Composition and method for recovering hydrocarbon fluids from a subterranean reservoir

• US 9,120,965 B2
• Filed: 01/27/2012
• Issued: 09/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ChampionX USA Inc. (ChampionX Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nalco Company (Ecolab, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kurian, Pious, Wei, Mingli, Chang, Kin-Tai
• Primary Examiner(s): Chung, Susannah
• Assistant Examiner(s): ADMASU, ATNAF S
• Application Number:
  US13/359,596
• Publication Number:
  US 20130192826A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,313 Days
• Field of Search: 166/279, 507/226, 507/225, 507/246, 507/261
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/588 characterised by the use of specific polymers polymeric surfactants C09K8/584
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/594 Compositions used in combination with injected gas , e.g. CO2 orcarbonated gasC09K8/592 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/164 Injecting CO2 or carbonated water in combination with organic material C09K8/594

Abstract

A composition comprising crosslinked expandable polymeric microparticles capable of hydrolysis at or below neutral pH and a method of modifying the permeability to water of a subterranean formation by introducing such compositions into the subterranean formation is disclosed and claimed. This invention further relates to compositions and methods for the recovery of hydrocarbon fluids from a subterranean reservoir or formation subjected to CO₂ or CO₂ Water Alternating Gas flooding at low pH and increases the mobilization and/or recovery rate of hydrocarbon fluids present in the subterranean formations.

Claims

1. A composition comprising:

crosslinked expandable polymeric microparticles having

(i) an unexpanded volume average particle size diameter from about 0.05 to about 2,000 microns and (ii) a crosslinking agent content from about 50 to about 200,000 ppm of at least one labile crosslinker based on a molar ratio of said polymeric microparticles capable of cleavage, at or below neutral pH and from 0 to about 900 ppm of at least one non-labile crosslinker based on a molar ratio,

wherein the at least one labile crosslinker is selected from at least one of the following structures 1-26.

2. The composition of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the crosslinked expandable polymeric microparticles is highly crosslinked.

3. The composition of claim 1, wherein the unexpanded volume average particle size diameter is from about 0.05 to about 10 microns.

4. The composition of claim 1, wherein the unexpanded volume average particle size diameter is from about 0.05 to about 1 micron.

5. The composition of claim 1, wherein the at least one labile crosslinker comprises a crosslinker with at least two functional sites.

6. The composition of claim 1, wherein the expandable polymeric microparticle comprises at least one of the following properties:

anionic, amphoteric, ion-pair, betaine-containing, and combinations thereof.

7. The composition of claim 1, further comprising an emulsion, a dry powder, or an aqueous suspension.

8. The composition of claim 1, wherein the crosslinked expandable polymeric microparticles are prepared by free-radical polymerization from about 95 to about 10 mole percent of nonionic monomers and from about 5 to about 90 mole percent anionic monomers.

9. The composition of claim 7, wherein the anionic monomer is 2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid and the nonionic monomer is acrylamide.

10. The composition of claim 1, wherein said at or below neutral pH is from about pH 3 to about pH 6.