US 11,732,183 B2
Methods of improving, optimizing, or maximizing proppant suspension during formation fracturing
Sarkis Kakadjian, The Woodlands, TX (US); John Vu, The Woodlands, TX (US); and Vidya Sagar Bammidi, The Woodlands, TX (US)
Assigned to NexTier Completion Solutions Inc., Houston, TX (US)
Filed by NexTier Completion Solutions Inc., Houston, TX (US)
Filed on May 24, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/752,072.
Application 17/752,072 is a division of application No. 16/857,534, filed on Apr. 24, 2020, granted, now 11,390,797.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/841,877, filed on May 2, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0372365 A1, Nov. 24, 2022
Int. Cl. C09K 8/68 (2006.01); E21B 43/267 (2006.01); C09K 8/80 (2006.01); C09K 8/60 (2006.01)
CPC C09K 8/685 (2013.01) [C09K 8/602 (2013.01); C09K 8/805 (2013.01); E21B 43/267 (2013.01); C09K 2208/28 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
 
1. A method comprising:
pumping or injecting, into a formation under fracturing conditions, a fracturing fluid comprising:
an aqueous base fluid including at least 5,000 ppm total dissolved solids,
a friction reducer, a high viscosity friction reducer, or mixtures thereof,
an effective amount of an enhancing proppant suspending composition comprising:
one or more aldehydes,
one or more ketones, or
mixtures or combinations thereof,
one or more hydrophobic modified proppants, and
no ammonium based quaternary salts,
wherein the effective amount is between about 1 ppm and 1,000 ppm and is sufficient to suspend the one or more hydrophobic modified proppants in the fracturing fluid reducing proppant settling during the pumping or injecting step.