US 12,435,623 B2
Partially degradable particulates as time-released tracers for acidized and fractured gas wells
Ayrat Gizzatov, Winchester, MA (US); Shitong Sherry Zhu, Waban, MA (US); Amy J. Cairns, Houston, TX (US); Rajesh Kumar Saini, Cypress, TX (US); Mohammed Sayed, Katy, TX (US); and Wei Wang, Quincy, MA (US)
Assigned to SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY, Dhahran (SA)
Filed by SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY, Dhahran (SA)
Filed on Mar. 6, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/597,332.
Application 18/597,332 is a division of application No. 17/815,379, filed on Jul. 27, 2022, abandoned.
Prior Publication US 2024/0209729 A1, Jun. 27, 2024
Int. Cl. E21B 47/11 (2012.01); C09K 8/66 (2006.01); C09K 8/88 (2006.01); E21B 43/267 (2006.01)
CPC E21B 47/11 (2020.05) [C09K 8/665 (2013.01); C09K 8/88 (2013.01); E21B 43/267 (2013.01)] 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for monitoring gas production in a subterranean formation comprising:
introducing a polymer composite particle having a degradable portion and a non-degradable portion into a stimulation fluid,
wherein the non-degradable portion comprises a tracer,
wherein the degradable portion comprises a polymer that has hydrolysable bonds in the backbone,
wherein the polymer composite particle is a block copolymer wherein one block of the block copolymer is the degradable portion and one block of the block copolymer is the non-degradable portion, and
wherein the block copolymer is selected from the group consisting of thermoplastic copolyesters (TPC), thermoplastic polyurethane elastomers (TPU), and thermoplastic polyamides (TPA);
injecting the stimulation fluid comprising the polymer composite particle into the subterranean formation to a treatment stage of a treatment zone comprising at least one opening, wherein the polymer composite particle flows into and remains inside the at least one opening;
maintaining the polymer composite particle inside the at least one opening for an amount of time during which the polymer composite particle is exposed to moisture at a downhole temperature, wherein the moisture degrades the degradable portion of the polymer composite particle, thereby releasing the non-degradable portion comprising the tracer;
recovering produced gas from the subterranean formation, wherein the produced gas comprises a gaseous phase from the treatment stage of the treatment zone of the subterranean formation and the non-degradable portion comprising the tracer;
determining a presence of the non-degradable portion comprising the tracer in the produced gas; and
correlating the presence of the non-degradable portion comprising the tracer to the treatment stage of the treatment zone of the subterranean formation.