Electrolytic Composition for Degrading Polymeric Filter Cake

Abstract

An aqueous breaking fluid having an aqueous fluid, powder particles, and at least one reducing sugar may be helpful in degrading a polymeric filter cake downhole. The aqueous breaking fluid may be introduced through a wellbore. The aqueous fluid may be or include water, brine, acid, alcohol, a mutual solvent, and mixtures thereof. A coating material of each metallic powder particle may be disintegrated such that the particle core may be released from the powder particle. The aqueous breaking fluid, which may include the reducing sugar and the released particle core, may contact and degrade the polymeric filter cake.

1 . A method for degrading a polymeric filter cake downhole, the method comprising:
 introducing an aqueous breaking fluid through a wellbore, where the aqueous breaking fluid comprises:
 an aqueous fluid selected from the group consisting of water, brine, an acid, an alcohol, a mutual solvent, and mixtures thereof; 
 metallic powder particles, wherein each metallic powder particle comprises:
 a particle core having a melting temperature (T p ); and 
 a coating material disposed on the particle core, wherein the coating material has a melting temperature (T c ); and 
 
 at least one reducing sugar; and 
   disintegrating the coating material to release the particle core; and   contacting the polymeric filter cake with at least the released particle core and the at least one reducing sugar for degrading the polymeric filter.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the metallic powder particles are configured for solid-state sintering to one another to form a metallic particle compact at a predetermined sintering temperature (T s ), wherein T s  is less than T p  and T c . 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the particle core comprises a metal selected from the Periodic Table Groups VIB, VIIB, VIII, IB, IIB, alloys thereof, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the particle core comprises a metal selected from the group consisting of an elemental metal, a chelated metal, a metal complex, a metal oxide, a metal hydroxide, a metal alloy, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the coating material comprises a metal selected from the group consisting of an elemental metal, a chelated metal, a metal complex, a metal oxide, a metal hydroxide, a metal alloy, and combinations thereof; and wherein the coating material has a chemical composition that is different from the chemical composition of the particle core. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the size of the particle core ranges from about 4 nm to about 100 μm, and wherein the thickness of the coating material ranges from about 0.5 nm to about 1000 μm. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the coating material comprises a single coating layer. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the coating material comprises a plurality of coating layers, wherein the plurality of coating layers comprises a first coating layer disposed on the particle core and at least a second coating layer disposed on the first coating layer. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the first coating layer comprises a metal selected from the group consisting of Al, Zn, Zr, Mn, Mg, Mo, W, Cu, Fe, Si, Ca, Co, Ta, Ti, Re, Ni, an oxide thereof, a hydroxide thereof, a carbide thereof, a nitride thereof, an alloy thereof, and a combination of any of the aforementioned materials; wherein the at least second coating layer comprises a metal selected from the group consisting Al, Zn, Zr, Mn, Mg, Mo, W, Cu, Fe, Si, Ca, Co, Ta, Ti, Re, Ni, an oxide thereof, a hydroxide thereof, a carbide thereof, a nitride thereof, an alloy thereof, and a combination of any of the aforementioned materials; and
 wherein the first coating layer comprises a chemical composition that is different from the at least second coating layer.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein amount of the metallic powder particles in the aqueous breaking fluid ranges from about 0.01 ppm to about 10,000 ppm. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the disintegration of the coating material occurs by a method selected from the group consisting of a temperature change;
 the presence of an acid, a salt, a pH buffer; an amount of time; and combinations thereof.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the metallic powder particles are within a non-aqueous dispersed phase of the aqueous breaking fluid. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the aqueous breaking fluid is an emulsion having at least three components, wherein the at least three components comprise an aqueous continuous phase, a non-aqueous dispersed phase, and at least one surfactant, and wherein the metallic powder particles are within the non-aqueous dispersed phase. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising reducing the permeability and/or size of the filter cake as compared to contacting the filter cake with an aqueous breaking fluid absent the metallic powder particles. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the size of the metallic powder particles ranges from about 4 nm to about 100 μm. 
     
     
         16 . A method for degrading a polymeric filter cake downhole, the method comprising:
 introducing an emulsion breaking fluid through a wellbore, where the emulsion breaking fluid comprises:
 an aqueous continuous phase comprising at least one reducing sugar; and 
 a non-aqueous dispersed phase comprising metallic powder particles, wherein each metallic powder particle comprises:
 a particle core having a melting temperature (T p ); and 
 a coating material disposed on the particle core, wherein the coating material has a melting temperature (T c ); and 
 
 at least one surfactant; 
   breaking the emulsion of the emulsion breaking fluid for release of the metallic powder particles;   disintegrating the coating material to release the particle core; and   contacting the polymeric filter cake with at least the released particle core and the at least one reducing sugar for degrading the polymeric filter cake.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the metallic powder particles are configured for solid-state sintering to one another to form a metallic particle compact at a predetermined sintering temperature (T s ), wherein T s  is less than T p  and T c . 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the particle core is selected from the group consisting of an elemental metal, a chelated metal, a metal complex, a metal oxide, a metal hydroxide, a metal alloy and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the coating material comprises a plurality of coating layers. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the amount of the metallic powder particles in the emulsion breaking fluid ranges from about 0.01 to about 10,000 ppm.