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US 12,560,063 B2Granted
Method of enhancing foam stability for stimulation of low pressure reservoirs
OwnerJohn H. Mayor, Marty J. Usie +1inventors
InventorsJohn H. Mayor, Marty J. Usie, Kelly Guilbeau Berard
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The stability of foams containing a viscoelastic surfactant of an amine or amidoamine oxide and exhibiting thermal resistance at bottomhole temperatures greater than 300° F. may be enhanced by including in the foam a microemulsion containing a nonionic surfactant and a terpene.
Claims20
A method of enhancing foam stability in a subterranean formation penetrated by a well, the method comprising:
- (A) pumping into the well:
- (a) a foaming gas;
- (b) a viscoelastic surfactant selected from the group consisting of:
- (i) an amine or amidoamine oxide of structural formula (II):
- where:
- R1 is an alkyl, alkenyl, cycloalkyl, alkylarylalkyl, alkylamido or alkylamidoalkyl and has from about 8 to about 30 carbon atoms;
- R2 and R3 are independently hydrogen or an aliphatic group having from 1 to about 30 carbon atoms;
- (ii) an amidoamine oxide of the structural formula (III):
- (iii) an alkylamido quaternary amine of the structural formula (IV):
- where:
- R1 of (III) and (IV) is independently selected from an aliphatic group of from about 8 to about 30 carbon atoms or a fatty aliphatic derived from natural fats and oil having an iodine value of from about 1 to about 140;
- R2 of (III) and (IV) is independently selected from a divalent alkylene group of from 2 to about 6 carbon atoms;
- R3 and R4 of (III) and (IV) are the same or different and are independently selected from alkyl or hydroxyalkyl groups of from 1 to about 6 carbon atoms that may optionally be alkoxylated or together with the nitrogen atom form a heterocyclic ring of up to 6 members;
- R5 of (III) and (IV) is independently selected from hydrogen, R3 or R4;
- X is a counterion;
- and mixtures thereof;
- and
- (c) a microemulsion containing:
- (iv) an aqueous phase having a surfactant of formula (I):
- wherein each of R7, R8, R9, R10, and R11 are the same or different and are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, optionally substituted C1-C6 alkyl, and —CH═CHAr, wherein Ar is an aryl group, provided at least one of R7, R8, R9, R10 and R11 is —CH—CHAr, T is either hydrogen, C1-6 alkyl, X+Y− or Z+, n is 1-100, each m is independently 1 or 2, Y is an anionic group, X+ is a metal cation or N(R13)4, and Z is N(R13)3 wherein each R13 is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, optionally substituted alkyl, or optionally substituted aryl;
- and
- (v) a non-aqueous phase comprising a terpene;
- and
- (B) forming a foam in the subterranean formation from (a), (b) and (c) wherein either (1) the viscoelastic surfactant of the foam does not thermally degrade until the temperature in the formation reaches between 325° F. to about 500° F.;
- or (2) the foam containing the viscoelastic surfactant and the microemulsion does not degrade until about 350° F.
22 more elements
A method of enhancing foam stability in a subterranean formation penetrated by a well, wherein pressure in the well is from about 1 to about 100 psi, the method comprising:
- (A) pumping into the well a gas and a fluid comprising:
- a viscoelastic surfactant of an alkylamido quaternary amine of the structural formula (IV):
- where:
- R1 is an aliphatic group of from about 8 to about 30 carbon atoms or a fatty aliphatic derived from natural fats and oil having an iodine value of from about 1 to about 140;
- R2 is a divalent alkylene group of from 2 to about 6 carbon atoms;
- R3 and R4 are the same or different and are selected from alkyl or hydroxyalkyl groups of from 1 to about 6 carbon atoms that may optionally be alkoxylated or together with the nitrogen atom form a heterocyclic ring of up to 6 members;
- R5 is hydrogen, R3 or R4;
- X is a counterion;
- and
- a microemulsion containing:
- (i) an aqueous phase having a surfactant of formula (I):
- wherein each of R7, R8, R9, R10, and R11 are the same or different and are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, optionally substituted C1-C6 alkyl, and —CH═CHAr, wherein Ar is an aryl group including phenyl, provided at least one of R7, R8, R9, R10, and R11 is —CH—CHAr, T is hydrogen or a C1-6 alkyl n is 1-100, each m is independently 1 or 2;
- (ii) an alcohol;
- and
- (iii) a non-aqueous phase comprising a terpene;
- and
- (B) forming a foam from the pumped fluid and gas in the subterranean formation wherein either (1) the viscoelastic surfactant of the foam does not thermally degrade until the temperature in the formation reaches between 325° F. to about 500° F.;
- or (2) the foam containing both the viscoelastic surfactant and the microemulsion does not degrade until about 350° F.
15 more elements
A method of enhancing foam stability in a subterranean formation penetrated by a well, the method comprising:
- (A) pumping into the well:
- (a) a foaming gas;
- (b) a viscoelastic surfactant selected from the group consisting of:
- (i) an amine or amidoamine oxide of structural formula (II):
- where:
- R1 is an alkyl, alkenyl, cycloalkyl, alkylarylalkyl, alkylamido or alkylamidoalkyl and has from about 8 to about 30 carbon atoms;
- R2 and R3 are independently hydrogen or an aliphatic group having from 1 to about 30 carbon atoms;
- (ii) an amidoamine oxide of the structural formula (III):
- (iii) an alkylamido quaternary amine of the structural formula (IV):
- and mixtures thereof;
- where:
- R1 of (III) and (IV) is independently selected from an aliphatic group of from about 8 to about 30 carbon atoms or a fatty aliphatic derived from natural fats and oil having an iodine value of from about 1 to about 140;
- R2 of (III) and (IV) is independently selected from a divalent alkylene group of from 2 to about 6 carbon atoms;
- R3 and R4 of (III) and (IV) are the same or different and are independently selected from alkyl or hydroxyalkyl groups of from 1 to about 6 carbon atoms that may optionally be alkoxylated or together with the nitrogen atom form a heterocyclic ring of up to 6 members;
- R5 of (III) and (IV) is independently selected from hydrogen, R3 or R4;
- X is a counterion;
- and
- (c) a microemulsion containing:
- (iv) an aqueous phase having a surfactant of formula (I):
- wherein each of R7, R8, R9, R10, and R11 are the same or different and are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, optionally substituted C1-C6 alkyl, and —CH—CHAr, wherein Ar is an aryl group, provided at least one of R7, R8, R9, R10, and R11 is —CH—CHAr, T is either hydrogen, C1-6 alkyl, X+Y− or Z+, n is 1-100, each m is independently 1 or 2, Y is an anionic group, X+ is a metal cation or N(R13)4, and Z is N(R13)3, wherein each R13 is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, optionally substituted alkyl, or optionally substituted aryl;
- and
- (v) a non-aqueous phase comprising a terpene;
- (B) forming a foam from (a), (b) and (c) in the subterranean formation wherein either (1) the viscoelastic surfactant of the foam does not thermally degrade until the temperature in the formation reaches between 325° F. to about 500° F.;
- or (2) the foam containing both the viscoelastic surfactant and the microemulsion does not degrade until about 350° F.;
- and
- (C) either (a) selectively blocking a permeable first zone in the well with the foam and then diverting flow of fluid into a second zone wherein the permeability of the second zone is lower than the permeability of the first zone;
- (b) releasing acid from the foam and removing scales in the subterranean formation with the released acid;
- (c) reducing breakdown formation pressure with the foam and then pumping a pad fluid into the formation and initiating or creating a fracture within the subterranean formation;
- (d) consolidating particles in the well or subterranean formation with the foam;
- or (e) forming a silica gel plug with a silicate and the foam.
27 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.