamed or energized fluid is further formulated with a crosslinking agent.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the crosslinking agent contains a metal selected from the group consisting of aluminum, zirconium and titanium and mixtures thereof.
15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the natural gas is compressed natural gas.
16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the natural gas of the foamed or energized fluid is supplied into the well at the wellhead from:
(a) a gas producing well via a flowline extending from a producing well to the well penetrating the hydrocarbon-bearing formation;
(b) a field gathering unit;
(c) a pipeline plumbed to the wellsite of the well penetrating the hydrocarbon-bearing formation;
(d) a storage tank on the wellsite of the well penetrating the hydrocarbon-bearing formation; or
(e) a central gathering unit.