USE OF FLUOROCARBON SURFACTANTS TO IMPROVE THE PRODUCTIVITY OF GAS AND GAS CONDENSATE WELLS

• US 20090062155A1
• Filed: 08/04/2008
• Published: 03/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company), Board of Regents of the University of Texas System (University of Texas System)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company), Board of Regents of the University of Texas System (University of Texas System)
• Inventors: Pope, Gary A., Baran, Jimmie R. JR., Sharma, Mukul M., Kumar, Viren
• Granted Patent: US 7,772,162 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 507/205
• CPC Class Codes: C08F 214/18 Monomers containing fluorine
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/604 Polymeric surfactants
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/68 containing organic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 507/91 Earth boring fluid devoid of discrete aqueous phase
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 507/922 Fracture fluid

Abstract

The present invention includes composition having a nonionic, fluorinated polymeric surfactant, water and solvent. Embodiments of compositions according to the present invention are useful, for example, for recovering hydrocarbons from subterranean elastic formations.

Claims

1. A composition comprising:

a nonionic fluorinated polymeric surfactant, wherein the nonionic fluorinated polymeric surfactant comprises;

(a) at least one divalent unit represented by the formula;

2. The composition of claim 1, wherein the nonionic fluorinated polymeric surfactant comprises at least one divalent unit represented by a formula selected from the group consisting of:

3. The composition of claim 1, wherein R_f has from 4 to 6 carbon atoms.

4. The composition of claim 1, wherein R_f is perfluorobutyl.

5. The composition of claim 1, wherein the solvent is water-miscible.

6. The composition of claim 5, wherein the nonionic fluorinated polymeric surfactant has a solubility in a mixture of the water-miscible solvent and the water that decreases with an increase in temperature.

7. The composition of claim 1, wherein the solvent comprises at least one of methanol, ethanol, propanol, isopropanol, butanol, ethylene glycol, acetone, a glycol ether, supercritical carbon dioxide, or liquid carbon dioxide.

8. The composition of claim 1, wherein the solvent comprises methanol.

9. The composition of claim 1, wherein the nonionic fluorinated polymeric surfactant is free of hydrolyzable silane groups.

10. The composition of claim 1, wherein the nonionic fluorinated polymeric surfactant has a number average molecular weight in the range from 1,000 to 30,000 grams/mole.

11. The composition of claim 1, wherein the composition is interactive with a hydrocarbon-bearing geological clastic formation.

12. The composition of claim 11, wherein the hydrocarbon-bearing geological clastic formation is downhole.

13. The composition of claim 1, wherein the nonionic fluorinated polymeric surfactant is preparable by copolymerization of:

(a) at least one compound represented by the formula

14. The composition of claim 13, wherein the poly(alkyleneoxy) monoacrylate comprises at least one compound represented by a formula selected from the group consisting of:

15. A gaseous composition comprising methane and a fluorinated product resulting from at least one of hydrolysis or thermal decomposition of a nonionic fluorinated polymeric surfactant, wherein the nonionic fluorinated polymeric surfactant comprises:

(a) at least one divalent unit represented by the formula;

16. A method of making a composition, the method comprising:

selecting a hydrocarbon-bearing subterranean clastic formation, the formation having a temperature, water content, and ionic strength;

determining the temperature, water content, and ionic strength of the hydrocarbon-bearing subterranean clastic formation;

generating a formulation comprising nonionic fluorinated polymeric surfactant and at least one of solvent or water, the formulation based at least in part on the determined temperature, water content, and ionic strength of the hydrocarbon-bearing subterranean clastic formation, wherein the nonionic fluorinated polymeric surfactant has a cloud point when placed in the hydrocarbon-bearing subterranean clastic formation that is above the temperature of the hydrocarbon-bearing subterranean clastic formation; and

making a composition having the formulation.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the composition comprises water.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the composition comprises solvent, and wherein the solvent comprises methanol.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the nonionic fluorinated polymeric surfactant comprises:

(a) at least one divalent unit represented by the formula;

20. A treated gas-bearing clastic formation penetrated by a well bore comprising a region near the well bore treated with a nonionic fluorinated polymeric surfactant, wherein the nonionic fluorinated polymeric surfactant comprises:

(a) at least one divalent unit represented by the formula;

21. The formation according to claim 20, wherein the nonionic fluorinated polymeric surfactant comprises at least one divalent unit represented by a formula selected from the group consisting of: