Method of providing a barrier in a fracture-containing system

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method of providing a barrier in a fracture-containing system, comprising: i) Providing a treatment fluid comprising: a) a base fluid; b) an elastomeric material, wherein said elastomeric material comprises at least one polymer capable of crosslinking into an elastomer, and c) at least one crosslinking agent; ii) Placing the treatment fluid in a fracture-containing system; iii) Allowing the elastomeric material to crosslink with itself to form a barrier in said fracture-containing system; wherein the elastomeric material and/or the crosslinking agent are of neutral buoyancy with regard to the base fluid. The invention is contemplated to having utility not only in the oil-drilling industry but also in the plugging of fractures in sewer drains, pipelines etc.

1 . A method of reducing fluid loss in formations by providing a barrier in a fracture-containing system, comprising:
 i) Providing a treatment fluid comprising:
 a) a base fluid; 
 b) an elastomeric material, wherein said elastomeric material comprises at least one polymer capable of crosslinking into an elastomer, and 
 c) at least one crosslinking agent; 
   ii) Placing the treatment fluid in a fracture-containing system;   iii) Allowing the elastomeric material to crosslink with itself and with the crosslinking agent to form a barrier in said fracture-containing system;
 wherein the elastomeric material and/or the crosslinking agent are of neutral buoyancy with regard to the base fluid, wherein at least one of the elastomeric material or the crosslinking agent is present in the form of particles, and 
 wherein the elastomeric material comprises one or more components selected from the group consisting of natural rubber, acrylate butadiene rubbers, polyacrylate rubbers, isoprene rubbers, chloroprene rubbers, butyl rubbers, brominated or chlorinated butyl rubbers, chlorinated polyethylene, neoprene rubbers, styrene butadiene copolymer rubbers, sulphonated polyethylene, ethylene oxide copolymers, ethylene-propylene rubbers, ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymer rubbers, ethylene vinyl acetate copolymers, fluorosilicone rubber, silicone rubbers, poly 2,2,1-bicyclo heptane, alkylstyrene, crosslinked substituted vinyl acrylate copolymers and diatomaceous earth, fluoro rubbers, perfluoro rubbers, tetrafluoroethylene/propylene, polyvinyl alcohol-cyclic acid anhydride graft copolymers, isobutylene maleic anhydride, acrylic acid type polymers, vinylacetate-acrylate copolymer, polyethylene oxide polymers, polymethacrylate, and acrylic polymers. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein at least the elastomeric material is present in the form of particles of elastomeric material. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to any  claim 1 , wherein the elastomeric material comprises one or more components selected from the group consisting of natural rubber, acrylate butadiene rubbers, polyacrylate rubbers, isoprene rubbers, chloroprene rubbers, butyl rubbers, fluorosilicone rubber, silicone rubbers, and acrylic polymers, more preferably silicone rubbers. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the elastomeric material is partially cured before mixing of said material with the crosslinking agent and the base fluid to form the treatment fluid. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the particles of the elastomeric material comprise an outer layer of a first thermoplastic material. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the crosslinking agent is present in the form of particles. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 6 , wherein the particles of the crosslinking agent comprise an outer layer of a second thermoplastic material. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the elastomeric material is a Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) rubber and the crosslinking agent is a methylhydrosiloxane-dimethylsiloxane copolymer. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the first and second thermoplastic material, independently of each other, is selected from the group consisting of polyalkyl methacrylate, such as polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), fluorinated polyalkyl methacrylate, such as heptafluorbutyl methacrylate (HFBMA), copolymers of polyalkyl methacrylate and fluorinated polyalkyl methacrylate, such as copolymers of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) and heptafluorbutyl methacrylate (HFBMA), polyester, polyurethane, polyvinyl acetate, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), poly(acrylonitrile), poly(tetrahydrofuran) (PTHF), styrene-acrylonitrile, polyethylene terephthalate, polycyclohexylene dimethylene terephthalate, polyhydroxyalkanoates, chlorinated polyethylene, polyimide, polylactic acid, polyphenylene oxide, polyphthalamide, and polypropylene, preferably polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), preferably wherein the first and second thermoplastic materials are both PMMA. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said base fluid is selected from the group consisting of a gas, an aqueous fluid or an oleaginous fluid, preferably water or a hydrocarbon fluid, more preferably water. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein in step iii) the elastomeric material is allowed to crosslink with the addition of energy, wherein said energy is provided in the form of irradiation. 
     
     
         12 . A treatment fluid comprising:
 a) a base fluid;   b) an elastomeric material, wherein said elastomeric material comprises at least one polymer capable of crosslinking into an elastomer, and   c) at least one crosslinking agent;   wherein the elastomeric material and/or the crosslinking agent are of neutral buoyancy with regard to the base fluid, wherein at least one of the elastomeric material or the crosslinking agent is present in the form of particles and wherein the elastomeric material comprises one or more components selected from the group consisting of natural rubber, acrylate butadiene rubbers, polyacrylate rubbers, isoprene rubbers, chloroprene rubbers, butyl rubbers, brominated or chlorinated butyl rubbers, chlorinated polyethylene, neoprene rubbers, styrene butadiene copolymer rubbers, sulphonated polyethylene, ethylene oxide copolymers, ethylene-propylene rubbers, ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymer rubbers, ethylene vinyl acetate copolymers, fluoro silicone rubber, silicone rubbers, poly 2,2,1-bicyclo heptane, alkylstyrene, crosslinked substituted vinyl acrylate copolymers and diatomaceous earth, fluoro rubbers, perfluoro rubbers, tetrafluoroethylene/propylene, polyvinyl alcohol-cyclic acid anhydride graft copolymers, isobutylene maleic anhydride, acrylic acid type polymers, vinylacetate-acrylate copolymer, polyethylene oxide polymers, polymethacrylate, and acrylic polymers.   
     
     
         13 . A use of a treatment fluid according to  claim 12  for fracture blocking, preferably for fracture blocking in an oil drilling well.