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US 9,428,684 B2Granted
Addition of zwitterionic surfactant to water soluble polymer to increase the stability of the polymers in aqueous solutions containing salt and/or surfactants
AssigneeRhodia Operation
InventorsLawrence Alan Hough, Gilda Maria Lizarraga, Herve Adam, Jean-Christophe Castaing, Subramanian Kesavan
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Abstract
An aqueous fluid composition useful for the recovery of hydrocarbons from a subterranean formation, including a mixture of water, a water soluble polymer, an inorganic salt and at least one zwitterionic surfactant and methods of using same.
Claims27
An aqueous composition comprising a mixture of:
- water,
- 0.1 to 10 weight % water soluble polymer for forming a viscoelastic gel when in solution in said water when the polymer concentration exceeds a critical gelling concentration,
- said water soluble polymer having a number average molecular weight of between 5 kg/mol and 20,000 kg/mol, wherein the water soluble polymer consists of at least one member selected from the group consisting of
- polystyrene-poly acrylic diblock polymers, and
- 0.08-3 weight % zwitterionic surfactant, selected from at least one member of the group consisting of Erucic Acid Amidopropyl Betaine and Oleoylamidopropyl betaine,
- wherein the zwitterionic surfactant is not an amphoteric surfactant, and less than 0.3 wt % each of an anionic surfactant, amphoteric surfactant and nonionic surfactant, and
- 1 to 10 weight % inorganic salt selected from at least one member of the group consisting of monovalent electrolytes, divalent electrolytes and trivalent electrolytes,
- wherein the monovalent electrolytes have a formula A+B−, wherein A is an alkali metal and B is a halogen,
- wherein the divalent electrolytes have a formula Aa+xBb−Y, wherein A is selected from the group consisting of calcium, magnesium, ferrous iron and B is selected from the group consisting of chloride, bromide, sulfate, carbonate, nitrate and a times X is +2 and b times Y is −2,
- wherein the trivalent electrolytes have a formula Aa+xBb−Y, wherein A is selected from the group consisting of ferric iron and B is selected from the group consisting of chloride, bromide, sulfate, carbonate and nitrate and a times X is +3 and b times Y is −3, and optionally a proppant.
7 more elements
An aqueous composition consisting of a mixture of:
- water;
- 0.1 to 10 weight % water soluble polymer for forming a viscoelastic gel when in solution in said water when the polymer concentration exceeds a critical gelling concentration,
- said water soluble polymer having a number average molecular weight of between 5 kg/mol and 20,000 kg/mol,
- wherein the water soluble polymer is selected from at least one member of the group consisting of
- polystyrene-poly acrylic diblock polymers and anionic guar;
- 0.08-3 weight % Erucic Acid Amidopropyl Betaine zwitterionic surfactant, wherein the zwitterionic surfactant is not an amphoteric surfactant;
- less than 0.3 wt % each of anionic surfactant, amphoteric surfactant and of nonionic surfactant;
- 1 to 10 weight at least one inorganic salt selected from at least one member of the group consisting of monovalent electrolytes, divalent electrolytes and trivalent electrolytes,
- wherein the monovalent electrolytes have a formula A+B−, wherein A is an alkali metal and B is a halogen,
- wherein the divalent electrolytes have a formula Aa+xBb−Y, wherein A is selected from the group consisting of calcium, magnesium, ferrous iron and B is selected from the group consisting of chloride, bromide, sulfate, carbonate, nitrate and a times X is +2 and b times Y is −2;
- wherein the trivalent electrolytes have a formula Aa+xBb−Y, wherein A is selected from the group consisting of ferric iron and B is selected from the group consisting of chloride, bromide, sulfate, carbonate and nitrate and a times X is +3 and b times Y is −3;
- and
- optionally at least one member of the group consisting of proppant, co-solvents, acids, bases, buffers, chelating agents for control of multivalent cations, freezing point depressants, day stabilization material, sand stabilization material, biopolysaccharides, cellulose, cellulose ethers, acrylamide-derived polymers, corrosion inhibitors, oxygen scavengers, and bactericides;
- the clay stabilization material selected from the group consisting of epoxy resins, poly(N-acrylamidomethyltriethyl ammonium chloride) and poly(vinylbenzyltrimethyl ammonium chloride);
- the sand stabilization material selected from the group consisting of epoxy resins, poly(N-acrylamidomethyltriethyl ammonium chloride), and poly(vinylbenzyltrimethyl ammonium chloride);
- the co-solvent selected from at least one member of the group consisting of propylene glycol, glycerin, and aliphatic alcohol having an average carbon number of 4 to 24.
13 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.