POLYMER EMULSIONS FOR USE IN CRUDE OIL RECOVERY

• US 20160032170A1
• Filed: 07/29/2014
• Published: 02/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ChampionX USA Inc. (ChampionX Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Ecolab USA Incorporated (Ecolab, Inc.)
• Inventors: Li, Xiaojin Harry, Reed, Peter E., Andrews, William J.
• Granted Patent: US 10,442,980 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/584 characterised by the use of specific surfactants
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/588 characterised by the use of specific polymers polymeric surfactants C09K8/584

Abstract

Emulsions of mobility control polymers can be used to increase recovery of crude oil from a subterranean hydrocarbon-containing formation. A flooding fluid comprising the polymer emulsions are injected into a well that is in contact with the subterranean hydrocarbon-containing formation. The polymers can be temporarily cross-linked and have protected shear degradation and improved injectivity into the well; the shear resistance can be measured in terms of viscosity loss due to shear, and the improved injectivity can be measured in terms of the flooding fluid'"'"'s filter ratio, flow rate, and viscosity.

Claims

1-4. -4. (canceled)

5. A method for increasing recovery of crude oil from a subterranean hydrocarbon-containing formation, the method comprising:

injecting an aqueous flooding fluid into a well that is in contact with the subterranean hydrocarbon-containing formation, the aqueous flooding fluid comprising an emulsion of an aqueous phase and an oil phase, the aqueous phase comprising the cross-linked water-soluble polymer and the oil phase comprising a surfactant and an organic solvent or a hydrocarbon oil, wherein the surfactant comprises a high molecular weight, structured multiester of a polyol or a high molecular weight, structured multiether of a polyol;

wherein the cross-links break to form the water-soluble polymer having fewer cross-links, the cross-links formed by covalently bonded cross-linking units having the following formula (IIa);

6. The method claim 5, wherein the membrane filter size is 1.2 microns.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the aqueous flooding fluid as injected into the well has a filter ratio of from 1 to about 1.2.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the aqueous flooding fluid as injected into the well has a filter ratio of from 1 to about 1.1.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the high molecular weight, structured multiester of a polyol or high molecular weight, structured multiether of polyol has a molecular weight from about 950 Daltons to about 500000 Daltons.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the high molecular weight, structured multiester of a polyol or high molecular weight, structured multiether of a polyol has a molecular weight from about 950 Daltons to about 50000 Daltons.

11. The method of claim 5, wherein the high molecular weight, structured multiester of a polyol comprises a polyoxyalkylene sorbitan di-, tri-, or tetraoleate, a polyoxyalkylene sorbitan di-, tri-, or tetra-stearate, a sorbitol tri-, tetra-, penta-, or hexa-oleate, a sorbitol tri-, tetra-, penta-, or hexa-stearate, a polyoxyalkylene sorbitol di-, tri-, tetra-, penta, or hexa-oleate, a polyoxyalkylene sorbitol di-, tri-, tetra-, penta-, or hexa-stearate, a copolymer of poly(12-hydroxystearic acid) and polyoxyalkylene, an alkylated polyglycerol, an oxyalkylated polyglycerol, an alkylated polyglycoside, an oxyalkylate polyglycoside, an alkylated polysaccharide, an oxyalkylated polysaccharide, or a combination thereof.

15. The method of claim 5, wherein the surfactant comprises a polyoxyethylene sorbitan trioleate, a copolymer of poly(12-hydroxystearic acid) and poly(ethylene oxide), polyoxyethylene sorbitol hexaoleate, or a combination thereof.

16. The method of claim 5, wherein the aqueous flooding fluid further comprises a surfactant of sorbitan monooleate, sorbitan dioleate, sorbitan trioleate or combination thereof.

23. The method of claim 5 wherein the average aqueous droplet size in the emulsion is from about 0.01 micron to about 100 micron.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the average aqueous droplet size in the emulsion is less than about 1 micron.

34. The method of claim 5, wherein the covalently bonded cross-linking units have the following formula (IIb):

14. (canceled)

17-22. -22. (canceled)

25-33. -33. (canceled)

35-40. -40. (canceled)