Well treating compositions for slow release of treatment agents and methods of using the same

• US 20060124302A1
• Filed: 12/08/2005
• Published: 06/15/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Baker Hughes Holdings LLC (Baker Hughes Company)
• Original Assignee: BJ Services Company
• Inventors: Kirk, Joseph Walter, Gupta, D.V. Satyanarayana
• Granted Patent: US 7,493,955 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 166/279
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/516 characterised by their form or by the form of their components, e.g. encapsulated material
• 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 8/70 characterised by their form or by the form of their components, e.g. foams
• 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: Y10S 507/902 Controlled release agent

Abstract

A composite of a well treatment agent adsorbed onto a water-insoluble adsorbent is useful in the treatment of oil and gas wells and may be introduced, as a well treatment fluid, with a carrier fluid. The water-insoluble adsorbent may be activated carbon, silica particulate, precipitated silica, zeolite, diatomaceous earth, ground walnut shells, fuller'"'"'s earth and organic synthetic high molecular weight water-insoluble adsorbents. Suitable as the well treatment agent are scale inhibitors, corrosion inhibitors, paraffin inhibitors, salt inhibitors, gas hydrate inhibitors, asphaltene inhibitors, oxygen scavengers, biocides, foaming agent, emulsion breakers and surfactants.

Claims

1. A composite comprising a well treatment agent adsorbed onto a water-insoluble adsorbent.

2. The composite of claim 1, wherein the well treatment agent is at least one member selected from the group consisting of corrosion inhibitors, paraffin inhibitors, salt inhibitors, gas hydrate inhibitors, asphaltene inhibitors, oxygen scavengers, biocides, foaming agent, emulsion breakers and surfactants.

3. The composite of claim 1, wherein the surface area of the adsorbent is between from about 1 m²/g to about 100 m²/g.

4. The composite of claim 1, wherein the amount of well treatment agent in the composite is between from about 0.05 to about 5 weight percent.

5. The composite of claim 4, wherein the amount of well treatment agent in the composite is between from about 0.1 to about 2 weight percent.

6. The composite of claim 1, wherein the weight ratio of well treatment agent to water-insoluble adsorbent is between from about 90:

10 to about 10;

90.

7. The composite of claim 1, wherein the water-insoluble adsorbent is selected from the group consisting of activated carbon, silica particulate, precipitated silica, zeolite, diatomaceous earth, ground walnut shells, fuller'"'"'s earth and organic synthetic high molecular weight water-insoluble adsorbents.

8. The composite of claim 7, wherein the water-insoluble adsorbent is diatomaceous earth or ground walnut shells.

9. A well treating composition comprising the composite of claim 1 and a carrier fluid.

10. The well treating composition of claim 9, wherein the carrier fluid is a fracturing fluid.

11. The well treating composition of claim 9, wherein the amount of composite in the carrier fluid is between from about 15 ppm to about 100,000 ppm.

12. The well treating composition of claim 9, wherein the carrier fluid is brine.

13. The well treating composition of claim 12, wherein the weight percentage of the composite in the brine is between from about 0.02 to about 2 weight percent.

14. A method of treating a subterranean formation or a wellbore which comprises introducing into the formation or wellbore the composite of claim 1.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the composite is pumped downhole as a component of a fracturing fluid.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the composite is pumped downhole as a component of an acidizing fluid.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the well treatment agent is at least one member selected from the group consisting of corrosion inhibitors, paraffin inhibitors, salt inhibitors, gas hydrate inhibitors, asphaltene inhibitors, oxygen scavengers, biocides, foaming agent, emulsion breakers and surfactants.

18. A method of controlling the rate of release of a well treatment agent in a wellbore comprising introducing into the wellbore the well treating composition of claim 9.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the well treating composition further comprises a carrier fluid.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein the water-insoluble adsorbent is selected from the group consisting of activated carbon, silica particulate, precipitated silica, zeolite, diatomaceous earth, ground walnut shells, fuller'"'"'s earth and organic synthetic high molecular weight water-insoluble adsorbents.