Prevention of Water and Condensate Blocks in Wells
First Claim
1. In a subterranean formation penetrated by a well bore, the formation containing an accumulation of liquid, selected from water, oil, condensate, and mixtures thereof, that is blocking at least some flow of fluid in the formation, a method for removing at least a portion of the accumulation of liquid, selected from water, oil, condensate, and mixtures thereof, by altering the wettability of the formation from an initially oil or water wet state to an intermediate or gas wet state, comprising the step of contacting the formation with a treatment fluid comprising a wettability modifier.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Compositions and methods are given to prevent, alleviate and remedy water blocks and gas blocks (condensate block or condensate banking). Wettability modifiers are contacted with the formation to change the surfaces from water wet or oil wet to intermediate wet or gas wet. Preferred wettability modifiers include partially or completely fluorinated surfactants or polymers, for example fluorosilanes such as perfluorosilanes, urethane oligomers containing perfluoro alkyl moieties, fluoroacrylates, and fluoroalkyl containing terpolymers or their mixtures. Other examples include surfactants, for example viscoelastic surfactants such as cationic surfactants such as quaternary amines, and zwitterionic surfactants, such as betaines, optionally mixed with co-surfactants.
108 Citations
32 Claims
- 1. In a subterranean formation penetrated by a well bore, the formation containing an accumulation of liquid, selected from water, oil, condensate, and mixtures thereof, that is blocking at least some flow of fluid in the formation, a method for removing at least a portion of the accumulation of liquid, selected from water, oil, condensate, and mixtures thereof, by altering the wettability of the formation from an initially oil or water wet state to an intermediate or gas wet state, comprising the step of contacting the formation with a treatment fluid comprising a wettability modifier.
- 11. In a subterranean formation penetrated by a well bore, a method for reducing the formation of an accumulation of liquid, selected from water, oil, condensate, and mixtures thereof, that would block the flow of fluid, by altering the wettability of the formation from an initially oil or water wet state to an intermediate or gas wetting state by the step of contacting the formation with a wettability modifier.
- 22. In a subterranean formation penetrated by a well bore, a method for preventing the formation of an accumulation of liquid, selected from water, oil, condensate, and mixtures thereof, that would block the flow of fluid, by altering the wettability of the formation from an initially oil or water wet state to an intermediate or gas wetting state by the step of contacting the formation with a wettability modifier.
Specification