MITIGATION OF CONDENSATE BANKING USING SURFACE MODIFICATION

• US 20190023973A1
• Filed: 07/18/2018
• Published: 01/24/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Government of Saudi Arabia)
• Original Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Government of Saudi Arabia)
• Inventors: Sayed, Mohammed, Liang, Feng, Ow, Hooisweng, Cox, Jason
• Granted Patent: US 10,442,983 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 2208/10 Nanoparticle-containing well treatment fluids
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 2208/22 Hydrates inhibition by using well treatment fluids containing inhibitors of hydrate formers
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/524 organic depositions, e.g. paraffins or asphaltenes
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/60 Compositions for stimulating production by acting on the underground formation
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/25 Methods for stimulating production by vibrating earth formations E21B43/003

Abstract

The present application relates to methods and systems for mitigating condensate banking. In some embodiments, the methods and systems involve altering the wettability of a rock formation in the vicinity of a wellbore for a gas condensate reservoir.

Claims

1. A method for mitigating condensate banking in the vicinity of a wellbore for a gas condensate reservoir, the method comprising:

contacting a rock formation in the vicinity of a wellbore for a gas condensate reservoir with a polymer solution, wherein the polymer solution comprises a charged polymer with a first net charge, thereby forming a modified rock formation; and

contacting the modified rock formation with a particle suspension, wherein the particle suspension comprises charged particles with a second net charge, wherein the first and second net charges are opposed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the charged polymer is positively charged in the polymer solution and the charged particles are negatively charged in the particle suspension.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the charged polymer comprises a plurality of amine groups.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the charged polymer comprises a plurality of quaternary ammonium groups.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the charged polymer is a quaternizable polymer prepared by polymerization of vinylimidazole with a vinyl or acrylic, or both monomer.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the charged polymer is a polyquaternium.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the charged polymer is a polyethylenimine.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the charged polymer is a functionalized derivative of polyethylenimine.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the polymer solution has a pH in the range of about 5 to about 10.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the charged polymer has a number average molecular weight in the range of about 120 to about 800,000 grams per mole.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the charged polymer is present in the polymer solution in an amount that ranges from about 0.01 volume percent to about 10 volume percent.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the charged particles comprise silica, zirconia, or titanium nanoparticles.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the charged particles comprise polystyrene or methacrylate-based polymers.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the charged particles are fluorinated.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the charged particles have a mean diameter in the range of about 30 nm to about 500 nm.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the charged particles are present in the particle suspension in an amount that ranges from about 0.01 weight percent to about 10 weight percent.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the polymer solution comprises a solvent selected from the group consisting of ethanol, isopropanol, ethylene glycol, butanol, 2-butoxyethanol, butyl carbitol, pentanol, hexanol, terpene alcohols, PROPYL CELLOSOLVE™

Solvent, METHYL CARBITOL™

Solvent, DOWANOL™

DPM Glycol Ether, DOWANOL™

PnP Glycol Ether, and combinations thereof.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the particle suspension comprises a solvent selected from the group consisting of ethanol, isopropanol, ethylene glycol, butanol, 2-butoxyethanol, butyl carbitol, pentanol, hexanol, terpene alcohols, PROPYL CELLOSOLVE™

Solvent, METHYL CARBITOL™

Solvent, DOWANOL™

DPM Glycol Ether, DOWANOL™

PnP Glycol Ether, and combinations thereof.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the polymer solution and the particle suspension comprise the same solvent or combination of solvents.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the charged polymer is polyethylenimine and the charged particles are fluorinated silica particles.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the rock formation is negatively charged before it is contacted with the polymer solution.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the rock formation is a sandstone formation.

23. The method of claim 1, further comprising contacting the modified rock formation with a surfactant solution comprising a surfactant.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the surfactant is present in the surfactant solution in an amount that ranges from about 0.1 weight percent to about 10 weight percent.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the surfactant solution comprises a solvent selected from the group consisting of ethanol, isopropanol, ethylene glycol, butanol, 2-butoxyethanol, butyl carbitol, pentanol, hexanol, terpene alcohols, PROPYL CELLOSOLVE™

Solvent, METHYL CARBITOL™

Solvent, DOWANOL™

DPM Glycol Ether, DOWANOL™

PnP Glycol Ether, and combinations thereof.

51. A chemically treated rock formation prepared using the method of claim 1.

52. The chemically treated rock formation of claim 51, wherein the chemically treated rock formation is omniphobic.

26. A system for mitigating condensate banking in the vicinity of a wellbore for a gas condensate reservoir, the system comprising:

a first container or source of a polymer solution that comprises a charged polymer with a first net charge;

a second container or source of a particle suspension that comprises charged particles with a second net charge, wherein the first and second net charges are opposed; and

conduits for introducing the polymer solution and the particle suspension into a rock formation in the vicinity of a wellbore for a gas condensate reservoir.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the charged polymer is positively charged in the polymer solution and the charged particles are negatively charged in the particle suspension.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein the charged polymer comprises a plurality of amine groups.

29. The system of claim 26, wherein the charged polymer comprises a plurality of quaternary ammonium groups.

30. The system of claim 26, wherein the charged polymer is a quaternizable polymer prepared by polymerization of vinylimidazole with a vinyl or acrylic, or both monomer.

31. The system of claim 26, wherein the charged polymer is a polyquaternium.

32. The system of claim 26, wherein the charged polymer is a polyethylenimine.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the charged polymer is a functionalized derivative of polyethylenimine.

34. The system of claim 26, wherein the polymer solution has a pH in the range of about 5 to about 10.

35. The system of claim 26, wherein the charged polymer has a number average molecular weight in the range of about 120 to about 800,000 grams per mole.

36. The system of claim 26, wherein the charged polymer is present in the polymer solution in an amount that ranges from about 0.01 volume percent to about 10 volume percent.

37. The system of claim 26, wherein the charged particles comprise silica, zirconia, or titanium nanoparticles.

38. The system of claim 26, wherein the charged particles comprise polystyrene or methacrylate-based polymers.

39. The system of claim 26, wherein the charged particles are fluorinated.

40. The system of claim 26, wherein the charged particles have a mean diameter in the range of about 30 nm to about 500 nm.

41. The system of claim 26, wherein the charged particles are present in the particle suspension in an amount that ranges from about 0.01 weight percent to about 10 weight percent.

42. The system of claim 26, wherein the polymer solution comprises a solvent selected from the group consisting of ethanol, isopropanol, ethylene glycol, butanol, 2-butoxyethanol, butyl carbitol, pentanol, hexanol, terpene alcohols, PROPYL CELLOSOLVE™

Solvent, METHYL CARBITOL™

Solvent, DOWANOL™

DPM Glycol Ether, DOWANOL™

PnP Glycol Ether, and combinations thereof.

43. The system of claim 26, wherein the particle suspension comprises a solvent selected from the group consisting of ethanol, isopropanol, ethylene glycol, butanol, 2-butoxyethanol, butyl carbitol, pentanol, hexanol, terpene alcohols, PROPYL CELLOSOLVE™

Solvent, METHYL CARBITOL™

Solvent, DOWANOL™

DPM Glycol Ether, DOWANOL™

PnP Glycol Ether, and combinations thereof.

44. The system of claim 26, wherein the polymer solution and the particle suspension comprise the same solvent or combination of solvents.

45. The system of claim 26, wherein the charged polymer is polyethylenimine and the charged particles are fluorinated silica particles.

46. The system of claim 26, wherein the rock formation is negatively charged before it is contacted with the polymer solution.

47. The system of claim 46, wherein the rock formation is a sandstone formation.

48. The system of claim 26, further comprising a third container or source of a surfactant solution comprising a surfactant and a conduit for introducing the surfactant solution into the rock formation in the vicinity of a wellbore for a gas condensate reservoir

49. The system of claim 48, wherein the surfactant is present in the surfactant solution in an amount that ranges from about 0.1 weight percent to about 10 weight percent.

50. The system of claim 48, wherein the surfactant solution comprises a solvent selected from the group consisting of ethanol, isopropanol, ethylene glycol, butanol, 2-butoxyethanol, butyl carbitol, pentanol, hexanol, terpene alcohols, PROPYL CELLOSOLVE™

Solvent, METHYL CARBITOL™

Solvent, DOWANOL™

DPM Glycol Ether, DOWANOL™

PnP Glycol Ether, and combinations thereof.