# US 12,006,465 B2 · Emulsifiers for water-based subterranean treatment fluids

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- Number: US 12,006,465 B2
- Document ID: US12006465B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/249,658
- Filed: 2021-04-27
- Published: 2023-11-30
- Granted: 2024-06-11
- Earliest claimed: 2020-10-30
- Assignees: Lamberti SPA
- Applicants: Lamberti SPA
- Inventors: Alberto Zeffiro; Andrea Balestrini; Sama Nazar Makiah
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12006465B2

## CPC

- C09K 8/28: containing organic additives
- C09K 8/86: containing organic compounds
- C09K: MATERIALS FOR MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS, NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE

## Abstract

The present invention relates to a water-based subterranean treatment fluid, comprising: a) a continuous aqueous phase; b) an internal oil phase; c) from 0.1 to 15 g/100 ml, based on the total fluid volume, of an emulsifying composition comprising a first surfactant having a HLB from 10 to 20 and a second surfactant obtained by reacting a saturated or unsaturated aliphatic monocarboxylic acid, ethylene oxide and a hydroxyalkylamine. The invention further relates to a method for treating a subterranean formation comprising providing said water-based subterranean treatment fluid.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A water-based subterranean treatment fluid, comprising:
a) a continuous aqueous phase
b) an internal oil phase
c) from 0.1 to 15 g/100 ml, based on the total fluid volume, of an emulsifying composition comprising: i) from 1 to 40 wt % of a first surfactant having a HLB from 10 to 20 and ii) from 10 to 90% of at least one second surfactant obtained by reacting from 0.8 to 1.2 moles of a saturated or unsaturated C6-C30 aliphatic monocarboxylic acid, from 1 to 20 moles of ethylene oxide and from 0.8 to 1.2 moles of a hydroxyalkylamine of Formula (I)
wherein:
R is C2-C4-alkylene,
X and Y are selected among H, C1-C10-alkyl, (C2-C4-alkylene)OH or (C2-C4-alkylene)NH2,
provided that when the emulsifying composition contains less than 15 wt % of the first surfactant it also contains at least 60 wt % of the second surfactant and this second surfactant is obtained by reacting from 0.8 to 1.2 moles of a saturated or unsaturated C6-C30 aliphatic monocarboxylic acid, from 1 to 5 moles of ethylene oxide and from 0.8 to 1.2 moles of a hydroxyalkylamine of Formula (I).

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A water-based subterranean treatment fluid according to claim 1, wherein the hydroxyalkylamine of Formula (I) is triethanolamine or a monoethylethanolamine.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

A water-based subterranean treatment fluid according to claim 1, wherein the second surfactant is obtained by reacting from 0.8 to 1.2 moles of a saturated or unsaturated C6-C30 aliphatic monocarboxylic acid, from 1 to 10 moles of ethylene oxide and from 0.8 to 1.2 moles of a hydroxyalkylamine of Formula (I).

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

A water-based subterranean treatment fluid according to claim 1, wherein the saturated or unsaturated C6-C30 aliphatic monocarboxylic acid is a saturated or unsaturated C12-C18 aliphatic monocarboxylic acid.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

A water-based subterranean treatment fluid according to claim 1, wherein the first surfactant is a polyethoxylated sorbitan or sorbitol ester of fatty acids.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

A water-based subterranean treatment fluid according to claim 1, wherein the emulsifying composition comprises from 0 to 40 wt % of a third surfactant.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

A water-based subterranean treatment fluid according to claim 1, wherein the emulsifying composition comprises from 0 to 40 wt % of a third surfactant, which is a fatty acid ester of alkoxylated castor oil.

### Claim 8

A method for treating a subterranean formation comprising providing a water-based subterranean treatment fluid comprising:
a) a continuous aqueous phase
b) an internal oil phase
c) from 0.1 to 15 g/100 ml, based on the total fluid volume, of an emulsifying composition comprising: i) from 1 to 40 wt % of a first surfactant having a HLB from 10 to 20 and ii) from 10 to 90% of at least one second surfactant obtained by reacting from 0.8 to 1.2 moles of a saturated or unsaturated C6-C30 aliphatic monocarboxylic acid, from 1 to 20 moles of ethylene oxide and from 0.8 to 1.2 moles of a hydroxyalkylamine of Formula (I)
wherein:
R is C2-C4-alkylene,
X and Y are selected among H, C1-C10-alkyl, (C2-C4-alkylene)OH or (C2-C4-alkylene)NH2,
provided that when the emulsifying composition contains less than 15 wt % of the first surfactant it also contains at least 60 wt % of the second surfactant and this second surfactant is obtained by reacting from 0.8 to 1.2 moles of a saturated or unsaturated C6-C30 aliphatic monocarboxylic acid, from 1 to 5 moles of ethylene oxide and from 0.8 to 1.2 moles of a hydroxyalkylamine of Formula (I).