Polymers and emulsions for use in oil and/or gas wells

• US 10,577,531 B2
• Filed: 09/17/2015
• Issued: 03/03/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Flotek Industries Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Flotek Industries Incorporated
• Inventors: Pursley, John T., Penny, Glenn S., Hammond, Charles Earl, Germack, David, Mast, Nicole, Biswas, Deepankar, Kharghoria, Arun
• Primary Examiner(s): Sue-Ako, Andrew
• Application Number:
  US14/857,097
• Publication Number:
  US 20160032172A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,629 Days
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/26 Oil-in-water emulsions
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/584 characterised by the use of specific surfactants
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/588 characterised by the use of specific polymers polymeric surfactants C09K8/584
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/602 containing surfactants
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/62 Compositions for forming crevices or fractures
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/88 macromolecular compounds
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/16 Enhanced recovery methods for obtaining hydrocarbons

Abstract

Methods and compositions comprising an emulsion or a microemulsion and a polymer for use in an oil and/or gas well are provided. In some embodiments, the emulsion or the microemulsion comprises water, a solvent, and a surfactant, and optionally, one or more additives. In certain embodiments, the polymer comprises a copolymer comprising an acrylamide.

Claims

1. A method of treating an oil and/or gas well having a wellbore, comprising:

injecting a water flooding fluid comprising a polymer and an emulsion or a microemulsion into the wellbore, wherein the emulsion or the microemulsion comprises;

water selected from the group consisting of fresh water, deionized water, and reverse osmosis water;

a surfactant; and

a solvent.

2. The method as in claim 1, wherein the polymer is a copolymer of a first monomer comprising acrylamide and a second monomer.

3. The method as in claim 2, wherein the second monomer comprises an anionic monomer.

4. The method as in claim 3, wherein the anionic monomer is selected from the group consisting of acrylamidopropanesulfonic acid, acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, monoacryloxyethyl phosphate, and alkali metal salts thereof.

5. The method as in claim 1, wherein the emulsion or the microemulsion comprises between about 1 wt % and 60 wt % water versus the total emulsion or microemulsion composition.

6. The method as in claim 1, wherein the emulsion or the microemulsion comprises between about 1 wt % and 30 wt % solvent versus the total emulsion or microemulsion composition.

7. The method as in claim 1, wherein the solvent comprises a first type of solvent and a second type of solvent.

8. The method as in claim 1, wherein the emulsion or the microemulsion comprises between about 5 wt % and 65 wt % surfactant versus the total emulsion or microemulsion composition.

9. The method as in claim 1, wherein the emulsion or the microemulsion comprises a first type of surfactant and a second type of surfactant.

10. The method as in claim 1, wherein the emulsion or the microemulsion is present in the water flooding fluid in an amount between about 1 ppm and 100,000 ppm.

11. The method as in claim 1, wherein the polymer has a molecular weight between about 10 kDa and about 50,000 kDa.

12. The method as in claim 1, wherein the polymer is present in the water flooding fluid in an amount ranging between about 1 ppm and about 100,000 ppm.

13. The method as in claim 1, wherein the water flooding fluid has a viscosity between about 1 cP and about 1,000 cP.