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US 10,871,066 B1Granted
Molecular tracers and modified proppants for monitoring underground fluid flows
AssigneesNational Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC, Stc.Unm
InventorsRichard A. Kemp, Timothy J. Boyle
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Abstract
The present invention relates to modified proppants and methods of using the modified proppants that use metal ligand tracers to characterize subterranean fluid flow. The metal and ligands are best chosen to be a strongly-coordinating, chelating ligand with a functional group for the chosen flow environment.
Claims9
A modified proppant, comprising:
- a porous proppant;
- and
- a metal ligand complex infused or impregnated in the porous proppant;
- wherein the metal ligand complex is selected from the group consisting of [M(saloR′—R)(solv)x] or [M(saloR′—R] without solvent attachments;
- and
- wherein M is selected from the group consisting of alkali earth, transition, lanthanides, actinides and main group metals;
- and
- wherein R is a bridging group selected from the group consisting of ethylene, phenylene, alkyl- or aryl-substituted phenylene, naphthyl and cyclohexyl;
- and
- wherein R′ is a functional group selected from the group consisting of methyl, t-butyl, bromine, amino (—NR2), nitrite (—NO2), phosphonium (R4P+, derivatized sulfate (RSO3−), halides (X) groups.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.