Hydrocarbon formation treatment micellar solutions

• US 10,377,942 B2
• Filed: 04/05/2018
• Issued: 08/13/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Chemical America Corporation (Nissan Chemical Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nissan Chemical America Corporation (Nissan Chemical Corporation)
• Inventors: Southwell, John Edmond, Ahmad, Yusra Khan
• Primary Examiner(s): Bhushan, Kumar R
• Application Number:
  US15/946,338
• Publication Number:
  US 20180291261A1
• Time in Patent Office: 495 Days
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 2208/10 Nanoparticle-containing well treatment fluids
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/03 Specific additives for general use in well-drilling compositions
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/588 characterised by the use of specific polymers polymeric surfactants C09K8/584
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/604 Polymeric surfactants
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/665 containing inorganic compounds proppants C09K8/80
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/68 containing organic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/72 Eroding chemicals, e.g. acids
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/845 containing inorganic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/86 containing organic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/88 macromolecular compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/905 Biopolymers

Abstract

A hydrocarbon formation treatment micellar solution fluid and its use in treating underperforming hydrocarbon formations is described and claimed. A hydrocarbon formation treatment micellar solution fluid wherein the micellar solution fluid comprises water, a non-terpene oil-based moiety, a brine resistant aqueous colloidal silica sol; and optionally a terpene or a terpenoid, wherein the brine resistant aqueous colloidal silica sol has silica particles with a surface that is functionalized with at least one moiety selected from the group consisting of a hydrophilic organosilane, a mixture of hydrophilic and hydrophobic organosilanes, or a polysiloxane oligomer, wherein the brine resistant aqueous colloidal silica sol passes at least two of three of these brine resistant tests: API Brine Visual, 24 Hour Seawater Visual and API Turbidity Meter, and wherein, when a terpene or terpenoid is present, the ratio of total water to terpene or terpenoid is at least about 15 to 1.

Claims

1. A method of treating a hydrocarbon-containing subterranean formation comprising introducing a micellar solution fluid into the hydrocarbon-containing subterranean formation, wherein the micellar solution fluid comprises

a) water,

b) a non-terpene oil-based moiety, and

c) a brine resistant aqueous colloidal silica sol,

wherein the brine resistant aqueous colloidal silica sol has silica particles surface functionalized with at least one moiety selected from the group consisting of

i) a hydrophilic organosilane,

(ii) a mixture of hydrophilic and hydrophobic organosilanes, and

(iii) a polysiloxane oligomer,

wherein the silica particles have an average diameter of between about 1 nm and about 100 nm, and

wherein the brine resistant aqueous colloidal silica sol passes these two brine resistant tests:

API Brine Visual and Seawater Visual.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the micellar solution fluid further comprises a terpene or terpenoid, and wherein the ratio of total water to terpene or terpenoid is at least about 30 to 1.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the hydrophilic organosilane is a hydrophilic organosilane oligomer made of subunits of hydrophilic organosilane monomers and wherein the hydrophilic organosilane monomers exhibit a critical surface tension in the range of from about 40 mN/m to about 50 mN/m.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the hydrophobic organosilane is a hydrophobic organosilane oligomer made of subunits of hydrophobic organosilane monomers and wherein the hydrophobic organosilane monomers exhibit a critical surface tension in the range of from about 15 mN/m to about 39.5 mN/m.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the hydrophilic organosilane is a hydrophilic organosilane oligomer made of subunits of hydrophilic organosilane monomers and wherein the hydrophilic organosilane monomers include a glycidyl group.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the silica particles have an average diameter of between about 5 nm and about 30 nm.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the silica particles have an average diameter of less than or equal to 25 nm.