Methods of well stimulation and completion

Abstract

Improved methods for well stimulation and completion are provided. More particularly, the methods relate to stimulating and completing well bores while controlling formation sand migration and proppant flowback. One embodiment provides a method comprising: providing a subterranean formation penetrated by a well bore wherein the subterranean formation comprises at least one fracture; placing proppant coated with a tackifying agent into the far-well bore area of the fracture, wherein the far-well bore area of the fracture is an area within the fracture at least about 2 feet from the well bore in a direction substantially orthogonal to the well bore axis; and placing an agent capable of controlling particulate flowback into the well bore or near-well bore area of the fracture.

1 . A method comprising: 
 providing a subterranean formation penetrated by a well bore wherein the subterranean formation comprises at least one fracture;    placing proppant coated with a tackifying agent into an area of the fracture;    placing an agent capable of controlling particulate flowback into the well bore or the near-well bore area of the fracture; and    allowing the agent capable of controlling particulate flowback to displace at least a portion of the proppant coated with tackifying agent from one area of the fracture into the far-well bore area of the fracture.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the tackifying agent is selected from the group consisting of polyamides, polyesters, polycarbonates, polycarbamates, natural resins, and combinations 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 curable 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 selected from the group consisting of furfuryl alcohol, mixtures of furfuryl alcohol with an aldehyde, mixtures of furan resin and phenolic resin, and mixtures thereof.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7  further comprising a solvent selected from the group consisting of 2-butoxy ethanol, butyl acetate, furfuryl acetate, and mixtures thereof.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the resin composition comprises a phenolic-based resin selected from the group consisting of terpolymers of phenol, phenolic formaldehyde resins, mixtures of phenolic and furan resin, and mixtures thereof.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the resin composition further comprises a solvent selected from the group consisting of butyl acetate, butyl lactate, furfuryl acetate, 2-butoxy ethanol, and mixtures thereof.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the resin composition comprises a HT epoxy-based resin selected from the group consisting of bisphenol A-epichlorohydrin resins, polyepoxide resins, novolac resins, polyester resins, glycidyl ethers, and mixtures thereof.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the resin composition further comprises a solvent selected from the group consisting of 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, and 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 . The method of  claim 1  wherein providing a subterranean formation that comprises a fracture comprises hydraulically fracturing the subterranean formation surrounding the well bore to create or enhance the fracture.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the far-well bore area of the fracture is an area within the fracture at least about 2 feet from the well bore in a direction substantially orthogonal to the well bore axis.  
   
   
       16 . A method comprising: 
 providing a subterranean formation penetrated by a well bore wherein the subterranean formation comprises at least one fracture;    placing proppant coated with a tackifying agent into the far-well bore area of the fracture, wherein the far-well bore area of the fracture is an area within the fracture at least about 2 feet from the well bore in a direction substantially orthogonal to the well bore axis; and    placing an agent capable of controlling particulate flowback into the well bore or near-well bore area of the fracture.    
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the agent capable of controlling particulate flowback comprises proppant coated with curable resin.  
   
   
       18 . A method of fracturing a formation surrounding a well bore comprising: 
 hydraulically fracturing a formation to create or enhance at least one fracture;    placing proppant coated with a tackifying agent into the far-well bore area of the fracture, wherein the far-well bore area of the fracture is an area within the fracture at least about 2 feet from the well bore in a direction substantially orthogonal to the well bore axis; and    placing an agent capable of controlling particulate flowback into the well bore or near-well bore area of the fracture.    
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the agent capable of controlling particulate flowback comprises proppant coated with curable resin.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the curable 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.