Alkoxylated co-solvents

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10899693-B2
Application number	US-201615136452-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 22, 2016
Priority date	Apr 22, 2015
Publication date	Jan 26, 2021
Grant date	Jan 26, 2021

Abstract

Provided herein are compounds, compositions, and methods having application in the field of enhanced oil recovery (EOR). In particular, provided herein are co-solvents, as well as aqueous compositions comprising these co-solvents, that can be used for the recovery of a large range of crude oil compositions from reservoirs.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An aqueous composition comprising water as a solvent, an alkali agent, a surfactant, and a cosolvent compound defined by Formula I

wherein
R 1 is a C 1 -C 6 alkyl group, a phenyl group, or an unsubstituted or R 2 -substituted cycloalkyl group;
R 2 is an alkyl group, wherein the alkyl group together with the cycloalkyl group to which the alkyl group is attached comprise from 4 to 6 carbon atoms;
m is an integer from 1 to 3; and
n is greater than m and is an integer from 2 to 30,
wherein the compound of Formula I is present in the composition in an amount of from 0.05% to 2% by weight, based on the total weight of the aqueous composition, and
wherein the surfactant is an anionic surfactant selected from the group consisting of alkoxy carboxylate surfactants, alkoxy sulfate surfactants, alkoxy sulfonate surfactants, alkyl sulfonate surfactants, aryl sulfonate surfactants, olefin sulfonate surfactants, and combinations thereof, and the surfactant is present in a sufficient amount to form a thermodynamically stable microemulsion when the aqueous composition contacts unrefined petroleum.

2. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the surfactant is present in the composition in an amount of from 0.05% to 2% by weight, based on the total weight of the composition.

3. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the surfactant comprises a C 10 -C 30 internal olefin sulfonate (IOS) or a C 8 -C 30 alkyl benzene sulfonate (ABS).

4. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the surfactant comprises an alkoxy carboxylate surfactant defined by Formula II or Formula III

wherein
R 1 substituted or unsubstituted C 8 -C 150 alkyl or substituted or unsubstituted aryl;
R 2 is independently hydrogen or unsubstituted C 1 -C 6 alkyl;
R 3 is independently hydrogen or unsubstituted C 1 -C 6 alkyl;
n is an integer from 2 to 210;
z is an integer from 1 to 6; and
M + is a cation.

5. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the surfactant comprises an alkoxy sulfate surfactant defined by the formula below

or acid or salt thereof, wherein
R A is C 8 -C 36 alkyl group;
BO represents —CH 2 —CH(ethyl)-O—;
PO represents CH 2 —CH(methyl)-O—;
EO represents CH 2 —CH 2 —O—; and
e, f and g are each independently integers from 0 to 50, with the proviso that at least one of e, f and g is not zero.

6. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the surfactant comprises an alkoxy sulfate surfactant defined Formula V

wherein
R 1 is an R 4 -substituted or unsubstituted C 8 -C 20 alkyl group, an R 3 -substituted or unsubstituted aryl group, or an R 3 -substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkyl group;
R 2 is independently hydrogen or methyl;
R 3 is independently an R 4 -substituted or unsubstituted C 1 -C 15 alkyl, an R 4 -substituted or unsubstituted aryl group, or an R 4 -substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkyl group;
R 4 is independently an unsubstituted aryl group or an unsubstituted cycloalkyl group;
n is an integer from 25 to 115;
X is —SO 3 − M + , —SO 3 H; and
M + is a cation.

7. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises
(i) 0.05% to 1% by weight of the compound of Formula I;
(ii) 0.05% to 1% by weight of a C 10 -C 30 internal olefin sulfonate (IOS) or a C 8 -C 30 alkyl benzene sulfonate (ABS); and
(iii) 0.05% to 1% by weight an alkoxy sulfate surfactant defined by the formula below

or acid or salt thereof, wherein
R A is C 8 -C 36 alkyl group;
BO represents —CH 2 —CH(ethyl)-O—;
PO represents —CH 2 —CH(methyl)-O—;
EO represents —CH 2 —CH 2 —O—; and
e, f and g are each independently integers from 0 to 50, with the proviso that at least one of e, f, and g is not zero.

8. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprises a viscosity-enhancing water-soluble polymer.

9. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the composition has a pH of from 10 to 12.

10. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the composition has a salinity of at least 5,000 ppm.

11. An emulsion comprising (i) the aqueous composition of claim 1 , and (ii) unrefined petroleum, wherein the emulsion comprises a microemulsion.

12. A method of displacing an unrefined petroleum material in contact with a solid material, said method comprising:
(i) contacting the unrefined petroleum material with the aqueous composition of claim 1 , wherein the unrefined petroleum material is in contact with the solid material; and
(ii) allowing the unrefined petroleum material to separate from the solid material, thereby displacing the unrefined petroleum material in contact with the solid material.

13. The composition of claim 1 , wherein R 1 is a phenyl group.

14. The composition of claim 1 , wherein R 1 is a C 4 -C 6 alkyl group.

15. The composition of claim 14 , wherein R 1 is a branched C 4 -C 6 alkyl group.

16. The composition of claim 1 , wherein n is from 5 to 30.

17. The composition of claim 1 , wherein n is at least three times m.

18. The composition of claim 1 , wherein n is from 2 to 15.

19. The composition of claim 1 , wherein m is 1 or 2 and n is an integer from 6 to 30.

20. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the alkali agent is selected from NaOH, KOH, LiOH, Na 2 CO 3 , NaHCO 3 , Na-metaborate, NH 4 OH, or a combination thereof.

21. An aqueous composition comprising water as a solvent, a surfactant, an alkali agent, and a cosolvent compound defined by Formula I

wherein
R 1 is a C 1 -C 6 alkyl group, a phenyl group, or an unsubstituted or R 2 -substituted cycloalkyl group;
R 2 is an alkyl group, wherein the alkyl group together with the cycloalkyl group to which the alkyl group is attached comprise from 4 to 6 carbon atoms;
m is an integer from 1 to 3; and
n is an integer from 2 to 30 and n is greater than m,
wherein the compound of Formula I is present in the composition in an amount of from 0.05% to 2% by weight, based on the total weight of the aqueous composition,
wherein the composition has a pH of from 8.5 to 12, and
wherein the surfactant is an anionic surfactant selected from the group consisting of alkoxy carboxylate surfactants, alkoxy sulfate surfactants, alkoxy sulfonate surfactants, alkyl sulfonate surfactants, aryl sulfonate surfactants, olefin sulfonate surfactants, and combinations thereof, and the surfactant is present in a sufficient amount to form a thermodynamically stable microemulsion when the aqueous composition contacts unrefined petroleum.

22. The composition of claim 21 , wherein the alkali agent is selected from NaOH, KOH, LiOH, Na 2 CO 3 , NaHCO 3 , Na-metaborate, Na silicate, Na orthosilicate, Na acetate, NH 4 OH, or a combination thereof.

Assignees

• Univ Texas

Inventors

• Weerasooriya Upali P
• Pope Gary A

Classifications

• C07C43/11

  Polyethers containing —O—(C—C—O—)n units with ≤ 2 n≤ 10 · CPC title

• C07C43/23 Primary

  containing hydroxy or O-metal groups · CPC title

• C09K8/584

  characterised by the use of specific surfactants · CPC title