Internal breakers take VES fluids deeper: Frac fluid stands up to higher temperatures

摘要

While viscoelastic surfactant (VES) fluids have been widely used in the offshore oil and gas industry for several years for a variety of stimulation treatment applications, those applications have not extended to hydraulic fracturing of deep-shelf or deepwater wells because of: (1) the fluids' tendency toward high fluid leak-off and low viscosities at elevated temperatures, and (2) lack of an internal breaker mechanism for dry gas applications. Recently, Baker Oil Tools introduced Diamond FRAQ fluid, a new VES fluid system with internal breaker technology that substantially improves viscoelastic surfactant performance and extends its applicability to deepwater and high-pressure hydraulic fracturing.