Nanocomposite oil sensors for downhole hydrocarbon detection
First Claim
1. A nanocomposite suitable for detecting hydrocarbons in a geological structure, wherein the nanocomposite comprises:
- a core particle;
a polymer associated with the core particle;
a sulfur-based moiety associated with the polymer; and
a releasable probe molecule associated with the core particle,wherein the releasable probe molecule is releasable from the core particle upon exposure to hydrocarbons, wherein the releasable probe molecule is triheptylamine (“
THA”
).
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Accused Products
Abstract
Various embodiments of the present disclosure pertain to nanocomposites for detecting hydrocarbons in a geological structure. In some embodiments, the nanocomposites include: a core particle; a polymer associated with the core particle; a sulfur-based moiety associated with the polymer; and a releasable probe molecule associated with the core particle, where the releasable probe molecule is releasable from the core particle upon exposure to hydrocarbons. Additional embodiments of the present disclosure pertain to methods of detecting hydrocarbons in a geological structure by utilizing the nanocomposites of the present disclosure.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A nanocomposite suitable for detecting hydrocarbons in a geological structure, wherein the nanocomposite comprises:
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a core particle; a polymer associated with the core particle; a sulfur-based moiety associated with the polymer; and a releasable probe molecule associated with the core particle, wherein the releasable probe molecule is releasable from the core particle upon exposure to hydrocarbons, wherein the releasable probe molecule is triheptylamine (“
THA”
). - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A method for detecting hydrocarbons in a geological structure, wherein the method comprises:
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injecting nanocomposites into the geological structure, wherein the nanocomposites each comprise; a core particle, a polymer associated with the core particle, a sulfur-based moiety associated with the polymer, and a releasable probe molecule associated with the core particle, wherein the releasable probe molecule releases from the core particle upon exposure to hydrocarbons within the geological structure, wherein the releasable probe molecule comprises triheptylamine (“
THA”
);collecting a sample of the nanocomposites after flow through the geological structure; determining an amount of the releasable probe molecules associated with the nanocomposites in the collected sample; comparing the determined amount with an amount of releasable probe molecules associated with the nanocomposites prior to injection into the geological structure; and correlating the compared amount to presence of hydrocarbons in the geological structure, wherein a decrease in the amount of releasable probe molecules associated with nanocomposites in the collected sample relative to the amount of the releasable probe molecules associated with the nanocomposites prior to injection into the geological structure is indicative of the presence of hydrocarbons in the geological structure. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A system for detecting hydrocarbons in a geological structure, wherein the system comprises:
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nanocomposites to be injected into the geological structure in combination with measurement equipment configured to determine an amount of releasable probe molecules associated with the nanocomposites, wherein the nanocomposites each comprise; a core particle, a polymer associated with the core particle, a sulfur-based moiety associated with the polymer, and a releasable probe molecule associated with the core particle, wherein the releasable probe molecule configured to release from the core particle upon exposure to hydrocarbons within the geological structure, wherein the releasable probe molecule comprises triheptylamine (“
THA”
);equipment configured to inject the nanocomposites into the geological structure; equipment configured to recover a sample of the nanocomposites after flow through the geological structure; measurement equipment configured to determine an amount of the releasable probe molecules associated with the nanocomposites in the collected sample; comparing the determined amount with an amount of releasable probe molecules associated with the nanocomposites prior to injection into the geological structure; and equipment configured to correlate the compared amount to presence of hydrocarbons in the geological structure, wherein a decrease in the amount of releasable probe molecules associated with nanocomposites in the collected sample relative to the amount of the releasable probe molecules associated with the nanocomposites prior to injection into the geological structure is indicative of the presence of hydrocarbons in the geological structure. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification