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US 11,692,436 B2Granted
Molecular tracers and modified proppants for monitoring underground fluid flows
AssigneesNational Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC, UNM Rainforest Innovations
InventorsRichard A. Kemp, Timothy J. Boyle
Life of this patent
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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.
Claims8
A method, comprising:
- introducing a modified proppant into a subterranean formation, wherein the modified proppant comprises a proppant and a metal ligand complex in contact with the proppant;
- and
- collecting a fluid comprising the metal ligand complex from the subterranean formation;
- wherein the metal ligand complex comprises:
- a salen or salen derivative ligand.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.