Low interfacial tension injection fluid for treating subterranean formation
AssigneeChevron U.S.A. Inc.
InventorsGayani Wasana PINNAWALA, Guo-Qing TANG, Mohamad Ali SALMAN, Varadarajan DWARAKANATH, Taimur MALIK
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Abstract
Described herein are compositions and methods for treating a subterranean formation with a fluid. Described are also methods for treating scale deposit formation in a wellbore, on surface structures fluidly connected to a wellbore, on equipment connected to a wellbore, and/or in a subterranean formation.
Claims20
A method for treating a subterranean formation with a fluid, comprising:
- (a) combining a single-phase liquid surfactant package with an aqueous-based injection fluid to form a low interfacial tension (IFT) injection fluid having an interfacial tension (IFT) of from 0.005 to 1 dynes/cm with a hydrocarbon phase present in the subterranean formation;
- and
- (b) introducing the low IFT injection fluid into the subterranean formation;
- wherein the low IFT injection fluid has a maximum particle size of less than 0.1 micrometers in diameter in particle size distribution measurements performed at a temperature and salinity of the subterranean formation.
A method for treating scale deposit formation in a wellbore, on surface structures fluidly connected to a wellbore, on equipment connected to a wellbore, in a subterranean formation, or any combination thereof comprising:
- (a) combining a single-phase liquid surfactant package with an aqueous-based injection fluid to form a low interfacial tension (IFT) injection fluid having an interfacial tension (IFT) of from 0.005 to 1 dynes/cm with a hydrocarbon phase present in the subterranean formation;
- (b) introducing the low interfacial tension (IFT) injection fluid into the wellbore, on surface structures fluidly connected to the wellbore, on equipment connected to the wellbore, in the subterranean formation, or any combination thereof, and
- (c) allowing the low interfacial tension (IFT) injection fluid to contact the wellbore, the surface structures fluidly connected to the wellbore, the equipment connected to the wellbore, the subterranean formation, or any combination thereof for a period of time.
A method for fracturing an unconventional subterranean formation with a fluid, comprising:
- (a) combining a single-phase liquid surfactant package with an aqueous-based injection fluid to form a low interfacial tension (IFT) injection fluid having an interfacial tension (IFT) of from 0.005 to 1 dynes/cm with a hydrocarbon phase present in the subterranean formation;
- and
- (b) injecting the low interfacial tension (IFT) injection fluid through a wellbore and into the unconventional subterranean formation at a sufficient pressure and at a sufficient rate to fracture the unconventional subterranean formation.
A method for treating a subterranean formation with a fluid, comprising:
- (a) combining a single-phase liquid surfactant package with an aqueous-based injection fluid to form a low interfacial tension (IFT) injection fluid having an interfacial tension (IFT) of from 0.005 to 1 dynes/cm with a hydrocarbon phase present in the subterranean formation;
- and
- (b) introducing the low IFT injection fluid into the unconventional subterranean formation;
- wherein the single-phase liquid surfactant comprises (1) a first nonionic surfactant comprising C24-C32:PO(20-40):EO(20-35), a second nonionic surfactant comprising C9-C22:EO(8-45), and an anionic surfactant;
- or (2) a first nonionic surfactant comprising C16-C28:PO(20-40):EO(20-45) and an anionic surfactant.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.