Method for selectively increasing the porosity and permeability of subterranean geologic formations

Claim 1

A METHOD FOR TREATING SUBSTERRANEAN GEOLOGIC FORMATIONS IN AN AREA TRAVERSED BY A WELL BOREHOLE IN ORDER TO SELECTIVELY INCREASE POROSITY AND PERMEABILITY OF PREDOMINANTLY OIL AND GAS PRODUCING ZONES IN THE AREA WHILE LEAVING THE POROSITY AND PERMEABILITY OF PREDOMINANTLY WATER PRODUCING ZONES SUBSTANTIALLY LITTLE AFFECTED, COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: LOWERING THE TEMPERATURE OF THE FORMATION IN SAID AREA SUFFICIENTLY TO FREEZE WATER IN SAID PREDOMINANTLY WATER PRODUCING ZONES TO DEFINE TEMPORARY ICE BLOCKAGE IN SAID PREDOMINANTLY WATER PRODUCING ZONES, DISPLACING A QUANTITY OF FLUID INTO SAID AREA OF THE BOREHOLE, SAID FLUID HAVING AS AN ESSENTIAL CHARACTERISTIC THE ABILITY TO INCREASE POROSITY AND PERMEABILITY OF SAID GEOLOGIC FORMATIONS IN SAID AREA THROUGH CHEMICAL REACTION THEREWITH; PRESSURIZING SAID FLUID IN SAID AREA SUFFICIENTLY TO FORCE SAID FLUID INTO SAID PREDOMINANTLY OIL AND GAS PRODUCING ZONES, WHILE SAID TEMPORARY ICE BLOCKAGE PREVENTS SUBSTANTIAL PENETRATION OF SAID FLUID INTO SAID PREDOMINANTLY OIL AND GAS PRODUCING ZONES, SAID FLUID BEING INSUFFICIENTLY PRESSURIZED TO FRACTURE SAID GEOLOGIC FORMATIONS IN SAID PREDOMINANTLY OIL AND GAS PRODUCING ZONES, WHEREBY THE POROSITY AND PERMEABILITY OF THE PRIMARILY OIL AND GAS PRODUCING ZONES IS INCREASED AND THE POROSITY AND PERMEABILITY OF THE PREDOMINANTLY WATER PRODUCING ZONES REMAINS SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME AS IT WAS PRIOR TO TREATMENT OF SAID AREA.

Claim 2

A METHOD FOR TREATING SUBSTERRANEAN GEOLOGIC FORMATIONS IN AN AREA TRAVERSED BY A WELL BOREHOLE IN ORDER TO SELECTIVELY INCREASE POROSITY AND PERMEABILITY OF PREDOMINANTLY OIL AND GAS PRODUCING ZONES IN THE AREA WHILE LEAVING THE POROSITY AND PERMEABILITY OF PREDOMINANTLY WATER PRODUCING ZONES SUBSTANTIALLY LITTLE AFFECTED, COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: LOWERING THE TEMPERATURE OF THE FORMATION IN SAID AREA SUFFICIENTLY TO FREEZE WATER IN SAID PREDOMINANTLY WATER PRODUCING ZONES TO DEFINE TEMPORARY ICE BLOCKAGE IN SAID PREDOMINANTLY WATER PRODUCING ZONES, DISPLACING A QUANTITY OF FLUID INTO SAID AREA OF THE BOREHOLE, SAID FLUID HAVING AS AN ESSENTIAL CHARACTERISTIC THE ABILITY TO INCREASE POROSITY AND PERMEABILITY OF SAID GEOLOGIC FORMATIONS IN SAID AREA THROUGH CHEMICAL REACTION THEREWITH; PRESSURIZING SAID FLUID IN SAID AREA SUFFICIENTLY TO FORCE SAID FLUID INTO SAID PREDOMINANTLY OIL AND GAS PRODUCING ZONES, WHILE SAID TEMPORARY ICE BLOCKAGE PREVENTS SUBSTANTIAL PENETRATION OF SAID FLUID INTO SAID PREDOMINANTLY OIL AND GAS PRODUCING ZONES, SAID FLUID BEING INSUFFICIENTLY PRESSURIZED TO FRACTURE SAID GEOLOGIC FORMATIONS IN SAID PREDOMINANTLY OIL AND GAS PRODUCING ZONES, WHEREBY THE POROSITY AND PERMEABILITY OF THE PRIMARILY OIL AND GAS PRODUCING ZONES IS INCREASED AND THE POROSITY AND PERMEABILITY OF THE PREDOMINANTLY WATER PRODUCING ZONES REMAINS SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME AS IT WAS PRIOR TO TREATMENT OF SAID AREA.