Plating expanded boreholes

Claim 2

The method claim 1 including the step of packing said selected interval of the borehole with a pack of granular material before injecting said fluid containing electroless metal plating components.

Claim 3

The method of claim 1 including the step of adding a viscosity enhancing agent to at least some of said fluids injected into said formation in an amount sufficient to increase the effective viscosity of said fluid in the formation to a viscosity between 5 and 15 times the viscosity of water.

Claim 4

in a well having a borehole lined with a tubular casing which is fixed in place with a cement and perforated with a number of perforations through a selected interval of the borehole opposite an earth formation at least in part composed of an unconsolidated particulate matter, an electroless metal plating method for consolidating at least some of said particulate matter comprising the steps of: providinG a flow path for pumping a fluid under pressure from a surface location into the selected interval of the borehole; determining a cylindrical fracture forming pressure less than the lateral fracturing pressure of said earth formation which is sufficient to cause the surrounding earth formation to move outwardly relative to the cemented string of casing leaving a narrow space between the cement and the earth formation; hydraulically expanding said selected interval of the borehole by injecting a fluid into said selected interval at a borehole expanding fluid injection pressure substantially equal to said cylindrical fracturing pressure; injecting into the formation a fluid containing electroless metal plating components, the reaction products of which form a metal plating on said particulate matter, at a fluid injection pressure substantially equal to said borehole expanding fluid injection pressure; and maintaining said fluid injection pressure substantially constant at least until electroless metal plating components have been injected in an amount sufficient to consolidate the first contacted portions of the formation adjacent the borehole.

Claim 5

The method of claim 5 including the step of packing said selected interval of the borehole with a pack of granular material before injecting said fluid containing electroless metal plating components.