Wax modifier in hydrocarbon fluid and method of using the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10647906-B2
Application number	US-201715837620-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 11, 2017
Priority date	Dec 12, 2016
Publication date	May 12, 2020
Grant date	May 12, 2020

Abstract

Compositions may include a wax modifier that is the product of a reaction between a polysaccharide having a number of sugar subunits in the range of 2 to 60 and one or more fatty acid reagents, and a reservoir fluid produced from a subterranean formation comprising one or more components capable of producing waxes. Methods may include contacting a hydrocarbon fluid with a wax modifier, wherein the wax modifier is the product of the reaction of a polysaccharide and one or more fatty acid reagents. Methods may also include introducing a wax modifier into a wellbore penetrating a subterranean formation, wherein the wax modifier is the product of a reaction between a polysaccharide and one or more fatty acid reagents; producing hydrocarbons from the subterranean formation; and allowing the wax modifier to inhibit the precipitation of a wax.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A composition comprising:
a wax modifier that is the product of a reaction between a polysaccharide having a number of sugar subunits in the range of 2 to 60 and a number average molecular weight between about 5 kDa and 50 kDa and one or more fatty acid reagents, and
a reservoir fluid produced from a subterranean formation comprising one or more components capable of producing waxes and having a wax appearance temperature,
wherein the wax modifier is added in an amount sufficient to produce a reduction in appearance of waxes at a temperature below the wax appearance temperature.

2. The composition of claim 1 , further comprising one or more solvents selected from a group consisting of d-limonene, turpentine, pinene, and citronellol, terpenoids, kerosene, and xylene.

3. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the polysaccharide is an inulin of the general formula (I), wherein A comprises one or more groups derived from one or more fatty acid reagents, or hydrogen, with the proviso that at least one A of the general formula (I) be a group derived from a fatty acid reagent, n is the degree of polymerization and may range from 2 to 60, and A′ is group derived from a fatty acid reagent, H, or the glucosyl derivative structure (II),

wherein A comprises one or more fatty acid reagents or hydrogen.

4. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the polysaccharide is a dextrin of the general formula:

where R is one or more fatty acid reagents or hydrogen, with the proviso that at least one R be a fatty acid reagent, and n is the degree of polymerization, which may range from 2 to 60.

5. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the fatty acid reagent is one or more selected from a group consisting of butyric acid, valeric acid, caproic acid, enthanic acid, caprylic acid, pelargonic acid, capric acid, undecylic acid, lauric acid, tridecyclic acid, mysristic acid, pentadecylic acid, palmitic acid, margaric acid, stearic acid, and the like, in addition to unsaturated fatty acids such as myristoleic acid, palmitoleic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, alpha-linoleic acid, erucic acid, ricinoleic acid, and derivatives thereof.

6. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the wax modifier is an ester of inulin and stearic acid.

7. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the wax modifier is an ester of dextrin and a mixture of 2-ethylhexyanoic acid and palmitic acid.

8. A method comprising:
contacting a hydrocarbon fluid having a wax appearance temperature with a wax modifier, wherein the wax modifier is the product of the reaction of a polysaccharide having a number average molecular weight between about 5 kDa and 50 kDa and one or more fatty acid reagents, and
inhibiting the growth of wax crystal in the hydrocarbon fluid at a temperature below the wax appearance temperature.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the polysaccharide is an inulin of the general formula (I), wherein A comprises one or more groups derived from one or more fatty acid reagents, or hydrogen, with the proviso that at least one A of the general formula (I) be a group derived from a fatty acid reagent, n is the degree of polymerization and may range from 2 to 60, and A′ is group derived from a fatty acid reagent, H, or the glucosyl derivative structure (II),

wherein A comprises one or more fatty acid reagents or hydrogen.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the polysaccharide is a dextrin of the general formula:

where R is one or more groups derived from a fatty acid reagent or hydrogen, with the proviso that at least one R be a group derived from a fatty acid reagent, and n is the degree of polymerization, which may range from 2 to 60.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the wax modifier is an ester of inulin and stearic acid.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the wax modifier is an ester of dextrin and a mixture of 2-ethylhexyanoic acid and palmitic acid.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the number average molecular weight of the polysaccharide is between about 5 kDa and 50 kDa.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein modifier is added to the hydrocarbon fluid at a concentration in the range of 0.001 wt % to 10 wt %.

15. A method comprising:
introducing a wax modifier into a wellbore penetrating a subterranean formation, wherein the wax modifier is the product of a reaction between a polysaccharide having a number average molecular weight between about 5 kDa and 50 kDa and one or more fatty acid reagents;
producing hydrocarbons from the subterranean formation, the hydrocarbons having a wax appearance temperature; and
allowing the wax modifier to inhibit the precipitation of a wax at a temperature below the wax appearance temperature.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the polysaccharide is an inulin of the general formula (I), wherein A comprises one or more groups derived from one or more fatty acid reagents, or hydrogen, with the proviso that at least one A of the general formula (I) be a group derived from a fatty acid reagent, n is the degree of polymerization and may range from 2 to 60, and A′ is group derived from a fatty acid reagent, H, or the glucosyl derivative structure (II),

wherein A comprises one or more fatty acid reagents or hydrogen.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the polysaccharide is a dextrin of the general formula:

where R is one or more groups derived from a fatty acid reagent or hydrogen, with the proviso that at least one R be a group derived from a fatty acid reagent, and n is the degree of polymerization, which may range from 2 to 60.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the fatty acid reagent is one or more selected from a group consisting of butyric acid, valeric acid, caproic acid, enthanic acid, caprylic acid, pelargonic acid, capric acid, undecylic acid, lauric acid, tridecyclic acid, mysristic acid, pentadecylic acid, palmitic acid, margaric acid, stearic acid, and the like, in addition to unsaturated fatty acids such as myristoleic acid, palmitoleic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, alpha-linoleic acid, erucic acid, ricinoleic acid, and derivatives thereof.

Assignees

• Mi Llc

Inventors

• Deshpande Pradyumna Avinash
• Khandekar Chandrashekhar Yeshwant

Classifications

• C10L1/1641

  from compounds containing aliphatic monomers · CPC title

• C10G75/04

  by addition of antifouling agents · CPC title

• C10L1/198

  obtained otherwise than by reactions involving only carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds {homo- or copolymers of compounds having one or more unsaturated aliphatic radicals, each having only one carbon to carbon double bond, and at least one being terminated by an acyloxy radical of a saturated carboxylic acid, of carbonic acid} · CPC title

• C08L91/06

  Waxes · CPC title

• C10L1/1616

  fractions, e.g. lubricants, solvents, naphta, bitumen, tars, terpentine · CPC title