Methods of well stimulation and completion

Abstract

The present invention relates to improved methods for well stimulation and completion. More particularly, the present invention relates to methods of stimulating and completing well bores while controlling formation sand migration and proppant flowback. One embodiment of the present invention provides a method of stimulating a formation surrounding a well bore comprising the steps of: (a) hydraulically fracturing a formation to create or enhance at least one fracture; (b) placing proppant coated with a tackifying agent into the far-well bore area of the fracture; and, (c) placing an agent capable of controlling particulate flowback into the well bore or near-well bore area of the fracture.

1 . A method of stimulating a formation surrounding a well bore comprising the steps of: 
 a. hydraulically fracturing a formation to create or enhance at least one fracture;    b. placing proppant coated with a tackifying agent into the far-well bore area of the fracture; and,    c. placing an agent capable of controlling particulate flowback into the well bore or near-well bore area of the fracture.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the tackifying agent comprises a polyamide, a polyester, a polycarbonate, a polycarbamate, a natural resin, or a combination thereof.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the agent capable of controlling particulate flowback comprises a screen.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the screen is sized to control the flowback of the proppant coated with a tackifying agent.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the agent capable of controlling particulate flowback comprises proppant coated with curable resin.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the resin comprises a hardenable resin component comprising a hardenable resin and a hardening agent component comprising a liquid hardening agent, a silane coupling agent, and a surfactant.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the resin composition comprises a furan-based resin comprising furfuryl alcohol, a mixture furfuryl alcohol with an aldehyde, a mixture of furan resin and phenolic resin or mixtures thereof.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7  further comprising a solvent comprising 2-butoxy ethanol, butyl acetate, furfuryl acetate, or mixtures thereof.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the resin composition comprises a phenolic-based resin comprising terpolymer of phenol, phenolic formaldehyde resin, a mixture of phenolic and furan resin, or mixtures thereof.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the resin composition further comprises a solvent comprising butyl acetate, butyl lactate, furfuryl acetate, 2-butoxy ethanol, or mixtures thereof.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the resin composition comprises a HT epoxy-based resin comprising bisphenol A-epichlorohydrin resin, polyepoxide resin, novolac resin, polyester resin, glycidyl ethers, or mixtures thereof.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the resin composition further comprises a solvent comprising dimethyl sulfoxide, dimethyl formamide, dipropylene glycol methyl ether, dipropylene glycol dimethyl ether, dimethyl formamide, diethylene glycol methyl ether, ethylene glycol butyl ether, diethylene glycol butyl ether, propylene carbonate, d'limonene, fatty acid methyl esters, or mixtures thereof.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the resin composition comprises a phenol/phenol formaldehyde/furfuryl alcohol resin comprising from about 5% to about 30% phenol, from about 40% to about 70% phenol formaldehyde, from about 10 to about 40% furfuryl alcohol, from about 0.1% to about 3% of a silane coupling agent, and from about 1% to about 15% of a surfactant.  
   
   
       14 . A method of stimulating a formation surrounding a well bore comprising the steps of: 
 a. hydraulically fracturing a formation through a well bore located in a substantially consolidated subterranean formation such that fractures are formed or enhanced so as to place the well bore in fluid communication with an unconsolidated or weakly consolidated zone of the formation;    b. placing proppant coated with a tackifying agent into the far-well bore area of the fracture; and,    c. placing an agent capable of controlling particulate flowback into the near-well bore area.    
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the well bore is a horizontal well bore or a highly deviated well bore.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the tackifying agent comprises a polyamide, a polyester, a polycarbonate, a polycarbamate, a natural resin, or a combination thereof.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the agent capable of controlling particulate flowback comprises a screen.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the screen is sized to control the flowback of the proppant coated with a tackifying agent.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the agent capable of controlling particulate flowback comprises proppant coated with curable resin.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the resin comprises a hardenable resin component comprising a hardenable resin and a hardening agent component comprising a liquid hardening agent, a silane coupling agent, and a surfactant.  
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the resin composition comprises a furan-based resin comprising furfuryl alcohol, a mixture furfuryl alcohol with an aldehyde, a mixture of furan resin and phenolic resin or mixtures thereof.  
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 21  further comprising a solvent comprising 2-butoxy ethanol, butyl acetate, furfuryl acetate, or mixtures thereof.  
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the resin composition comprises a phenolic-based resin comprising terpolymer of phenol, phenolic formaldehyde resin, a mixture of phenolic and furan resin, or mixtures thereof.  
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 23  wherein the resin composition further comprises a solvent comprising butyl acetate, butyl lactate, furfuryl acetate, 2-butoxy ethanol, or mixtures thereof.  
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the resin composition comprises a HT epoxy-based resin comprising bisphenol A-epichlorohydrin resin, polyepoxide resin, novolac resin, polyester resin, glycidyl ethers, or mixtures thereof.  
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 25  wherein the resin composition further comprises a solvent comprising dimethyl sulfoxide, dimethyl formamide, dipropylene glycol methyl ether, dipropylene glycol dimethyl ether, dimethyl formamide, diethylene glycol methyl ether, ethylene glycol butyl ether, diethylene glycol butyl ether, propylene carbonate, d'limonene, fatty acid methyl esters, or mixtures thereof.  
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the resin composition comprises a phenol/phenol formaldehyde/furfuryl alcohol resin comprising from about 5% to about 30% phenol, from about 40% to about 70% phenol formaldehyde, from about 10 to about 40% furfuryl alcohol, from about 0.1% to about 3% of a silane coupling agent, and from about 1% to about 15% of a surfactant.  
   
   
       28 . A method of stimulating a formation surrounding a well bore comprising the steps of: 
 a. hydraulically fracturing a formation to create or enhance at least one fracture;    b. placing proppant coated with a tackifying agent into the far-well bore area of the fracture; and,    c. placing an agent capable of controlling particulate flowback into the well bore or near-well bore area of the fracture.    
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 28  wherein the tackifying agent comprises a polyamide, a polyester, a polycarbonate, a polycarbamate, a natural resin, or a combination thereof.  
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 28  wherein the agent capable of controlling particulate flowback comprises a screen.  
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 30  wherein the screen is sized to control the flowback of the proppant coated with a tackifying agent.  
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 28  wherein the agent capable of controlling particulate flowback comprises proppant coated with curable resin.  
   
   
       33 . The method of  claim 32  wherein the resin comprises a hardenable resin component comprising a hardenable resin and a hardening agent component comprising a liquid hardening agent, a silane coupling agent, and a surfactant.  
   
   
       34 . The method of  claim 32  wherein the resin composition comprises a furan-based resin comprising furfuryl alcohol, a mixture furfuryl alcohol with an aldehyde, a mixture of furan resin and phenolic resin or mixtures thereof.  
   
   
       35 . The method of  claim 32  wherein the resin composition comprises a phenolic-based resin comprising terpolymer of phenol, phenolic formaldehyde resin, a mixture of phenolic and furan resin, or mixtures thereof.  
   
   
       36 . The method of  claim 32  wherein the resin composition comprises a HT epoxy-based resin comprising bisphenol A-epichlorohydrin resin, polyepoxide resin, novolac resin, polyester resin, glycidyl ethers, or mixtures thereof.  
   
   
       37 . The method of  claim 36  wherein the resin composition further comprises a solvent comprising dimethyl sulfoxide, dimethyl formamide, dipropylene glycol methyl ether, dipropylene glycol dimethyl ether, dimethyl formamide, diethylene glycol methyl ether, ethylene glycol butyl ether, diethylene glycol butyl ether, propylene carbonate, d'limonene, fatty acid methyl esters, or mixtures thereof.  
   
   
       38 . The method of  claim 32  wherein the resin composition comprises a phenol/phenol formaldehyde/furfuryl alcohol resin comprising from about 5% to about 30% phenol, from about 40% to about 70% phenol formaldehyde, from about 10 to about 40% furfuryl alcohol, from about 0.1% to about 3% of a silane coupling agent, and from about 1% to about 15% of a surfactant.  
   
   
       39 . A method of stimulating a formation surrounding a well bore comprising the steps of: 
 a. hydraulically fracturing a formation through a well bore located in a substantially consolidated subterranean formation such that fractures are formed or enhanced so as to place the well bore in fluid communication with an unconsolidated or weakly consolidated zone of the formation;    b. placing proppant coated with a tackifying agent into the far-well bore area of the fracture; and,    c. placing an agent capable of controlling particulate flowback into the near-well bore area.    
   
   
       40 . The method of  claim 39  wherein the tackifying agent comprises a polyamide, a polyester, a polycarbonate, a polycarbamate, a natural resin, or a combination thereof.  
   
   
       41 . The method of  claim 39  wherein the agent capable of controlling particulate flowback comprises a screen.  
   
   
       42 . The method of  claim 41  wherein the screen is sized to control the flowback of the proppant coated with a tackifying agent.  
   
   
       43 . The method of  claim 39  wherein the agent capable of controlling particulate flowback comprises proppant coated with curable resin.  
   
   
       44 . The method of  claim 43  wherein the resin comprises a hardenable resin component comprising a hardenable resin and a hardening agent component comprising a liquid hardening agent, a silane coupling agent, and a surfactant.  
   
   
       45 . The method of  claim 43  wherein the resin composition comprises a furan-based resin comprising furfuryl alcohol, a mixture furfuryl alcohol with an aldehyde, a mixture of furan resin and phenolic resin or mixtures thereof.  
   
   
       46 . The method of  claim 43  wherein the resin composition comprises a phenolic-based resin comprising terpolymer of phenol, phenolic formaldehyde resin, a mixture of phenolic and furan resin, or mixtures thereof.  
   
   
       47 . The method of  claim 43  wherein the resin composition comprises a HT epoxy-based resin comprising bisphenol A-epichlorohydrin resin, polyepoxide resin, novolac resin, polyester resin, glycidyl ethers, or mixtures thereof.  
   
   
       48 . The method of  claim 47  wherein the resin composition further comprises a solvent comprising dimethyl sulfoxide, dimethyl formamide, dipropylene glycol methyl ether, dipropylene glycol dimethyl ether, dimethyl formamide, diethylene glycol methyl ether, ethylene glycol butyl ether, diethylene glycol butyl ether, propylene carbonate, d'limonene, fatty acid methyl esters, or mixtures thereof.  
   
   
       49 . The method of  claim 43  wherein the resin composition comprises a phenol/phenol formaldehyde/furfuryl alcohol resin comprising from about 5% to about 30% phenol, from about 40% to about 70% phenol formaldehyde, from about 10 to about 40% furfuryl alcohol, from about 0.1% to about 3% of a silane coupling agent, and from about 1% to about 15% of a surfactant.