Carbon particle-based lubricant for improving productivity in unconventional formations

Abstract

A lubricant composition includes a hydraulic fracturing treatment fluid and 0.5 to 20 wt. % of carbon particles. A method of fracturing a formation includes introducing a hydraulic fracturing treatment fluid into the formation to induce fractures, where the hydraulic fracturing treatment fluid includes carbon particles present in a range of 0.5 to 20 wt. % of the total hydraulic fracturing treatment fluid weight.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A lubricant composition comprising:
 a hydraulic fracturing treatment fluid; and   0.5 to 20 wt. % of carbon particles.   
     
     
         2 . The lubricant composition of  claim 1 , wherein the carbon particles are present in an amount ranging from 5 to 20 wt. %. 
     
     
         3 . The lubricant composition of  claim 1 , wherein the carbon particles are selected from the group consisting of fullerenes, nanowires, nanorods, graphene, micro-scale particles of diamond, micro-scale particles of graphite, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The lubricant composition of  claim 1 , wherein the hydraulic fracturing treatment fluid comprises an aqueous base fluid. 
     
     
         5 . The lubricant composition of  claim 1 , wherein the hydraulic fracturing treatment fluid comprises proppants. 
     
     
         6 . The lubricant composition of  claim 5 , wherein the proppants are present in an amount ranging from 1 to 20 pounds per gallon of the hydraulic fracturing treatment fluid. 
     
     
         7 . The lubricant composition of  claim 4 , wherein the hydraulic fracturing treatment fluid comprises one or more additives selected from the group consisting of clay stabilizers, scale inhibitors, corrosion inhibitors, biocides, friction reducers, thickeners, fluid loss additives, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The lubricant composition of  claim 4 , wherein the aqueous base fluid comprises at least one acid. 
     
     
         9 . The lubricant composition of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one acid is selected from the group consisting of hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, acetic acid, and hydrofluoric acid. 
     
     
         10 . The lubricant composition of  claim 1 , wherein the carbon particles comprise hydrophilic surface functional groups selected from the group consisting of carboxylic acid, hydroxyl, carbonyl, amino, phosphate, thiol, sulfate, silane and silyl. 
     
     
         11 . A method of fracturing a formation, the method comprising:
 introducing a hydraulic fracturing treatment fluid into the formation to induce fractures, wherein the hydraulic fracturing treatment fluid comprises carbon particles, wherein the carbon particles are present in a range of 0.5 to 20 wt. % of the total hydraulic fracturing treatment fluid weight.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the carbon particles are selected from the group consisting of fullerenes, nanowires, nanorods, graphene, micro-scale particles of diamond, micro-scale particles of graphite, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the hydraulic fracturing treatment fluid comprises an aqueous base fluid. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the hydraulic fracturing treatment fluid comprises proppants. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the hydraulic fracturing treatment fluid comprises one or more additives selected from the group consisting of clay stabilizers, scale inhibitors, corrosion inhibitors, biocides, friction reducers, thickeners, fluid loss additives, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the carbon particles comprise hydrophilic surface functional groups selected from the group consisting of carboxylic acid, hydroxyl, carbonyl, amino, phosphate, thiol, sulfate, silane, and silyl. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising, prior to the introducing step, functionalizing a surface of the carbon particles through wet oxidation, dry oxidation amination, silanization, or silylation. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the method further comprises lubricating formation surfaces in induced un-propped fractures, wherein the carbon particles provide the lubrication of formation surfaces in the induced un-propped fractures, and wherein lubrication of the formation surfaces in induced un-propped fractures by the carbon particles results in an increased residual fracture conductivity compared to the formation without lubrication of the induced un-propped fractures. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the method further comprises recovering hydrocarbons from the formation.