Method for consolidating and plugging formations

Claim 1

A METHOD FOR TREATING A WATER-WET SILICEOUS FORMATION WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF INTRODUCING INTO SAID FORMATION A FLUID TREATING AGENT CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF AN INORGANIC, ACIDREACING COMPOSITION CHOSEN FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF A DILUTE MINERAL ACID, STANNOUS CHLORIDE, AND A MIXTURE OF A DILUTE MINERAL ACID AND STANNOUS CHLORIDE, SAID TREATING AGENT BEING CAPABLE OF REACTING WITH A PART OF THE SOLID NATURAL COMPONENTS OF SAID FORMATION, RETAINING SAID TREATING AGENT IN THE FORMATION FOR A PREDETERMINED PERIOD OF TIME, SUBSEQUENTLY INTRODUCING INTO SAID FORMATION A HOMOGENEOUS FLUID MIXTURE COMPRISING A WATER-SOLUBLE ALDEHYDE, A LOW MOLECULAR WEIGHT PHENOL HAVING LESS THAN 3 CARBONATAOMS IN ALKYL SIDE CHAINS, AND A CATALYTIC AGENT COMPRISING STANNOUS CHLORIDE CAPABLE OF CATALYZING REACTION BETWEEN SAID ALDEHYDE AND SAID PHENOL TO FORM A RESINOUS REACTION PRODUCT AND SIMULTANEOUSLY CAPABLE OF CAUSING SAID WATER-WET FORMATION TO BE PREFERENTIALLY WETTED BY SAID RESINOUS FLUID MIXTURE IN THE RETAINING SAID HOMOGENEOUS FLUID MIXTURE IN THE FORMATION AT LEAST UNTIL SAID RESINOUS REACTION PRODUCT HAS FORMED.

Claim 2

A METHOD FOR TREATING A WATER-WET SILICEOUS FORMATION WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF INTRODUCING INTO SAID FORMATION A FLUID TREATING AGENT CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF AN INORGANIC, ACIDREACING COMPOSITION CHOSEN FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF A DILUTE MINERAL ACID, STANNOUS CHLORIDE, AND A MIXTURE OF A DILUTE MINERAL ACID AND STANNOUS CHLORIDE, SAID TREATING AGENT BEING CAPABLE OF REACTING WITH A PART OF THE SOLID NATURAL COMPONENTS OF SAID FORMATION, RETAINING SAID TREATING AGENT IN THE FORMATION FOR A PREDETERMINED PERIOD OF TIME, SUBSEQUENTLY INTRODUCING INTO SAID FORMATION A HOMOGENEOUS FLUID MIXTURE COMPRISING A WATER-SOLUBLE ALDEHYDE, A LOW MOLECULAR WEIGHT PHENOL HAVING LESS THAN 3 CARBONATAOMS IN ALKYL SIDE CHAINS, AND A CATALYTIC AGENT COMPRISING STANNOUS CHLORIDE CAPABLE OF CATALYZING REACTION BETWEEN SAID ALDEHYDE AND SAID PHENOL TO FORM A RESINOUS REACTION PRODUCT AND SIMULTANEOUSLY CAPABLE OF CAUSING SAID WATER-WET FORMATION TO BE PREFERENTIALLY WETTED BY SAID RESINOUS FLUID MIXTURE IN THE RETAINING SAID HOMOGENEOUS FLUID MIXTURE IN THE FORMATION AT LEAST UNTIL SAID RESINOUS REACTION PRODUCT HAS FORMED.