The invention provides environmentally-friendly compositions and methods for reducing the viscosity of crude oil using microorganisms and/or biosurfactants produced by microorganisms.

Provided herein is a hydraulic fracturing fluid containing enzyme encapsulated hydrogel nanoparticles and a breaker composition of a viscosifier-degrading enzyme encapsulated in the hydrogel nanoparticle. Also provided are methods for hydraulic fracturing utilizing hydrogel nanoparticles encapsulating an enzyme as a breaker to prevent the premature degradation of the fracturing fluid, to improve transport and placement of the proppant and to facilitate subsequent cleaning of the fracturing fluid.

Treatment fluids comprising an aqueous base fluid and a gelling agent of selected from the group consisting of hydroxypropyl starch phosphate, a hydroxypropyl starch phosphate derivative, and any combination thereof. The treatment fluids may be used to perform subterranean formation operations, such as fracturing operations and proppant particulate placement operations. The treatment fluids are self-breakable and provide viscosity for proppant particulate suspension without the use of breakers or crosslinkers.

A barite filter cake removing composition, and single- and multi-stage methods of removing a barite filter cake from a wellbore. The composition comprises at least one polymer removal agent, at least one chelating agent, and at least one converting agent. The single-stage method includes contacting the barite filter cake with the composition to dissolve the barite filter cake from the wellbore. The multi-stage method includes contacting the barite filter cake from the wellbore with at least one polymer removal agent to remove a polymer coat present on the barite filter cake, contacting the barite filter cake with at least one converting agent to convert barium sulfate in the barite filter cake to a barium salt of carbonate, formate, cyanide, nitrate, and/or chloride, and removing the barium salt of carbonate, formate, cyanide, nitrate, and/or chloride with at least one chelating agent.

Provided herein is a method of establishing a plug in a hydrocarbon reservoir, the method comprising introducing into the reservoir a formulation comprising solid particles and a viscosifier and then reducing the viscosity of said viscosifier, thereby causing said solid particles to form a plug within said hydrocarbon reservoir. Also provided is a method of establishing a plug in a hydrocarbon reservoir, the method comprising introducing into the reservoir a formulation comprising: (a) microorganisms or cell-free enzymes; (b) solid particles; and (c) a viscosifier which is a substrate for the microorganisms or cell-free enzymes of (a). Also provided is a formulation comprising: (a) microorganisms or cell-free enzymes; (b) solid particles made from wood or a wood derived product; and (c) a viscosifier which is a substrate for the microorganisms or cell-free enzymes of (a).

The composition provided herein includes an aqueous base fluid, a water-based polymer and glass microspheres comprising a metal cross-linking agent and where the water-based polymer cross-links in the presence of the glass microspheres.

Methods and compositions using surface chemistry and internal porosity of proppant particulates to consolidate the proppant particulates are described herein. The methods can include a method of gravel packing a wellbore. The method can include mixing an activator, a thickener, a crosslinker and a plurality of resin-coated proppant particulates to provide a gravel pack fluid and introducing the gravel pack fluid into a gravel pack region of the wellbore. The method can also include consolidating at least a portion of the plurality of resin-coated proppant particulates to provide a consolidated gravel pack, wherein the consolidated gravel pack has a UCS of at least about 60 psi when formed under a pressure of about 0.01 psi to about 50 psi and a temperature of about 160 F. to about 250 F.

The present invention relates to a composition for dissolving an oil-based filter cake in a wellbore, and a single-step method of use. The composition comprises a chelating agent, a converting agent, a polymer removal agent, a mutual solvent, and a surfactant. The present invention also relates to a multi-step method of dissolving an oil-based filter cake using similar components. Both single-step and multistep methods may be used to dissolve oil-based filter cakes comprising barite as a weighting material.

The present invention provides environmentally-friendly compositions and methods for degrading polymers used in fracking operations to enhance the recovery of oil and gas. Specifically, the compositions and methods utilized microorganisms and/or heir growth by products to degrade polymers, such as PGA, PLA and PAM, used in fracking wells.

Various embodiments disclosed relate to compatibilized resin-cement composite compositions and methods of using the same. In various embodiments, the present invention provides a method of treating a subterranean formation that includes placing in the subterranean formation a resin-cement composite composition. The resin-cement composite composition includes a resin, a cement, and a substituted or unsubstituted poly(alkylamine) compatibilizer.