Treatment fluids comprising anhydrous ammonia for use in subterranean formation operations

• US 10,689,567 B2
• Filed: 03/10/2015
• Issued: 06/23/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Original Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Inventors: Stanciu, Corneliu, Weaver, Jim D., Maguire-Boyle, Samuel James, Singh, Dipti, Holtsclaw, Jeremy A., McCabe, Michael A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bates, Zakiya W
• Application Number:
  US15/549,119
• Publication Number:
  US 20180022989A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,932 Days
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 2208/22 Hydrates inhibition by using well treatment fluids containing inhibitors of hydrate formers
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/16 characterised by the inorganic compounds other than clay
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/52 Compositions for preventing, limiting or eliminating depositions, e.g. for cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/528 inorganic depositions, e.g. sulfates or carbonates
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/536 characterised by their form or by the form of their components, e.g. encapsulated material
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/572 containing inorganic compounds
• 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: C09K 8/594 Compositions used in combination with injected gas , e.g. CO2 orcarbonated gasC09K8/592 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/665 containing inorganic compounds proppants C09K8/80
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/72 Eroding chemicals, e.g. acids
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/845 containing inorganic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/92 characterised by their form or by the form of their components, e.g. encapsulated material C09K8/70 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 33/13 Methods or devices for cementing, for plugging holes, crevices or the like
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/04 Gravelling of wells
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/16 Enhanced recovery methods for obtaining hydrocarbons
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/25 Methods for stimulating production by vibrating earth formations E21B43/003
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/267 reinforcing fractures by propping
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/27 by use of eroding chemicals, e.g. acids
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 20/54 using solvents, e.g. supercritical solvents or ionic liquids

Abstract

Methods including preparing a treatment fluid comprising a bulk amount of anhydrous ammonia, wherein the anhydrous ammonia is present in an amount greater than about 10% by weight of a liquid portion of the treatment fluid, and wherein the anhydrous ammonia is in a phase selected from the group consisting of a liquid phase, a gaseous phase, supercritical phase, and any combination thereof; and introducing the treatment fluid into a subterranean formation.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

preparing a treatment fluid comprising a gelling agent, a base fluid and a bulk amount of anhydrous ammonia, wherein the anhydrous ammonia is present in an amount greater than about 70% by weight of a liquid portion of the treatment fluid, and

wherein the anhydrous ammonia is in a phase selected from the group consisting of a liquid phase, a gaseous phase, supercritical phase, and any combination thereof; and

introducing the treatment fluid into a subterranean formation,

wherein the preparing step occurs before introducing the treatment fluid through a wellhead.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the anhydrous ammonia is in the liquid phase or the supercritical phase, and wherein the treatment fluid further comprises the gelling agent, thereby forming gelled anhydrous ammonia treatment fluid.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the gelling agent is a colloidal clay.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising introducing the treatment fluid into the subterranean formation at a rate and pressure sufficient to create or enhance at least one fracture therein.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing a subterranean formation operation selected from the group consisting of a drilling operation, a stimulation operation, an acidizing operation, an acid-fracturing operation, a sand control operation, a fracturing operation, a frac-packing operation, a gravel-packing operation, a production operation, a remedial operation, a gas hydrate removal operation, an enhanced oil recovery operation, an injection operation, a pipeline operation, a remedial operation, a formation damage reduction operation, a cementing operation, and any combination thereof.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the subterranean formation has a temperature greater than 132.4°

C. and pressure greater than 112.8 bar, such that the anhydrous ammonia is a supercritical fluid in the subterranean formation.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the subterranean formation comprises a carbonate selected from the group consisting of an alkali carbonate, an alkali-earth carbonate, a transition metal carbonate, and any combination thereof, and further comprising at least partially solubilizing the carbonate with the anhydrous ammonia.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the subterranean formation comprises a heavy aromatic compound, and further comprising at least partially ammonolyzing the heavy aromatic compound with the anhydrous ammonia, thereby forming at least one wormhole in the subterranean formation.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the subterranean formation comprises connate water, and further comprising contacting the anhydrous ammonia with the connate water to increase a temperature of the subterranean formation.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising recovering at least a portion of the treatment fluid from the subterranean formation, and recycling the anhydrous ammonia recovered from the subterranean formation.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising at least partially inhibiting formation of a gas hydrate in the subterranean formation.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising a tubular extending into a wellbore in the subterranean formation, and a pump fluidly coupled to the tubular, wherein the step of introducing the treatment fluid into the subterranean formation comprises introducing the treatment fluid through the tubular.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the anhydrous ammonia is added to a process stream after the gelling agent and base fluid are added to the process stream to create the treatment fluid.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the anhydrous ammonia is added to a process stream after the gelling agent and base fluid is added to the process stream.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the base fluid comprises an oil base fluid.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the base fluid comprises a hydrocolloid base fluid.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the liquid portion consists of a substantially non-aqueous liquid portion.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the anhydrous ammonia is present in the amount greater than about 90% by weight of a liquid portion of the treatment fluid.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the anhydrous ammonia is generated at a well site by a Haber process, and the anhydrous ammonia is recovered after performing a subterranean operation from a produced fluid stream.

20. A method comprising:

pre-treating a pipeline conduit with a treatment fluid to inhibit formation of a gas hydrate prior to flowing a hydrocarbon through the pre-treated pipeline conduit, the treatment fluid comprising a gelling agent, a base fluid and a bulk amount of anhydrous ammonia and the gelling agent, the base fluid and the bulk amount of anhydrous ammonia mixed prior to introduction through a wellhead,

wherein the anhydrous ammonia is present in an amount greater than about 70% by weight of a liquid portion of the treatment fluid, and

wherein the anhydrous ammonia in a phase selected from the group consisting of a liquid phase, a gaseous phase, supercritical phase, and any combination thereof; and

flowing a hydrocarbon through the pre-treated pipeline conduit.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the anhydrous ammonia is a supercritical fluid.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising at least partially inhibiting the formation of a gas hydrate by pre-treating the pipeline conduit with the treatment fluid.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the anhydrous ammonia is in the liquid phase or the supercritical phase, and wherein the treatment fluid further comprises the gelling agent, thereby forming gelled anhydrous ammonia treatment fluid.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the gelling agent is a colloidal clay.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein the treatment fluid comprising the gelling agent, the base fluid and the bulk amount of anhydrous ammonia further comprises a particulate and is prepared before introducing the treatment fluid through a wellhead, wherein the anhydrous ammonia is in the supercritical phase.

26. The method of claim 20, wherein the anhydrous ammonia is present in the amount greater than about 90% by weight of a liquid portion of the treatment fluid.