Methods of treating a subterranean formation containing hydrocarbons

Abstract

A method of treating a subterranean formation containing hydrocarbons is disclosed, the method comprising: modifying the subterranean formation with a surface energy reducing agent; and injecting into the subterranean formation a fracturing fluid containing a base fluid and a gelling agent; in which the surface energy reducing agent is selected to effectively reduce the surface energy of the subterranean formation to at or below the surface tension of the gelling agent.

1 . A method of treating a subterranean formation containing hydrocarbons, the method comprising:
 modifying the subterranean formation with a surface energy reducing agent; and   injecting into the subterranean formation a fracturing fluid containing a base fluid and a gelling agent;   in which the surface energy reducing agent is selected to effectively reduce the surface energy of the subterranean formation to at or below the surface tension of the gelling agent.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  in which the surface energy reducing agent is selected such that the modified subterranean formation does not bond with the gelling agent. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  in which the surface energy reducing agent adheres to the subterranean formation more strongly than the gelling agent adheres to the subterranean formation. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  in which the surface energy reducing agent is selected to effectively reduce the net force of adhesion between the subterranean formation and the gelling agent (F FG ) from above to below the net force of cohesion of the gelling agent (F GG ). 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising breaking a gel, formed of the gelling agent, in the subterranean formation, in which the surface energy reducing agent is selected to effectively reduce the surface energy of the subterranean formation to at or below the surface tension of the gelling agent when broken. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  in which modifying is carried out by injecting fracturing fluid comprising the surface energy reducing agent. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  in which modifying comprises coating. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  in which the surface energy reducing agent comprises a surfactant. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  in which the surface energy reducing agent comprises an alkyne-diol. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8  in which the surface energy reducing agent comprises one or more of Surfanol MB, Surfanol 104-PG50, Surfanol 2502, Dynol 604, and Dynol 607. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8  in which the surfactant comprises one or more of an ionic surfactant and a non-ionic surfactant. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  in which the ionic surfactant comprises one or more of an anionic surfactant, a cationic surfactant, and a zwitterionic surfactant. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1  in which the base fluid comprises hydrocarbons and the gelling agent comprises a gelling agent for hydrocarbons. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  in which the gelling agent comprises a polyacrylimide. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1  in which the base fluid comprises liquefied petroleum gas. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  in which the gelling agent comprises a gelling agent for liquefied petroleum gas. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1  in which the gelling agent is selected to have a surface tension of between twenty and forty-six dynes/cm when in the subterranean formation after breaking.