High polymer content hybrid drag reducers
AssigneeConocoPhillips Company
InventorsStuart N. Milligan, William F. Harris, Timothy L. Burden
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A drag reducing composition comprising particles of at least two different drag reducing polymers. The different drag reducing polymers can be formed by different processes, such as bulk polymerization or emulsion polymerization, and the particles of the different drag reducing polymers can have different mean particle sizes. The drag reducing compositions can be added to a hydrocarbon-containing fluid to decrease the pressure drop associated with the turbulent flow of the hydrocarbon-containing fluid through a conduit.
Claims55
A drag reducing composition comprising:
- (a) a continuous phase;
- (b) a plurality of first particles comprising a first drag reducing polymer dispersed in said continuous phase, wherein said first particles have a mean particle size in the range of from about 25 micrometers to about 1,500 micrometers;
- and
- (c) a plurality of second particles comprising a second drag reducing polymer dispersed in said continuous phase, wherein said second particles have a mean particle size of less than about 10 micrometers;
- wherein said composition has a cumulative concentration of said first and second drag reducing polymers of at least about 35 weight percent.
A drag reducing composition comprising:
- (a) a plurality of first particles comprising a polyalphaolefin drag reducing polymer;
- and
- (b) a plurality of second particles comprising a non-polyalphaolefin drag reducing polymer, wherein at least a portion of said second particles are formed via emulsion polymerization;
- wherein said composition has a cumulative concentration of said polyalphaolefin drag reducing polymer and said non-polyalphaolefin drag reducing polymer of at least about 35 weight percent.
A method for reducing the pressure drop associated with the turbulent flow of a hydrocarbon-containing fluid through a pipeline, said method comprising:
- (a) introducing a plurality of first particles comprising a first drag reducing polymer and a plurality of second particles comprising a second drag reducing polymer into said hydrocarbon-containing fluid;
- and
- (b) flowing the resulting treated hydrocarbon-containing fluid through said pipeline, wherein said first particles have a mean particle size in the range of from about 25 to about 1,500 micrometers, wherein said second particles have a mean particle size of less than about 10 micrometers, wherein said first and second particles are introduced into said hydrocarbon-containing fluid either jointly or separately;
- wherein said first and second particles are introduced into said hydrocarbon-containing fluid jointly as a drag reducing composition, wherein said composition has a cumulative concentration of said first and second drag reducing polymers of at least about 35 weight percent.
A method for producing a drag reducing composition, said method comprising:
- (a) subjecting one or more monomers to bulk polymerization to thereby produce a first drag reducing polymer;
- (b) cryogrinding at least a portion of said first drag reducing polymer to thereby produce a plurality of first particles comprising at least a portion of said first drag reducing polymer;
- (c) subjecting one or more monomers to emulsion polymerization to thereby produce a plurality of second particles comprising a second drag reducing polymer, wherein at least a portion of said second particles are dispersed in a continuous phase;
- and
- (d) dispersing at least a portion of said first particles in said continuous phase;
- wherein said composition has a concentration of said first drag reducing polymer in the range of from about 10 to about 30 weight percent, wherein said composition has a concentration of said second drag reducing polymer in the range of from about 15 to about 50 weight percent.
A method for reducing the pressure drop associated with the turbulent flow of a hydrocarbon-containing fluid through a pipeline, said method comprising:
- (a) introducing a plurality of first particles comprising a polyalphaolefin drag reducing polymer and a plurality of second particles comprising a non-polyalphaolefin drag reducing polymer into said hydrocarbon-containing fluid;
- and
- (b) flowing the resulting treated hydrocarbon-containing fluid through said pipeline, wherein at least a portion of said second particles are formed via emulsion polymerization, wherein said first and second particles are introduced into said hydrocarbon-containing fluid either jointly or separately;
- wherein said first and second particles are introduced into said hydrocarbon-containing fluid jointly as a drag reducing composition, wherein said composition has a cumulative concentration of said polyalphaolefin and non-polyalphaolefin drag reducing polymers of at least about 35 weight percent.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.