Multifunctional fluorescent tags for subterranean applications
AssigneeSaudi Arabian Oil Company
InventorsWei Wang, Hooisweng Ow, Sehoon Chang
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Compositions and methods for determining the origin location of a subterranean rock sample. Compositions include a nanoparticle tag with a fluorescent core and a polymer shell. The fluorescent core can include up-converting nanoparticles, rare earth element doped oxide, long persistent fluorescent materials, or encapsulated lanthanide complexes. Methods include mixing a nanoparticle tag into a fluid, flowing the fluid through a work string into a subterranean formation, recovering subterranean rock samples from the subterranean formation, and determining an origin location of the subterranean rock sample by detecting the presence of the nanoparticle tag on the sample.
Claims31
A nanoparticle tag, comprising:
- a fluorescent core, wherein the fluorescent core comprises an up-converting material;
- and
- a polymer shell, wherein the polymer shell comprises styrene-based monomers or methacrylate-based monomers, or any combination thereof, and wherein the polymer shell comprises monomer fingerprint information.
A nanoparticle tag, comprising:
- a fluorescent core, wherein the fluorescent core comprises a long-persistent fluorescent material, wherein the long-persistent fluorescent material consists essentially of CaTiO3:Pr3+, CaAl2O4:Eu2+/Nd3+, Ca3(PO4)2:Sm3+/Mn2+, SrAl2O4:Eu2+/Dy3+, SrMgSi2O7:Eu/Dy, Sr4Al14O25:Eu/Dy, ZnGa2O4:Cr3+, LiGa5O8:Cr3+, Zn3Ga2Ge2O10:Cr3+/Pr3+, or Zn3Ga2Ge2O10:Cr3+/Eu3+, or any combinations thereof;
- and
- a polymer shell, wherein the polymer shell comprises styrene-based monomers or methacrylate-based monomers, or any combination thereof, and wherein the polymer shell comprises monomer fingerprint information.
A nanoparticle tag, comprising:
- a fluorescent core, wherein the fluorescent core comprises an encapsulated lanthanide complex comprising a lanthanide ion wherein all metal binding sites of the lanthanide ion are occupied by ligands;
- and
- a polymer shell, wherein the polymer shell comprises styrene-based monomers or methacrylate-based monomers, or any combination thereof, and wherein the polymer shell comprises monomer fingerprint information.
A method of determining the origin location of a subterranean rock sample, comprising:
- mixing a nanoparticle tag into a fluid, wherein the nanoparticle tag comprises
- a fluorescent core, wherein the fluorescent core comprises an up-converting material, and
- a polymer shell, wherein the polymer shell comprises styrene-based monomers or methacrylate-based monomers, or any combination thereof, and wherein the polymer shell comprises monomer fingerprint information;
- flowing the fluid through a work string into a subterranean formation;
- recovering subterranean rock samples from the subterranean formation;
- and
- determining an origin location of the subterranean rock sample by detecting the presence of the nanoparticle tag on the subterranean rock sample.
A method of characterizing the origin depth of a cut rock sample, comprising:
- using a barcoded tracer to determine the origin location based on the travel time of the produced rock cuttings from a drill head to the surface via an annulus, wherein the barcoded tracer comprises a nanoparticle tag with a fluorescent core and a polymer shell, wherein the fluorescent core comprises an up-converting material and wherein the polymer shell comprises styrene-based monomers or methacrylate-based monomers, or any combination thereof, and wherein the polymer shell comprises monomer fingerprint information;
- using fluorescence detection to detect the presence of the nanoparticle tags on the cut rock sample;
- and
- analyzing the polymer shell to yield fingerprint monomer information of the nanoparticle tags on the cut rock sample.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.