Methods and compositions for forming subterranean fractures containing resilient proppant packs

Abstract

Improved methods of forming fractures containing resilient proppant particle packs which prevent the production of sand and fines with produced fluids and prevent proppant flow-back in a subterranean zone penetrated by a well bore are provided. As the fractures are formed, a liquid hardenable resin component is mixed with a liquid hardening agent component and a liquid rubber component to form a hardenable resin composition. The hardenable resin composition is coated onto dry proppant particles which are suspended in the fracturing fluid and placed in the fractures. The hardenable resin composition on the resin composition coated proppant particles is allowed to harden and consolidate the proppant particles into high strength resilient permeable packs.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A liquid hardenable resin composition for consolidating proppant particles in subterranean fractures whereby consolidated proppant particle packs are formed which are resilient and prevent the production of formation sand and fines with produced fluids and proppant particle flow-back comprising: 
 a hardenable resin;    a solvent for said resin;    a hardening agent for hardening said resin;    a rubber latex; and    a rubber latex stabilizing surfactant.    
     
     
         2 . The composition of  claim 1  wherein said hardenable resin is an organic resin comprised of one or more members selected from the group consisting of bisphenol A-epichlorohydrin resin, polyepoxide resin, novolak resin, polyester resin, phenol-aldehyde resin, urea-aldehyde resin, furan resin, urethane resin, glycidyl ether and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         3 . The composition of  claim 1  wherein said hardenable resin is comprised of a bisphenol A-epichlorohydrin resin.  
     
     
         4 . The composition of  claim 1  wherein said hardenable resin is present in an amount in the range of from about 70% to about 100% by weight of said liquid hardenable resin composition.  
     
     
         5 . The composition of  claim 1  wherein said solvent for said resin comprises one or more members selected from the group consisting of dipropylene glycol methyl ether, dipropylene glycol dimethyl ether, dimethyl formamide, diethyleneglycol methyl ether, ethyleneglycol butyl ether, diethyleneglycol butyl ether, propylene carbonate, d'limonene and fatty acid methyl esters.  
     
     
         6 . The composition of  claim 1  wherein said solvent for said resin is comprised of dipropylene glycol methyl ether.  
     
     
         7 . The composition of  claim 1  wherein said solvent for said resin is present in an amount in the range of from 0% to about 30% by weight of said liquid hardenable resin composition.  
     
     
         8 . The composition of  claim 1  wherein said hardening agent comprises one or more members selected from the group consisting of amines, aromatic amines, polyamines, aliphatic amines, amides, polyamides, 4,4′-diaminodiphenyl sulfone, 2-ethyl-4-methyl imidazole and 1,1,3-trichlorotrifluoroacetone.  
     
     
         9 . The composition of  claim 1  wherein said hardening agent is comprised of 4,4′-diaminodiphenyl sulfone.  
     
     
         10 . The composition of  claim 1  wherein said hardening agent is present in an amount in the range of from about 40% to about 60% by weight of said liquid hardenable resin composition.  
     
     
         11 . The composition of  claim 1  defined further to include a silane coupling agent comprising one or more members selected from the group consisting of N-2-(aminoethyl)-3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane, 3-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane and n-beta-(aminoethyl)-gamma-aminopropyl trimethoxysilane.  
     
     
         12 . The composition of  claim 11  wherein said silane coupling agent is comprised of n-beta-(aminoethyl)-gamma-aminopropyl trimethoxysilane.  
     
     
         13 . The composition of  claim 11  wherein said silane coupling agent is present in an amount in the range of from about 0.1% to about 3% by weight of said liquid hardenable resin composition.  
     
     
         14 . The composition of  claim 1  defined further to include a hydrolyzable ester for breaking gelled fracturing fluid films on said proppant particles comprising one or more members selected from the group consisting of a mixture of dimethylglutarate, dimethyladipate and dimethylsuccinate, sorbitol, catechol, dimethylthiolate, methyl salicylate, dimethyl salicylate, dimethyl succinate and ter-butylhydroperoxide.  
     
     
         15 . The composition of  claim 14  wherein said hydrolyzable ester for breaking gelled fracturing fluid films on said proppant particles is comprised of a mixture of dimethylglutarate, dimethyladipate and dimethylsuccinate.  
     
     
         16 . The composition of  claim 14  wherein said hydrolyzable ester is present in an amount in the range of from about 0.1% to about 3% by weight of said liquid hardenable resin composition.  
     
     
         17 . The composition of  claim 1  defined further to include a surfactant for facilitating the coating of said resin on said proppant particles and for causing said hardenable resin to flow to the contact points between adjacent resin coated proppant particles comprising one or more members selected from the group consisting of an ethoxylated nonyl phenol phosphate ester, mixtures of one or more cationic surfactants and one or more non-ionic surfactants and a C 12 -C 22  alkyl phosphonate surfactant.  
     
     
         18 . The composition of  claim 17  wherein said surfactant for facilitating the coating of said resin on said proppant particles and for causing said hardenable resin to flow to the contact points between adjacent resin coated proppant particles is comprised of a C 12 -C 22  alkyl phosphonate surfactant.  
     
     
         19 . The composition of  claim 17  wherein said surfactant is present in an amount in the range of from about 2% to about 15% by weight of said liquid hardenable resin composition.  
     
     
         20 . The composition of  claim 1  defined further to include a liquid carrier fluid comprising one or more members selected from the group consisting of dipropylene glycol methyl ether, dipropylene glycol dimethyl ether, dimethyl formamide, diethyleneglycol methyl ether, ethyleneglycol butyl ether, diethyleneglycol butyl ether, propylene carbonate, d'limonene and fatty acid methyl esters.  
     
     
         21 . The composition of  claim 20  wherein said liquid carrier fluid is comprised of dipropylene glycol methyl ether.  
     
     
         22 . The composition of  claim 20  wherein said liquid carrier fluid is present in an amount in the range of from 30% to about 60% by weight of said liquid hardenable resin composition.  
     
     
         23 . The composition of  claim 1  defined further to include a viscosifying agent.  
     
     
         24 . The composition of  claim 23  wherein said viscosifying agent is present in an amount in the range of from about 0% to about 3% by weight of said liquid hardenable composition.  
     
     
         25 . The composition of  claim 1  wherein said rubber latex comprises one or more members selected from the group consisting of natural rubber (cis-1,4-polyisoprene) latex, styrene/butadiene copolymer latex, cis-1,4-polybutadiene rubber latex, butyl rubber latex, ethylene/propylene rubber latex, neoprene rubber latex, nitrile rubber latex, silicone rubber latex, chlorosulfonated rubber latex, polyethylene rubber latex, epichlorohydrin rubber latex, fluorocarbon rubber latex, fluorosilicone rubber latex, polyurethane rubber latex, polyacrylic rubber latex and polysulfide rubber latex.  
     
     
         26 . The composition of  claim 1  wherein said rubber latex is comprised of a styrene/butadiene copolymer latex containing water in an amount in the range of from about 50% by weight of said latex.  
     
     
         27 . The composition of  claim 1  wherein said rubber latex is present in an amount in the range of from about 0.1% to about 40% by weight of said liquid hardenable resin composition.  
     
     
         28 . The composition of  claim 1  wherein said rubber latex stabilizing surfactant comprises one or more members selected from the group consisting of surfactants having the formula R—Ph—O(OCH 2 CH 2 ) m OH wherein R is an alkyl group having from about 5 to about 30 carbon atoms, Ph is phenyl and m is an integer of from about 5 to about 50 and surfactants having the formula R 1 (R 2 O) n SO 3 X wherein R 1  is an alkyl group having from about 5 to about 20 carbon atoms, R 2  is the group —CH 2 —CH 2 —, n is an integer from about 10 to about 40 and X is a cation.  
     
     
         29 . The composition of  claim 1  wherein said rubber latex stabilizing surfactant is comprised of a sulfonated and ethoxylated sodium salt having the formula H(CH 2 ) 12-15 (CH 2 CH 2 O) 15 SO 3 Na.  
     
     
         30 . The composition of  claim 1  wherein said rubber latex stabilizing surfactant is present in an amount in the range of from about 0.1% to about 10% by weight of said liquid hardenable resin composition.