An oxygenated foam is injected into a hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir within a diatomite-containing subsurface formation to hydraulically form a fracture within the reservoir. Combustion is initiated between the oxygenated foam and hydrocarbons within the reservoir to burn the formation and alter diatomite within the burned area into a hardened, more highly permeable material. The reservoir may again be fractured to shatter the hardened diatomite to further increase reservoir permeability and form a self-propped fracture within the reservoir.

A method for pneumatically transferring particluate solid materials into an earth formation penetrated by a well bore is shown. A gas is flowed into the well bore to establish the desired injection rate and pressure. A particulate solid material is then added to the established gas flow passing into the well bore by flowing a gas containing an entrained particulate solid material into the established gas flow to thereby transfer the solid particulate material pneumatically into the well bore.

An improved method for hydraulically fracturing a formation or reservoir where a thermo-setting gellable mixture is utilized. This thermo-setting mixture is foamed either at the surface or in situ under fracturing pressures and conditions. The mixture and carrier fluid is of a composition such that the foamed mixture has a viscosity of sufficient magnitude to cause a created fracture to grow while the foamed mixture is kept under fracturing pressure and conditions. Once a fracture of a desired size and length has been generated, the resin is ignited and thermally set thus forming a porous hardened solid within the fracture thereby holding the fracture open. Once combustion is finished, no spent fracturing fluids or load fluids remain to be recovered. This porous solid props the fracture open thereby increasing the conductivity of the formation or reservoir and fluid flow therefrom.