Enzymatic compositions for the degradation of polymers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11279867-B2
Application number	US-201716327661-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 23, 2017
Priority date	Aug 23, 2016
Publication date	Mar 22, 2022
Grant date	Mar 22, 2022

Abstract

Provided herein are compositions and methods for degrading polymer systems. These compositions and methods can be used to effectively degrade a range of polymers commonly used in oil and gas operations, including polymers with carbon-carbon backbones such as polyacrylamides. Further, these compositions and methods can simultaneously degrade other organic molecules and pollutants associated with oil and gas operations. The compositions and methods described herein employ reactants that are more environmentally-friendly than conventional methods and components used in, for example, polymer breaking processes.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for degrading a polymer within a subterranean formation, the method comprising:
(a) providing a subterranean formation containing a polymer there within and a wellbore in fluid communication with the subterranean formation;
(b) injecting a first composition comprising a peroxidase enzyme dissolved or dispersed in an aqueous carrier through the wellbore into the subterranean formation; and
(c) injecting a peroxide through the wellbore into the subterranean formation.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polymer is deposited on a surface within the subterranean formation.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the polymer deposited on the surface comprises a filter cake formed from a drilling fluid, a drill-in fluid, or a fracturing fluid.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polymer comprises a carbon-carbon backbone.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polymer comprises a biopolymer.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the biopolymer comprises a polysaccharide.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polymer comprises a polyacrylamide.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the polyacrylamide comprises a polyacrylamide homopolymer or copolymer derived from acrylamide, N-substituted hydrosoluble derivatives of acrylamide, hydrosoluble N-vinylamides, or combinations thereof.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the peroxidase enzyme is dissolved in the aqueous carrier.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the peroxidase enzyme is encapsulated within a carrier particle.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first composition further comprises proppant particles.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the peroxidase enzyme is immobilized on the proppant particles.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the peroxidase enzyme is covalently bound to the surface of the proppant particles.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the proppant particles are chosen from silica sand, resin-coated silica sand, ceramic, or combinations thereof.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first composition is injected during a hydraulic fracturing operation.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first composition is injected during a slickwater fracturing operation.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein step (b) and step (c) are performed simultaneously.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the peroxide is present in the first composition.

19. A method for degrading a polymer within a subterranean formation, the method comprising:
(a) providing a subterranean formation containing a polymer there within and a wellbore in fluid communication with the subterranean formation; and
(b) injecting an enzyme breaker composition through the wellbore into the subterranean formation to degrade the polymer, wherein the enzyme breaker composition comprises proppant particles dispersed in an aqueous carrier, and a polymer-degrading enzyme covalently immobilized on the proppant particles.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the polymer-degrading enzyme comprises a peroxidase, and the method further comprises injecting a peroxide into the subterranean formation.

21. The method of claim 1 , wherein the peroxidase enzyme and the peroxide are injected in an effective amount to reduce the viscosity of the polymer within the subterranean formation.

Assignees

• Univ Kansas

Inventors

• Scurto Aaron M
• Gilbert William
• Liang Jenn-Tai

Classifications

• C09K2208/28

  Friction or drag reducing additives · CPC title

• C09K8/706 Primary

  Encapsulated breakers · CPC title

• C09K8/90

  of natural origin, e.g. polysaccharides, cellulose · CPC title

• C09K8/524 Primary

  organic depositions, e.g. paraffins or asphaltenes · CPC title

• C09K2208/24

  Bacteria or enzyme containing gel breakers · CPC title