Methods for Assaying Polymers Using an Integrated Computational Element

• US 20150015884A1
• Filed: 07/10/2013
• Published: 01/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Original Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Inventors: Haggstrom, Johanna, Freese, Robert P., Russell, Aaron Gene
• Granted Patent: US 9,103,720 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 356/402
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/035 Organic additives
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 49/0875 determining specific fluid parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 2003/1226 Interference filters
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/28 Investigating the spectrum using colour filters G01J3/51
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/36 Investigating two or more bands of a spectrum by separate detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/31 Investigating relative effect of material at wavelengths characteristic of specific elements or molecules, e.g. atomic absorption spectrometry G01N21/72 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/85 Investigating moving fluids or granular solids
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/44 Resins; Plastics; Rubber; Leather

Abstract

Various molecular characteristics of a polymer may be determined using an integrated computational element to assay the polymer. Methods for assaying a polymer can comprise optically interacting electromagnetic radiation with a polymer and an integrated computational element; and determining a molecular characteristic of the polymer, using the integrated computational element. The molecular characteristic of the polymer may be used to determine a bulk characteristic of a fluid phase in which the polymer may be disposed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

optically interacting electromagnetic radiation with a polymer and an integrated computational element; and

determining a molecular characteristic of the polymer, using the integrated computational element.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the molecular characteristic of the polymer comprises a polymer property selected from the group consisting of molecular weight, molecular weight distribution, degree of crosslinking, degree of branching, degree of substitution, uniformity of substitution, crystallinity, crystalline melting temperature, glass transition temperature, and any combination thereof.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the polymer is optically interacted as a solid phase with the electromagnetic radiation.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the polymer is present in a fluid phase while optically interacting with the electromagnetic radiation.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

determining a bulk characteristic of the fluid phase from the molecular characteristic of the polymer.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the bulk characteristic comprises a viscosity of the fluid phase.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the fluid phase comprises a treatment fluid.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting the electromagnetic radiation that has optically interacted with the polymer and the integrated computational element; and

generating an output signal based on the detected electromagnetic radiation, the output signal being correlatable to the molecular characteristic of the polymer.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein optically interacting the electromagnetic radiation with the polymer and the integrated computational element takes place while synthesizing the polymer.

10. A method comprising:

providing a treatment fluid comprising a polymer;

optically interacting electromagnetic radiation with the polymer and an integrated computational element;

determining a molecular characteristic of the polymer, using the integrated computational element; and

introducing the treatment fluid into a subterranean formation.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the molecular characteristic of the polymer comprises a polymer property selected from the group consisting of molecular weight, molecular weight distribution, degree of crosslinking, degree of branching, degree of substitution, uniformity of substitution, crystallinity, crystalline melting temperature, glass transition temperature, and any combination thereof.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining a bulk characteristic of the treatment fluid from the molecular characteristic of the polymer.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

altering the bulk characteristic of the treatment fluid, before introducing the treatment fluid into the subterranean formation.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the bulk characteristic comprises a viscosity of the treatment fluid and the molecular characteristic comprises a molecular weight of the polymer.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the polymer comprises a substance selected from the group consisting of a polysaccharide, a modified polysaccharide, a polyacrylamide, a partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide, a polyacrylate, a polyacrylic acid, a polyester, a poly(orthoester), a polyanhydride, a polycarbonate, a polyamide, a polyphosphazene, a relative permeability modifier polymer, a polyvinyl alcohol, a 2-acrylamido-2-methyl propane sulfonic acid-containing polymer, a poly(vinyl pyrrolidone), a poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride), a poly(ethylene glycol), a poly(ethylene oxide), a polylysine, a poly(vinylamine), a poly(ethyleneimine), a poly(lactic acid), a poly(glycolic acid), any derivative thereof, and any combination thereof.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein optically interacting electromagnetic radiation with the polymer and the integrated computational element takes place before the treatment fluid is introduced into the subterranean formation.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein optically interacting electromagnetic radiation with the polymer and the integrated computational element takes place before the polymer is placed in the treatment fluid.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein optically interacting electromagnetic radiation with the polymer and the integrated computational element takes place while the treatment fluid is in the subterranean formation.

19. The method of claim 10, wherein optically interacting electromagnetic radiation with the polymer and the integrated computational element takes place while producing the treatment fluid from the subterranean formation.

20. A method comprising:

providing a treatment fluid comprising a polymer;

introducing the treatment fluid into a subterranean formation;

interacting the treatment fluid with the subterranean formation during a shut-in period;

after the shut-in period, producing the treatment fluid from the subterranean formation;

optically interacting electromagnetic radiation with the polymer in the produced treatment fluid and an integrated computational element; and

determining a post-treatment molecular characteristic of the polymer, using the integrated computational element.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

optically interacting electromagnetic radiation with the polymer and an integrated computational element before introducing the treatment fluid into the subterranean formation; and

determining a pre-treatment molecular characteristic of the polymer, using the integrated computational element.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the pre-treatment molecular characteristic and the post-treatment molecular characteristic represent the same molecular characteristic, the method further comprising:

calculating a change in a value of the molecular characteristic while the polymer has been in the subterranean formation.

23. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

calculating a break time of the treatment fluid from the molecular characteristic of the polymer.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

introducing a breaker into the subterranean formation, the breaker affecting a molecular characteristic of the polymer.