System, Method, and Apparatus for Combined Fracturing Treatment and Scale Inhibition

Abstract

A treatment fluid for a subterranean formation includes a carrier fluid and an amount of particles including a granular scale inhibitor. The carrier fluid includes a hydratable gel fluid, a crosslinked gel fluid, an acid-based fluid, an oil-based fluid, and/or a visco-elastic surfactant. The particles include a proppant impregnated with the scale inhibitor, a solid particle formed largely from the scale inhibitor, or both. The proppant includes scale inhibitor adsorbed on porous surfaces within the proppant, and/or a porous proppant with scale inhibitor embedded in the bulk porosity of the proppant. The scale inhibitor is present in an amount between about 1% and 5% of a total weight of particles. The particles include scale inhibitor at a sufficient concentration and dissolution rate to provide acceptable scale inhibitor concentrations in produced fluids for production volumes exceeding 500 pore volumes.

1 . A treatment fluid for a subterranean formation, the treatment fluid comprising:
 a carrier fluid;   a first amount of particles comprising a granular scale inhibitor; and   wherein the granular scale inhibitor comprises a compound that inhibits the formation of at least one of carbonate and phosphate scales.   
   
   
       2 . The treatment fluid of  claim 1 , wherein the granular scale inhibitor comprises a particle size greater than about 25 microns. 
   
   
       3 . The treatment fluid of  claim 1 , wherein the carrier fluid comprises at least one fluid selected from the fluids consisting of: a hydratable gel-based fluid, a cross-linked hydratable gel-based fluid, an oil-based fluid, a visco-elastic surfactant (VES) fluid, and an acid-based fluid. 
   
   
       4 . The treatment fluid of  claim 1 , further comprising a second amount of particles comprising a proppant, wherein the first amount of particles are present in an amount comprising between about 1% and 5% by weight of a total amount of particles. 
   
   
       5 . The treatment fluid of  claim 1 , further comprising an activator present in an amount between about 0.1% and 50% by weight of the scale inhibitor. 
   
   
       6 . The treatment fluid of  claim 5 , wherein the activator comprises at least one activator selected from the list consisting of a divalent ion, an ionic salt, and calcium chloride. 
   
   
       7 . The treatment fluid of  claim 1 , wherein the carrier fluid comprises a fluid with high salt tolerance. 
   
   
       8 . The treatment fluid of  claim 1 , wherein the granular scale inhibitor comprises a chemical structured to at least partially adsorb to a formation matrix. 
   
   
       9 . The treatment fluid of  claim 1 , wherein the granular scale inhibitor comprises at least one compound selected from the classes consisting of sulfonates, phosphate esters, phosphonates, phosphonate polymers, polyacrylates and polymethacrylates, polycarboxylates, and phosphorous containing polycarboxylates, and phosphonic acid derivatives. 
   
   
       10 . The treatment fluid of  claim 1 , wherein the granular scale inhibitor comprises at least one compound selected from the classes consisting of phospino-polylacrylates and phosphonic acid ethylene diamine derivatives. 
   
   
       11 . The treatment fluid of  claim 1 , wherein the granular scale inhibitor comprises at least one compound selected from the classes consisting of phosphonic acid[1,2-ethanediylbis[nitrilobis(methylene)]]tetrakis, calcium salts thereof, and sodium salts thereof. 
   
   
       12 . The treatment fluid of  claim 1 , wherein the granular scale inhibitor further includes a coating structured to degrade at a set of downhole conditions. 
   
   
       13 . The treatment fluid of  claim 12 , wherein the coating comprises a coating selected from the group consisting of an encapsulation material, a surface coating, and a thin material film. 
   
   
       14 . The treatment fluid of  claim 12 , wherein the coating comprises at least one coating selected from the group consisting of polycaprolate, calcium stearate, a material structured to degrade in contact with a hydrocarbon, a material structured to degrade at a downhole temperature, and a material structured to degrade in a formation brine. 
   
   
       15 . A treatment fluid for a subterranean formation, the treatment fluid comprising:
 a carrier fluid;   a first amount of particles comprising a proppant; and   wherein the proppant includes a porosity at least partially filled with a scale inhibitor.   
   
   
       16 . The treatment fluid of  claim 15 , wherein the proppant has a size at least equal to a 100 mesh. 
   
   
       17 . The treatment fluid of  claim 15 , wherein the proppant comprises a porous ceramic proppant. 
   
   
       18 . The treatment fluid of  claim 15 , wherein the porosity at least partially filled with a scale inhibitor comprises at least one of the scale inhibitor adsorbed on pore surfaces in the proppant and the scale inhibitor filling at least a portion of bulk porosity in the proppant. 
   
   
       19 . The treatment fluid of  claim 15 , wherein the carrier fluid comprises at least one fluid selected from the fluids consisting of: a hydratable gel-based fluid, a cross-linked hydratable gel-based fluid, an oil-based fluid, a visco-elastic surfactant (VES) fluid, and an acid-based fluid. 
   
   
       20 . The treatment fluid of  claim 15 , wherein the scale inhibitor comprises between about 1% and 5% of a total proppant weight. 
   
   
       21 . The treatment fluid of  claim 15 , further comprising an activator present in an amount between about 0.1% and 50% by weight of the scale inhibitor. 
   
   
       22 . The treatment fluid of  claim 21 , wherein the activator comprises at least one activator selected from the list consisting of a divalent ion, an ionic salt, and calcium chloride. 
   
   
       23 . The treatment fluid of  claim 15 , wherein the scale inhibitor comprises a chemical structured to at least partially adsorb to a formation matrix. 
   
   
       24 . The treatment fluid of  claim 15 , wherein the scale inhibitor comprises at least one compound selected from the classes consisting of sulfonates, phosphate esters, phosphonates, phosphonate polymers, polyacrylates and polymethacrylates, polycarboxylates, and phosphorous containing polycarboxylates, and phosphonic acid derivatives. 
   
   
       25 . The treatment fluid of  claim 15 , wherein the scale inhibitor comprises at least one compound selected from the classes consisting of phospino-polylacrylates and phosphonic acid ethylene diamine derivatives. 
   
   
       26 . The treatment fluid of  claim 15 , wherein the scale inhibitor comprises at least one compound selected from the classes consisting of phosphonic acid[1,2-ethanediylbis[nitrilobis(methylene)]]tetrakis, and calcium and sodium salts thereof. 
   
   
       27 . The treatment fluid of  claim 15 , wherein the scale inhibitor further includes a coating structured to degrade at a set of downhole conditions. 
   
   
       28 . The treatment fluid of  claim 27 , wherein the coating comprises a coating selected from the group consisting of an encapsulation material, a surface coating, and a thin material film. 
   
   
       29 . The treatment fluid of  claim 27 , wherein the coating comprises at least one coating selected from the group consisting of polycaprolate, calcium stearate, a material structured to degrade in contact with a hydrocarbon, a material structured to degrade at a downhole temperature, and a material structured to degrade in a formation brine. 
   
   
       30 . The treatment fluid of  claim 15 , wherein the carrier fluid comprises a fluid with high salt tolerance. 
   
   
       31 . A method, comprising:
 preparing a treatment fluid comprising a carrier fluid, an amount of particles each particle defining a volume, wherein at least a portion of the defined volume of each particle comprises a scale inhibitor, and wherein the amount of particles comprise a particle size greater than about 25 microns;   fracturing a subterranean formation;   placing the treatment fluid in the fracture; and   allowing the fracture to close on the amount of particles.   
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the scale inhibitor comprises an initial amount and a dissolution rate characteristic, the method further comprising producing a formation fluid from the subterranean formation, wherein the initial amount and dissolution rate characteristic have values such that a concentration of the scale inhibitor in the produced formation fluid is greater than about 5 ppm for at least 500 fracture pore volumes of the produced formation fluid. 
   
   
       33 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the scale inhibitor comprises an initial amount and a dissolution rate characteristic, the method further comprising producing a formation fluid from the subterranean formation, wherein the initial amount and dissolution rate characteristic have values such that a concentration of the scale inhibitor in the produced formation fluid is greater than about 10 ppm for at least 450 fracture pore volumes of the produced formation fluid. 
   
   
       34 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the scale inhibitor comprises a compound that inhibits the formation of at least one of carbonate and phosphate scales. 
   
   
       35 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the amount of particles comprises at least one particle selected from the list consisting of: a proppant impregnated with the scale inhibitor, a proppant having bulk porosity at least partially filled with the scale inhibitor, and a granular particle comprising the scale inhibitor. 
   
   
       36 . The method of  claim 31 , further comprising flowing production fluid from the subterranean formation into a wellbore intersecting the subterranean formation, and adsorbing at least a portion of the scale inhibitor on a matrix of the subterranean formation. 
   
   
       37 . The method of  claim 31 , further comprising coating the amount of particles with a degradable material, and degrading the degradable material after the placing the treatment fluid. 
   
   
       38 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the degrading the degradable material comprises selecting a degradable material structured to degrade at a set of downhole conditions present in the subterranean formation. 
   
   
       39 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the degrading the degradable material comprises injecting a composition that reacts with the degradable material. 
   
   
       40 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the degrading the degradable material comprises injecting a fluid at an elevated temperature. 
   
   
       41 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the coating comprises a coating selected from the group consisting of an encapsulation material, a surface coating, and a thin material film. 
   
   
       42 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the treatment fluid further includes an activator present in an amount between about 0.1% and 50% by weight of the scale inhibitor. 
   
   
       43 . The method of  claim 42 , further comprising generating a gel precipitate in the subterranean formation, wherein the gel precipitate comprises at least a fraction of the scale inhibitor reacted with the activator. 
   
   
       44 . A system, comprising:
 a wellbore intersecting a subterranean formation;   an amount of treatment fluid, comprising: a carrier fluid, an amount of particles each particle defining a volume, wherein at least a portion of the defined volume of each particle comprises a scale inhibitor; and   a pump structured to fracture the subterranean formation, and to place the treatment fluid in the fracture.   
   
   
       45 . The system of  claim 44 , wherein the amount of particles comprises an amount of a porous ceramic proppant impregnated with the scale inhibitor. 
   
   
       46 . The system of  claim 45 , wherein the amount of particles comprise a particle size at least equal to a 100 mesh. 
   
   
       47 . The system of  claim 44 , wherein the carrier fluid comprises at least one fluid selected from the fluids consisting of: a hydratable gel-based fluid, a cross-linked hydratable gel-based fluid, an oil-based fluid, a visco-elastic surfactant (VES) fluid, and an acid-based fluid. 
   
   
       48 . The system of  claim 44 , wherein the amount of particles comprise a particle size greater than about 25 microns.