Method of treating a well using a volatile hydrocarbon liquid

Claim 1

A method as defined in claim 1 wherein the particulate material is blended into said viscous aqueous liquid at atmospheric pressure.

Claim 11

A method of treating a well which comprises blending together a nonvolatile hydrocarbon liquid and a viscous aqueous liquid containing an emulsifying agent to form an emulsion wherein the viscous aqueous liquid comprises the external phase and the nonvolatile hydrocarbon liquid comprises the internal phase; blending into said emulsion particulate material having a particle size between about 8 and about 100 mesh to form a slurry; mixing said slurry and a volatile hydrocarbon liquid together at a pressure above the vapor pressure of said volatile hydrocarbon liquid to increase the concentration of said hydrocarbon phase of said emulsion to between about 50 and about 80 volume percent; and thereafter injecting said emulsion containing said volatile hydrocarbon and said particulate material into said well.

Claim 15

A method for the hydraulic fracturing of a subterranean formation surrounding a wellbore using a volatile hydrocarbon liquid which comprIses blending into a viscous aqueous liquid containing an emulsifying agent capable of forming an oil-in-water emulsion, propping agent particles having a particle size between about 8 and about 100 mesh to form a slurry; flowing said slurry at a pressure above the vapor pressure of said hydrocarbon liquid through a conduit; commingling said volatile hydrocarbon liquid with said slurry in said conduit to form an emulsion wherein the viscous aqueous liquid comprises the external phase and constitutes at least 20 volume percent of the emulsion and the volatile hydrocarbon liquid comprises the internal phase and constitutes no more than 80 volume percent of the emulsion; and injecting said emulsion into said wellbore at a pressure sufficient to open a fracture in said formation.

Claim 16

A method for the hydraulic fracturing of a subterranean formation surrounding a wellbore using a volatile hydrocarbon liquid which comprises forming an emulsion which includes a viscous aqueous liquid as the external phase and a nonvolatile hydrocarbon as the internal phase; suspending in said emulsion propping agent particles having a particle size between about 8 and 100 mesh, flowing said emulsion containing the suspended propping agent particles through a conduit at a pressure above the vapor pressure of said volatile hydrocarbon liquid; introducing into said conduit said volatile hydrocarbon liquid to increase the concentration of said hydrocarbon phase of said emulsion to between about 50 and about 80 volume percent, and thereafter injecting said emulsion containing said volatile hydrocarbon liquid and said suspended propping agent particles into said formation at a pressure sufficient to open a fracture in said formation.

Claim 17

A method for the hydraulic fracturing of a subterranean formation surrounding a wellbore using a volatile hydrocarbon liquid which comprises blending into a viscous aqueous liquid containing an emulsifying agent capable of forming an oil-in-water emulsion propping agent particles to form a slurry, pumping said slurry through a conduit and into said wellbore at a pressure above the vapor pressure of said volatile hydrocarbon liquid, said pressure being sufficient to open a fracture in said formation; and commingling with said slurry flowing through said conduit said volatile hydrocarbon liquid to form an emulsion wherein the viscous aqueous liquid comprises the external phase and constitutes at least 20 volume percent of the emulsion and said volatile hydrocarbon liquid comprises the internal phase and constitutes no more than 80 volume percent of the emulsion.

Claim 18

A method for the hydraulic fracturing of a subterranean formation surrounding a wellbore using a volatile hydrocarbon liquid which comprises forming an emulsion which includes a viscous aqueous liquid as the external phase and a nonvolatile hydrocarbon liquid as the internal hydrocarbon phase; blending propping agent particles into said emulsion to form a slurry; pumping said slurry through a conduit and into said wellbore at a pressure sufficient to open a fracture in said formation, said pressure being above the vapor pressure of said volatile hydrocarbon liquid; introducing said volatile hydrocarbon liquid into said conduit to mix with said emulsion and thereby increase the concentration of said internal hydrocarbon phase of said emulsion to between about 50 and about 80 volume percent.