Low volatile phosphorous gelling agent
AssigneeEthox Chemicals, LLC
InventorsEmil Delgado, Bradley Keown
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Liquid hydrocarbons are gelled by the introduction of a phosphate ester and a crosslinking agent for use in oil recovery. Generally a proppant, delayed gel breaker and other modifiers are added to the gelled hydrocarbon to improve the oil recovery process. The phosphate ester used in this method and composition for oil recovery has low volatility and good stability during hydrocarbon distillation resulting in improved distillation efficiency in a refinery.
Claims29
A method of fracturing a subterranean formation comprising the steps of:
- (a) preparing a gelled liquid hydrocarbon fracturing fluid comprising a hydrocarbon liquid, a ferric iron or aluminum polyvalent metal salt of a phosphoric acid ester, said phosphoric acid ester having the formula
- wherein R is an alkyl group having from about 8 to about 24 carbon atoms or R is a phenyl alkyl ether having from about 2 to 12 alkyl carbon atoms and 1 phenyl group and R′ is an alkyl group having from about 4 to 8 carbon atoms a proppant material, water and an amount of a delayed gel breaker effective to break said gelled hydrocarbon fracturing fluid;
- and
- (b) contacting said subterranean formation with said gelled hydrocarbon fracturing fluid under conditions effective to create at least one fracture in said subterranean formation.
A method of preparing a gelled liquid hydrocarbon fracturing fluid comprising adding a phosphoric acid ester to a hydrocarbon liquid, the phosphoric acid ester having the formula
- wherein R is an alkyl group having from about 8 to about 24 carbon atoms or R is a phenyl alkyl ether having from about 2 to 12 alkyl carbon atoms and 1 phenyl group and R′ is an alkyl group having from about 4 to 8 carbon atoms, at least a stoichiometric amount of a polyvalent metal source selected from ferric iron salts and aluminum compounds which reacts with said phosphoric acid ester to form a ferric iron or aluminum polyvalent metal salt thereof, water and an amount of a delayed gel breaker effective to break said gelled hydrocarbon fracturing fluid.
A gelled liquid hydrocarbon fluid composition comprising:
- (a) a hydrocarbon liquid;
- (b) a gelling agent comprising a polyvalent metal salt of a phosphoric acid ester produced from a phosphoric acid ester and a ferric iron salt or an aluminum compound, said phosphoric acid ester having the formula
- wherein R is an alkyl group having from about 8 to about 24 carbon atoms or R is a phenyl alkyl ether having from about 2 to 12 alkyl carbon atoms and 1 phenyl group and R′ is an alkyl group having from about 4 to 8 carbon atoms,
- (c) water;
- and
- (d) a delayed gel breaker present in an amount effective to break the gel formed by said gelling agent and said hydrocarbon liquid.
(canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.