Surfactants not toxic to bacteria
AssigneeSchlumberger Technology Corporation
InventorsYiyan Chen, Richard Marcinew, Carlos Abad
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Abstract
An oilfield treatment method is given that uses fluids that contain surfactants used as foamers and/or viscosifiers such that the fluids pass the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board Directive 27 requirements for low toxicity to certain bioluminescent bacteria. Such fluids may be used in oilfield treatments, for example drilling and stimulation, near fresh water aquifers. The surfactants are certain non-ionic surfactants that are not aromatic, or certain amphoteric surfactants (that can be neutral), or certain zwitterionic surfactants, (in which both positive and negative charges are present in a single molecule so that the whole molecule is neutral).
Claims14
An oilfield treatment method, comprising:
- providing a slickwater treatment fluid comprising a polymer-based friction-reducer and a betaine zwitterionic surfactant that allows the slickwater treatment fluid to pass the toxicity test according to the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board Guide G50, 1996, (Directive 050) for Drilling Waste Management wherein said betaine comprises erucylamidopropyl betaine or cocoamidopropyl betaine, wherein the concentration of the active component of the surfactant in the fluid is from about 0.004 to about 2.4 weight %;
- and
- injecting the slickwater treatment fluid down a well.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.