Reversible aminal gel compositions, methods, and use

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11230658-B2
Application number	US-202016901859-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 15, 2020
Priority date	Feb 3, 2016
Publication date	Jan 25, 2022
Grant date	Jan 25, 2022

Abstract

A well treatment composition for use in a hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir comprising a reversible aminal gel composition. The reversible aminal gel composition includes a liquid precursor composition. The liquid precursor composition is operable to remain in a liquid state at about room temperature. The liquid precursor composition comprises an organic amine composition; an aldehyde composition; and a polar aprotic organic solvent. The liquid precursor composition transitions from the liquid state to a gel state responsive to an increase in temperature in the hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir. The gel state is stable in the hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir at a temperature similar to a temperature of the hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir, and the gel state is operable to return to the liquid state responsive to a change in the hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir selected from the group consisting of: a decrease in pH in the hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir and an addition of excess metal salt composition in the hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for introducing a reversible gel composition into a wellbore in a hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir, the method comprising the steps of:
injecting the reversible gel composition into the hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir, the reversible gel composition comprising:
a liquid precursor composition, the liquid precursor composition operable to remain in a liquid state at about room temperature, where the liquid precursor composition comprises:
an organic amine composition;
an aldehyde composition; and
a polar aprotic organic solvent; and

allowing the liquid precursor composition to transition from the liquid state to a gel state responsive to an increase in temperature from the hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of diluting the liquid precursor composition with an aqueous composition comprising water to form a dilute liquid precursor composition, the dilute liquid precursor composition operable to transition from the liquid state to the gel state responsive to an increase in temperature from the hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir.

3. The method according to claim 2 , where the step of diluting is carried out before the step of injecting.

4. The method according to claim 2 , where the step of diluting is carried out after the step of injecting.

5. The method according to claim 2 , where the step of diluting is carried out during the step of injecting.

6. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the aqueous composition comprising water is between about 5 wt. % and about 50 wt. % of the dilute liquid precursor composition.

7. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the aqueous composition comprising water is between about 5 wt. % and about 30 wt. % of the dilute liquid precursor composition.

8. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the aqueous composition comprising water is between about 5 wt. % and about 15 wt. % of the dilute liquid precursor composition.

9. The method according to claim 2 , further comprising the step of returning the gel state to the liquid state by changing at least one property in the hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir selected from the group consisting of: pH in the hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir, an amount of metal salt composition in the hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir, an amount of thiol in the hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir, and an amount of phosphine in the hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir.

10. The method according to claim 2 , further comprising the step of removing from the hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir the aqueous composition comprising water as a separate phase after transition from the liquid state to the gel state.

11. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the steps of targeting a region proximate the hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir negatively affected by water production for isolation via formation of the gel state, and diluting the liquid precursor composition with an aqueous composition comprising water to form a dilute liquid precursor composition, the dilute liquid precursor composition operable to transition from the liquid state to the gel state responsive to an increase in temperature from the hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir at a slower rate than a rate of gelation without dilution.

12. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of adding a gel time accelerating additive comprising sodium sulfite.

13. The method according to claim 1 , where the polar aprotic organic solvent comprises N-vinyl pyrrolidone and is operable to be polymerized through a radical initialized reaction.

14. The method according to claim 13 , where N-vinyl pyrrolidone is copolymerized with a second polymer thereby modifying hydrophilicity of a gel matrix and altering a release profile of cargo upon time delayed or triggered release.

15. The method according to claim 14 , where the second polymer comprises N-butyl acrylate.

16. The method according to claim 13 , further comprising the step of polymerizing N-vinyl pyrrolidone as either a homopolymer or a copolymer through radical initiation with potassium persulfate.

17. The method according to claim 13 , further comprising the step of polymerizing N-vinyl pyrrolidone as either a homopolymer or a copolymer through radical initiation with UV light.

18. The method according to claim 13 , further comprising the step of polymerizing N-vinyl pyrrolidone as either a homopolymer or a copolymer in a photosensitized gel through radical initiation with light of a wavelength greater than 350 nm.

19. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of adjusting a rate of cargo release from the reversible gel composition, where the reversible gel composition comprises a cargo to carry out a wellbore function selected from the group consisting of: modifying viscosity of a wellbore fluid; initiating a cement set; and modifying yield point of a wellbore fluid.

20. The method according to claim 1 , where a molar ratio of the organic amine composition to the aldehyde composition to the polar aprotic organic solvent is between about 1:2:1 and about 1:200:500.

21. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of adding delayed release capsules comprising an acidic solution or a salt.

22. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of adjusting a ratio of components in the liquid precursor composition to tune a temperature at which the reversible gel composition reverses to the liquid state.

23. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of adjusting a ratio of components in the liquid precursor composition to tune a pH at which the reversible gel composition reverses to the liquid state.

24. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of adjusting a ratio of components in the liquid precursor composition to tune physical properties of the gel state by exchange and reduction in an amount of polar aprotic organic solvent required for producing a homogenous gel.

25. The method according to claim 1 , where the organic amine composition comprises a tris primary amine of polypropylene glycol with an approximate molecular weight of between about 280 and about 100,000 Da.

26. The method according to claim 1 , where the organic amine composition comprises a bis primary amine of polyethylene glycol with an approximate molecular weight of between about 200 and about 100,000 Da.

27. The method according to claim 1 , where the organic amine composition comprises oxydianiline.

28. The method according to claim 1 , where the aldehyde composition comprises a compound selected from the group consisting of: formaldehyde, paraformaldehyde, phenol formaldehyde, resorcinol-formaldehyde, phenyl acetate-HMTA, and mixtures thereof.

29. The method according to claim 1 , where the polar aprotic organic solvent comprises a compound selected from the group consisting of: N-alkylpyrrolidone, N,N′-dialkylformamide, dialkylsulfoxide, and mixtures thereof.

30. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of controlling salt addition to the liquid precursor composition to form stable gels comprising hexahydrotriazine-based molecules in situ.

Assignees

• Saudi Arabian Oil Co

Inventors

• Boul Peter
• Liang Feng
• Rasner Diana

Classifications

• C09K8/5045

  containing inorganic compounds · CPC title

• C08G73/065

  Preparatory processes · CPC title

• C04B24/30

  Condensation polymers of aldehydes or ketones · CPC title

• C09K8/035 Primary

  Organic additives · CPC title

• C09K8/56

  Compositions for consolidating loose sand or the like around wells without excessively decreasing the permeability thereof (compositions for plastering borehole walls C09K8/50; {Soil-conditioning materials or soil-stabilising materials in general C09K17/00}) · CPC title