Natural oil-derived wellbore compositions and methods of use

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10017682-B2
Application number	US-201514599093-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 16, 2015
Priority date	Jan 17, 2014
Publication date	Jul 10, 2018
Grant date	Jul 10, 2018

Abstract

Compositions useful as wellbore fluids are generally disclosed. In some embodiments, the compositions include polymerizable olefinic surfactant compositions, which, under certain conditions, can polymerize via free-radical polymerization to form surfactant polymers. In some embodiments, the compositions are introduced to an oil well as part of the drilling or extraction process, e.g., to assist in flushing hydrocarbon material out of subterranean formations.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wellbore composition, comprising:
surfactant compounds comprising a hydrophilic head portion and a hydrophobic tail portion, and an aqueous carrier;
wherein at least a portion of the surfactant compounds have a hydrophobic tail portion having 21 or more carbon atoms; and
wherein the wellbore composition is a microemulsion.

2. The wellbore composition of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the surfactant compounds comprise a hydrophobic tail portion having 23 or more carbon atoms.

3. The wellbore composition of claim 2 , wherein the hydrophobic tail portion having 23 or more carbon atoms is: —(CH 2 ) 8 —CH═CH—(CH 2 ) 13 —CH 3 , —(CH 2 ) 8 —CH═CH—(CH 2 ) 15 —CH 3 , —(CH 2 ) 8 —CH═CH—(CH 2 ) 17 —CH 3 , —(CH 2 ) 8 —CH═CH—(CH 2 ) 19 —CH 3 , —(CH 2 ) 8 —CH═CH—(CH 2 ) 21 —CH 3 , —(CH 2 ) 8 —CH═CH—(CH 2 ) 23 —CH 3 , —(CH 2 ) 8 —CH═CH—(CH 2 ) 25 —CH 3 , —(CH 2 ) 12 —CH═CH—(CH 2 ) 13 —CH 3 , —(CH 2 ) 12 —CH═CH—(CH 2 ) 15 —CH 3 , —(CH 2 ) 12 —CH═CH—(CH 2 ) 17 —CH 3 , —(CH 2 ) 12 —CH═CH—(CH 2 ) 19 —CH 3 , —(CH 2 ) 12 —CH═CH—(CH 2 ) 21 —CH 3 , —(CH 2 ) 12 —CH═CH—(CH 2 ) 23 —CH 3 , —(CH 2 ) 12 —CH═CH—(CH 2 ) 25 —CH 3 , or any combination thereof.

4. The wellbore composition of claim 2 , wherein the hydrophobic tail portion having 23 or more carbon atoms is:
—C(═O)—(CH 2 ) 7 —CH═CH—(CH 2 ) 13 —CH 3 , —C(═O)—(CH 2 ) 7 —CH═CH—(CH 2 ) 15 —CH 3 , —C(═O)—(CH 2 ) 7 —CH═CH—(CH 2 ) 17 —CH 3 , —C(═O)—(CH 2 ) 7 —CH═CH—(CH 2 ) 19 —CH 3 , —C(═O)—(CH 2 ) 7 —CH═CH—(CH 2 ) 21 —CH 3 , —C(═O)—(CH 2 ) 7 —CH═CH—(CH 2 ) 23 —CH 3 , —C(═O)—(CH 2 ) 7 —CH═CH—(CH 2 ) 25 —CH 3 , —C(═O)—(CH 2 ) 11 —CH═CH—(CH 2 ) 13 —CH 3 , —C(═O)—(CH 2 ) 11 —CH═CH—(CH 2 ) 15 —CH 3 , —C(═O)—(CH 2 ) 11 —CH═CH—(CH 2 ) 17 —CH 3 , —C(═O)—(CH 2 ) 11 —CH═CH—(CH 2 ) 19 —CH 3 , —C(═O)—(CH 2 ) 11 —CH═CH—(CH 2 ) 21 —CH 3 , —C(═O)—(CH 2 ) 11 —CH═CH—(CH 2 ) 23 —CH 3 , —C(═O)—(CH 2 ) 11 —CH═CH—(CH 2 ) 25 —CH 3 , or any combination thereof.

5. The wellbore composition of claim 2 , wherein the hydrophilic head portion is an anionic surfactant head group, a cationic surfactant head group, a zwitterionic head group, a non-ionic surfactant head group, or any combination thereof.

6. The wellbore composition of claim 1 , wherein the surfactant compounds are compounds of formula (I):

wherein: X 1 is C 1-24 alkylene, which is optionally oxidized at the carbon atom adjacent to R 1 , and is optionally substituted;
R 1 is a hydrophilic moiety;
R 2 is C 1-60 alkyl or C 2-60 alkenyl, each of which is optionally substituted; and
R 3 is —H or C 1-6 alkyl, which is optionally substituted.

7. The wellbore composition of claim 6 , wherein R 1 is an anionic surfactant head group, a cationic surfactant head group, a zwitterionic head group, or a non-ionic surfactant head group.

8. The wellbore composition of claim 7 , wherein R 1 comprises a quaternary ammonium group, which is optionally substituted.

9. The wellbore composition of claim 6 , wherein X 1 is —(C═O)—(CH 2 ) 7 — or —(CH 2 ) 8 —.

10. The wellbore composition of claim 9 , wherein R 3 is —H.

11. The wellbore composition of claim 1 , further comprising one or more additives or additional ingredients.

12. A method of treating a well, comprising:
introducing to a well the wellbore composition of claim 1 .

13. A method of increasing the permeability of a hydrocarbon-containing subterranean formation, comprising:
contacting a subterranean hydrocarbon-containing formation with the wellbore composition of claim 1 .

Assignees

• Elevance Renewable Sciences

Inventors

• Littich Ryan
• Coburn Charles

Classifications

• C09K8/588

  characterised by the use of specific polymers {(polymeric surfactants C09K8/584)} · CPC title

• C09K8/86

  containing organic compounds · CPC title

• C09K8/584 Primary

  characterised by the use of specific surfactants · CPC title

• C09K8/035

  Organic additives · CPC title