Reduced friction pressure gravel pack slurry

Abstract

The invention adds a friction reducing agent or agents to gravel slurry to decrease pressure required for proper fluid velocities so as to obtain the desired gravel propagation in an annular space around a screen assembly.

1 . A gravel packing method comprising:
 mixing a slurry of gravel in a carrier fluid:   adding a friction reducer to the slurry;   using the addition of a friction reducer to allow an increase in gravel concentration without having to increase surface or downhole slurry pressure; and   delivering the slurry downhole.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising:
 reducing surface pressure for slurry circulation to deposit the gravel as a result of said friction reducer.   
   
   
       3 . (canceled) 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising:
 increasing slurry circulation rates for the same surface or downhole pressure because of said friction reducer.   
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising:
 increasing the interval length that is gravel packed using the same surface or downhole pressures due to the addition of a friction reducer.   
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising:
 using at least one Beta Breaker Valve in a bottom hole assembly to deposit the gravel in the well.   
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising:
 using Low Density Gravel as the gravel.   
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising:
 using the addition of said friction reducer to enable the deposition of gravel without exceeding the formation fracturing pressure under conditions where it otherwise would have exceeded the formation fracturing pressure without said friction reducer.   
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising:
 using as said friction reducer at least one of polyacrylamides and co-polymers of acrylamides and polymers, including guar, and derivativized guar such as hydroxylpropyl guar (HPG), carboxymethlyhydroxypropyl guar (CMHPG), cellulose polymers including hydroxyethylcellulose (HEC), carboxymethylhydroxyethyl cellulose (CMHEC), starch and starch derivatives, biopolymers or a surfactant.