# US 11,028,316 B2 · Tunable injection fluid based on natural gas liquids, gas, and nanoparticles for improved hydrocarbon recovery > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,028,316 B2 - Document ID: US11028316B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/186,076 - Filed: 2018-11-09 - Published: 2019-05-09 - Granted: 2021-06-08 - Earliest claimed: 2017-11-09 - Assignees: Linde Aktiengesellschaft - Applicants: Linde Aktiengesellschaft - Inventors: Naveed Aslam; Kevin G. Watts; Roberta Watts; Carl Peter Ulfson Hagenfeldt - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11028316B2 ## CPC - C09K 8/594: Compositions used in combination with injected gas {, e.g. CO2 orcarbonated gas}(C09K8/592 takes precedence) - C09K 8/524: organic depositions, e.g. paraffins or asphaltenes - C09K 8/584: characterised by the use of specific surfactants - E21B 43/16: Enhanced recovery methods for obtaining hydrocarbons - E21B 43/168: {Injecting a gaseous medium} - C09K 2208/06: Structured surfactants, i.e. well drilling or treating fluids with a lamellar or spherulitic phase - C09K 2208/10: Nanoparticle-containing well treatment fluids - C09K: MATERIALS FOR MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS, NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE - E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS ## Abstract A hydrocarbon well remediation/stimulation treatment based on an Y-Grade natural gas liquid injection fluid mixture, including prescribed amounts of gas, nanoparticles with wettability alteration properties, foaming agents (including nanoparticles with foam stabilization properties), and solvent additives. The fluid mixture may be tuned to address multiple factors contributing to production decline, such as liquid blockage, wettability properties, fines/debris/scale build-up and organic deposits, reservoir heterogeneity/permeability, and/or reservoir fluid and hydrocarbon compositions, resulting in hydrocarbon production enhancement. The treatment is typically applied with a Huff-n-Puff process, however may also be applied with a flooding process. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for improved hydrocarbon recovery, comprising: injecting an injection fluid through an injection well into a hydrocarbon reservoir, wherein the injection fluid comprises Y-Grade natural gas liquids (NGL) and surface functionalized nanoparticles, wherein the Y-Grade NGL is an unfractionated hydrocarbon mixture that is a byproduct of a de-methanized hydrocarbon stream and comprises ethane, propane, butane, isobutene, pentane, and less than 1 percent methane, wherein the surface functionalized nanoparticles are configured to alter wettability of solid surfaces and alter the interfacial tension between fluids in the reservoir, and wherein the surface functionalized nanoparticles are hydrophobic; providing the hydrophobic surface functionalized nanoparticles in a solvent solution that solubilizes with the Y-Grade NGL; injecting a gas through the injection well into the reservoir to displace the injection fluid into the reservoir; and producing hydrocarbons from the resource reservoir via the injection well or a production well offset from the injection well. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the gas comprises nitrogen, carbon dioxide, natural gas, produced gas, or combinations thereof. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the injection fluid and the gas are simultaneously injected into the reservoir. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the injection fluid and the gas are alternately injected into the reservoir, including injecting the gas into the reservoir prior to the injection fluid. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the injection fluid further comprises xylene, toluene, or heptane configured to solubilize and remove organic deposits including paraffin or asphaltenes from the reservoir. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the surface functionalized nanoparticles are configured to retain stable properties under reservoir conditions, including reservoir temperature, reservoir pressure, and reservoir fluid composition. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the surface functionalized nanoparticles have a core particle and an outer shell surrounding the core particle. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the core particle is a silica core, and wherein the outer shell is a non-conductive or conductive polymer, selected from a group consisting of polyethylene glycol and polyaniline, and impregnated with a charged ionic species. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the surface functionalized nanoparticles have a core particle and a tethered material bonded to the core particle. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the core particle comprises a silica core, and wherein the tethered material comprises oleic acid or acrylic acid bonded to the surface of the silica core. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the injection fluid further comprises a foaming agent configured to generate foam in-situ within the reservoir for mobility control resulting in an efficient distribution within the reservoir. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the foaming agent is a fluoro-based or siloxane-based surfactant. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the foaming agent is a hydrophobic nanoparticle with a fluoro-based or siloxane-based surfactant surface immobilization. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the foaming agent is a mixture of a fluoro-based or siloxane-based surfactant, and a hydrophobic nanoparticle with a fluoro-based or siloxane-based surfactant surface immobilization. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the foaming agent has a core particle and an outer shell surrounding the core particle. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the core particle is a silica core, and wherein the outer shell is a non-conductive or conductive polymer, selected from a group consisting of polyethylene glycol and polyaniline, and impregnated with a charged ionic species. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the foaming agent has a core particle and a tethered material bonded to the core particle. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the core particle comprises a silica core, and wherein the tethered material comprises oleic acid or acrylic acid bonded to the surface of the silica core. ### Claim 19 A method for improved hydrocarbon recovery, comprising: injecting an injection fluid through an injection well into a hydrocarbon reservoir, wherein the injection fluid comprises Y-Grade natural gas liquids (NGL) and surface functionalized nanoparticles, wherein the Y-Grade NGL is an unfractionated hydrocarbon mixture that is a byproduct of a de-methanized hydrocarbon stream and comprises ethane, propane, butane, isobutene, pentane, and less than 1 percent methane, wherein the surface functionalized nanoparticles are configured to alter wettability of solid surfaces and alter the interfacial tension between fluids in the reservoir, wherein the injection fluid further comprises a foaming agent configured to generate foam in-situ within the reservoir for mobility control resulting in an efficient distribution within the reservoir, and wherein the foaming agent is a hydrophobic nanoparticle with a fluoro-based or siloxane-based surfactant surface immobilization; injecting a gas through the injection well into the reservoir to displace the injection fluid into the reservoir; and producing hydrocarbons from the resource reservoir via the injection well or a production well offset from the injection well. ### Claim 20 A method for improved hydrocarbon recovery, comprising: injecting an injection fluid through an injection well into a hydrocarbon reservoir, wherein the injection fluid comprises Y-Grade natural gas liquids (NGL) and surface functionalized nanoparticles, wherein the Y-Grade NGL is an unfractionated hydrocarbon mixture that is a byproduct of a de-methanized hydrocarbon stream and comprises ethane, propane, butane, isobutene, pentane, and less than 1 percent methane, wherein the surface functionalized nanoparticles are configured to alter wettability of solid surfaces and alter the interfacial tension between fluids in the reservoir, wherein the injection fluid further comprises a foaming agent configured to generate foam in-situ within the reservoir for mobility control resulting in an efficient distribution within the reservoir, and wherein the foaming agent is a mixture of a fluoro-based or siloxane-based surfactant, and a hydrophobic nanoparticle with a fluoro-based or siloxane-based surfactant surface immobilization; injecting a gas through the injection well into the reservoir to displace the injection fluid into the reservoir; and producing hydrocarbons from the resource reservoir via the injection well or a production well offset from the injection well.