Methods of forming suspensions and methods for recovery of hydrocarbon material from subterranean formations

• US 10,155,899 B2
• Filed: 06/19/2015
• Issued: 12/18/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2015
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Baker Hughes, a GE Company, LLC (Baker Hughes Company)
• Original Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated (Baker Hughes Company)
• Inventors: Agrawal, Devesh Kumar, Murugesan, Sankaran, Khabashesku, Valery N.
• Primary Examiner(s): LEFF, ANGELA MARIE DITRAN
• Application Number:
  US14/744,520
• Publication Number:
  US 20160369157A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,278 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 2208/10 Nanoparticle-containing well treatment fluids
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/58 Compositions for enhanced recovery methods for obtaining hydrocarbons, i.e. for improving the mobility of the oil, e.g. displacing fluids
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/16 Enhanced recovery methods for obtaining hydrocarbons
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/20 Displacing by water

Abstract

A suspension for removing hydrocarbons from a subterranean formation includes a fluid comprising at least one of water, brine, steam, carbon dioxide, a light hydrocarbon, and an organic solvent; and a plurality of nanoparticles dispersed with the fluid. Nanoparticles of the plurality comprise silica and carbon. A method includes forming a plurality of nanoparticles and dispersing the plurality of nanoparticles with a fluid to form a suspension comprising the nanoparticles. A method of recovering a hydrocarbon material includes introducing a suspension into a subterranean formation containing hydrocarbons, forming a stabilized emulsion of the suspension and the hydrocarbons within the subterranean formation; and removing the emulsion from the subterranean formation. The suspension comprises a plurality of nanoparticles, and at least some nanoparticles of the plurality comprise silica and carbon.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

functionalizing a plurality of silica nanoparticles with a charged species;

coating the plurality of silica nanoparticles with carbon nanodots to form a plurality of nanoparticles comprising a mixture of silica nanoparticles and carbon nanodots, wherein the carbon nanodots have a charge opposite a charge of the charged species;

dispersing and stabilizing the plurality of nanoparticles within a fluid to form a suspension; and

introducing the suspension into a subterranean formation.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

contacting hydrocarbons within the subterranean formation with the suspension to form an emulsion comprising the nanoparticles, an aqueous phase, and a hydrocarbon phase dispersed within the aqueous phase.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein contacting the subterranean formation with the suspension comprises contacting hydrocarbons within nanopores of the subterranean formation.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

transporting the emulsion to a surface of the subterranean formation; and

separating hydrocarbons from the emulsion.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein coating the plurality of silica nanoparticles with carbon nanodots comprises reacting carbon with the silica nanoparticles.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein reacting carbon with the silica nanoparticles comprises:

reacting carbon with the silica nanoparticles in a liquid medium; and

evaporating the liquid.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein reacting carbon with the silica nanoparticles in a liquid medium comprises reacting carbon with the silica nanoparticles in a basic medium.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein coating the plurality of silica nanoparticles with carbon nanodots comprises bonding carbon to silica.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein bonding carbon to silica comprises bonding carbon to silica by hydroxyl groups.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein coating the plurality of silica nanoparticles comprises coating nanoparticles having a mean diameter from about 5 nm to about 50 nm.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein coating the plurality of silica nanoparticles comprises forming hydrophilic nanoparticles.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising mixing a surfactant in the fluid.

13. A method of recovering a hydrocarbon material, the method comprising:

functionalizing a plurality of silica nanoparticles with a charged species;

coating the plurality of silica nanoparticles with carbon nanodots to form a mixture of silica nanoparticles and carbon nanodots, wherein the carbon nanodots have a charge opposite a charge of the charged species;

forming a suspension comprising a plurality of nanoparticles, at least some nanoparticles of the plurality comprising the mixture of silica nanoparticles and carbon nanodots;

introducing the suspension into a subterranean formation containing hydrocarbons;

forming a stabilized emulsion of the suspension and the hydrocarbons within the subterranean formation; and

removing the emulsion from the subterranean formation.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein coating the plurality of silica nanoparticles with carbon nanodots comprises coating silica nanoparticles having a mean diameter from about 5 nm to about 50 nm.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising introducing the at least some nanoparticles into voids defined by the subterranean formation.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising separating the hydrocarbons from the emulsion after removing the emulsion from the subterranean formation to form the suspension.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising reintroducing the suspension into the subterranean formation.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising decreasing a pH of the emulsion after removing the emulsion from the subterranean formation.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising adding a demulsifier to the emulsion to form an aqueous phase and a hydrocarbon phase, wherein the hydrocarbon phase is immiscible in the aqueous phase.