Method for quantitatively measuring the concentration of chemicals in aqueous solution
AssigneeS.P.C.M. SA
InventorsKimberley MacEwen, Hisham El-Shaffey, Michael Skriba
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Abstract
The disclosure relates to a method for quantitatively measuring concentration in an aqueous solution of a water soluble polymer that is functionalized with at least one tracer, wherein the method involves impregnating a flow assay with a test area, introducing the flow assay into a test reader, and using the test reader to compare test data to a calibration curve so as to determine the concentration of the water-soluble polymer. This method allows the determination of residuals concentration in aqueous solution recovered from different industries, including oil and gas produced water, mining fluids, industrial water systems, and water treatment applications.
Claims10
A method for quantitatively determining concentration in an aqueous solution of a water-soluble polymer functionalized with at least one tracer, comprising:
- a) impregnating a flow assay containing at least one test area that detects the at least one tracer functionalizing the water-soluble polymer to be quantified, with the aqueous solution;
- b) introducing the flow assay into a test reader, said test reader comprising:
- a set of control electronics,
- a signal capturing component,
- a radiation component,
- a housing component, and
- a test tray which can hold at least a portion of the flow assay having a shape and a fixed position relative to the signal capturing component and the radiation component,
- c) using the test reader by:
- exposing the flow assay to radiation to reveal signals of the tracer on the test area,
- acquiring a digital image of said signals,
- image processing for transforming said signals into test data, and
- comparing said test data to a calibration curve in order to quantitatively determine concentration of the water-soluble polymer functionalized by at least one tracer in the aqueous solution,
- wherein the aqueous solution of the water soluble polymer is back produced water from a flooding operation for an enhanced oil recovery operation comprising water soluble polymers, and wherein said back produced water is obtained by:
- injecting an aqueous solution of water soluble polymer functionalized by a tracer in an oil formation through an injection well,
- performing a flooding operation,
- collecting fluid in a production well, and
- separating oil and back produced water.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.