Hydraulic fracturing with proppant pulsing through clustered abrasive perforations

Abstract

Well completion techniques are disclosed that combine the creation of perforation clusters created using abrasive-jet perforation techniques with hydraulic fracturing techniques that include proppant pulsing through the clustered abrasive jet perforations. Both the abrasive-jet perforation and hydraulic fracturing with proppant pulsing may be carried out through coiled tubing.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for perforating and fracturing of a subterranean formation with a wellbore lined with casing extending through at least part of the formation, the method comprising:
 forming a first cluster of at least one perforation through the casing and into the formation with hydro-abrasive jets;   injecting a proppant-free fracturing fluid into the wellbore through the first cluster;   combining the proppant-free fracturing fluid with a proppant to form a first proppant-laden slurry and alternatingly and repeatedly injecting the first proppant-laden slurry followed by injecting the proppant-free fracturing fluid into the wellbore and through the first cluster.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further including:
 combining one of the proppant-free fracturing fluid with additional proppant to provide one or more additional proppant-laden slurries of varying concentrations of proppant and for each additional proppant-laden slurry, alternatingly and repeatedly injecting each additional proppant-laden slurry followed by injecting the proppant-free fracturing fluid into the wellbore and through the at least one cluster. 
 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the one or more additional proppant-laden slurries have a different concentration of proppant than the first proppant-laden slurry. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  further including:
 forming a second cluster of at least one perforation through the casing and into the formation with hydro-abrasive jets, wherein the second cluster is spaced apart from the first cluster by a nonperforated interval; 
 injecting the proppant-free fracturing fluid into the wellbore through the first and second clusters simultaneously; 
 alternatingly and repeatedly injecting the first proppant-laden slurry followed by injecting the proppant-free fracturing fluid into the wellbore and through first and second clusters simultaneously. 
 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the non-perforated interval has a length ranging from about 10 cm to about 5 m. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the first and second clusters each include from about 1 to about 10 perforations. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  further including:
 forming from 1 to about 100 additional clusters; 
 injecting the proppant-free fracturing fluid into the wellbore through all of the clusters simultaneously; 
 alternatingly and repeatedly injecting the first proppant-laden slurry followed by injecting the proppant-free fracturing fluid into the wellbore and through all of the clusters simultaneously. 
 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the injecting of each of the first proppant-laden slurry followed by the injecting of the proppant-free fracturing fluid is carried out over a series of substantially uniform pulses. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the fracturing fluid also includes fibers. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the fracturing fluid also comprises fibers. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the fracturing fluid also comprises fibers. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the forming of the first cluster and the is performed through coiled tubing and the alternatingly and repeatedly injecting of the first proppant-laden slurry followed by injecting the proppant-free fracturing fluid into the wellbore and through first cluster is performed through an annulus between the coiled tubing and the casing. 
     
     
         13 . A method for perforating and fracturing of a subterranean formation with a wellbore lined with casing extending through at least part of the formation, the method comprising:
 (a) forming a first cluster through the casing and into the formation with hydro-abrasive jets;   (b) injecting a proppant-free fracturing fluid into the wellbore through the first cluster of perforations;   (c) combining the proppant-free fracturing fluid with a proppant to form a first proppant-laden slurry;   (d) injecting the first proppant-laden slurry through the first cluster;   (e) repeating parts (b) and (d) in an alternating fashion.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  further including:
 (a)(1) forming a second cluster through the casing and into the formation with hydro-abrasive jets, with a nonperforated interval being disposed between the first and second clusters; 
 (b)(1) injecting the proppant-free fracturing fluid into the wellbore and through the first and second clusters simultaneously; and 
 (d)(1) injecting the first proppant-laden slurry through the first and second clusters simultaneously 
 (e)(1) repeating parts (b)(1) and (d)(1) in an alternating fashion. 
 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the non-perforated interval has a length ranging from about 10 cm to about 5 m. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13  further including:
 forming from 1 to about 100 additional clusters; 
 injecting the proppant-free fracturing fluid into the wellbore through all of the clusters simultaneously; 
 alternatingly and repeatedly injecting the first proppant-laden slurry followed by injecting the proppant-free fracturing fluid into the wellbore and through all of the clusters simultaneously. 
 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the forming of the first cluster is performed through coiled tubing and the injecting of the first proppant-laden slurry and proppant-free fracturing fluid are carried out through an annulus between the casing and the coiled tubing. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the forming of the first and second clusters is performed through coiled tubing and the injecting of the first proppant-laden slurry and proppant-free fracturing fluid are carried out through an annulus between the casing and the coiled tubing. 
     
     
         19 . A method for perforating and fracturing of a subterranean formation with a wellbore lined with casing extending through at least part of the formation, the method comprising:
 forming from 2 to about 100 clusters of perforations with abrasive-jets with nonperforated intervals disposed between each cluster;   injecting a proppant-free fracturing fluid into the wellbore through the clusters;   combining the proppant-free fracturing fluid with a proppant to form a first proppant-laden slurry and alternatingly and repeatedly injecting the first proppant-laden slurry followed by injecting the proppant-free fracturing fluid into the wellbore and through the clusters;   combining one of the proppant-free fracturing fluid or the first proppant-laden slurry with additional proppant to provide additional proppant-laden slurries of varying concentrations of proppant and for each additional proppant-laden slurry, alternatingly and repeatedly injecting each additional proppant-laden slurry followed by injecting the proppant-free fracturing fluid into the wellbore and through the first and second clusters.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the non-perforated interval has a length ranging from about 10 cm to about 5 m, and
 wherein clusters each include from about 1 to about 10 perforations.