Hydrocarbon based carrier fluid

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11795371-B2
Application number	US-202117496997-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 8, 2021
Priority date	Apr 8, 2016
Publication date	Oct 24, 2023
Grant date	Oct 24, 2023

Abstract

Y-grade NGL or L-grade is used as a carrier fluid to transport one or more chemical additives into a hydrocarbon bearing reservoir to treat the hydrocarbon bearing reservoir. The Y-grade NGL or L-grade and the chemical additives may be chilled and/or foamed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of injecting a treatment fluid into a hydrocarbon bearing reservoir, comprising:
mixing an unfractionated hydrocarbon liquid mixture and a chemical additive, wherein the unfractionated hydrocarbon liquid mixture is a by-product of a de-methanized hydrocarbon stream and comprises ethane, propane, butane, isobutane, pentane, and less than one percent methane by liquid volume, wherein the unfractionated hydrocarbon liquid mixture is sourced and transported from a separate processing facility, wherein the separate processing facility comprises at least one of a splitter facility, a gas plant, and a refinery, wherein the unfractionated hydrocarbon liquid mixture is transported via pressure storage vessels from the separate processing facility to the hydrocarbon bearing reservoir;
pressurizing the unfractionated hydrocarbon liquid mixture and the chemical additive with a first pump;
pressurizing a liquefied gas with a second pump;
vaporizing the liquefied gas with a vaporizer to form a pressurized, vaporized gas;
mixing the pressurized, vaporized gas with the pressurized, unfractionated hydrocarbon liquid mixture and chemical additive to form a treatment fluid;
pumping the treatment fluid into the hydrocarbon bearing reservoir;
freezing connate water located in the hydrocarbon bearing reservoir using the treatment fluid;
pumping additional treatment fluid into the hydrocarbon bearing reservoir; and
diverting the additional treatment fluid, using the frozen connate water, to a selected location in the hydrocarbon bearing reservoir.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the chemical additive comprises a surfactant, a non-ionic surfactant, a polymer, an acid, a nano-surfactant, a nano-polymer, a polymer coated nano-particle, a nano-solvent, or combinations thereof, and wherein the liquefied gas comprises nitrogen, carbon dioxide, or combination thereof.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pressure that the treatment fluid is pumped into the hydrocarbon bearing reservoir is between 250 psig and 10,000 psig.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising injecting the treatment fluid into contact with paraffin, asphaltene, or condensate blockage located in the hydrocarbon bearing reservoir.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the unfractionated hydrocarbon liquid mixture further comprises condensate, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, hydrogen sulfide, or combinations thereof.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second pump is a cryogenic pump.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pressurized, vaporized gas cools the pressurized, unfractionated hydrocarbon liquid mixture and chemical additive to form the treatment fluid before pumping the treatment fluid into the hydrocarbon bearing reservoir.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the treatment fluid is cooled to a temperature of 0 degrees Fahrenheit or lower.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising diverting the treatment fluid flow within the hydrocarbon bearing reservoir using a diverting agent.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the diverting agent comprises a polymer.

11. A method of injecting a treatment fluid into a hydrocarbon bearing reservoir, comprising:
pressurizing an unfractionated hydrocarbon liquid mixture with a first pump, wherein the unfractionated hydrocarbon liquid mixture is a by-product of a de-methanized hydrocarbon stream and comprises ethane, propane, butane, isobutane, pentane, and less than one percent methane by liquid volume, wherein the unfractionated hydrocarbon liquid mixture is sourced and transported from a separate processing facility, wherein the separate processing facility comprises at least one of a splitter facility, a gas plant, and a refinery, wherein the unfractionated hydrocarbon liquid mixture is transported via pressure storage vessels from the separate processing facility to the hydrocarbon bearing reservoir;
pressurizing a liquefied gas with a second pump, wherein the liquefied gas comprises nitrogen, carbon dioxide, or combinations thereof;
vaporizing the liquefied gas with a vaporizer to form a pressurized, vaporized gas;
mixing the pressurized, vaporized gas with the pressurized, unfractionated hydrocarbon liquid mixture to form a treatment fluid;
pumping the treatment fluid into the hydrocarbon bearing reservoir;
freezing connate water located in the hydrocarbon bearing reservoir using the treatment fluid;
pumping additional treatment fluid into the hydrocarbon bearing reservoir; and
diverting the additional treatment fluid, using the frozen connate water, to a selected location in the hydrocarbon bearing reservoir.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the pressure that the treatment fluid is pumped into the hydrocarbon bearing reservoir is between 250 psig and 10,000 psig.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising diverting the treatment fluid flow within the hydrocarbon bearing reservoir using a diverting agent.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the diverting agent comprises a polymer.

15. A method of injecting a treatment fluid into a hydrocarbon bearing reservoir, comprising:
mixing an unfractionated hydrocarbon liquid mixture and a chemical additive, wherein the unfractionated hydrocarbon liquid mixture is a by-product of a de-methanized hydrocarbon stream and comprises ethane, propane, butane, isobutane, pentane, and less than one percent methane by liquid volume, wherein the unfractionated hydrocarbon liquid mixture is sourced and transported from a separate processing facility, wherein the separate processing facility comprises at least one of a splitter facility, a gas plant, and a refinery, wherein the unfractionated hydrocarbon liquid mixture is transported via pressure storage vessels from the separate processing facility to the hydrocarbon bearing reservoir;
pressurizing the unfractionated hydrocarbon liquid mixture and the chemical additive with a first pump;
pressurizing a liquefied gas with a second pump;
vaporizing the liquefied gas with a vaporizer to form a pressurized, vaporized gas;
mixing the pressurized, vaporized gas with the pressurized, unfractionated hydrocarbon liquid mixture and chemical additive to form a treatment fluid;
pumping the treatment fluid into the hydrocarbon bearing reservoir, wherein the pressurized, vaporized gas cools the pressurized, unfractionated hydrocarbon liquid mixture and chemical additive to form the treatment fluid before pumping the treatment fluid into the hydrocarbon bearing reservoir, wherein the treatment fluid is cooled to a temperature of 0 degrees Fahrenheit or lower;
freezing connate water located in the hydrocarbon bearing reservoir using the cooled treatment fluid;
pumping additional treatment fluid into the hydrocarbon bearing reservoir; and
diverting the additional treatment fluid, using the frozen connate water, to a selected location in the hydrocarbon bearing reservoir.

Assignees

• Linde Ag
• Babcock John A

Inventors

• Babcock John A
• Siess Iii Charles P
• Watts Kevin G

Classifications

• C09K8/524 Primary

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

• C09K8/52

  Compositions for preventing, limiting or eliminating depositions, e.g. for cleaning · CPC title

• C09K8/602

  containing surfactants · CPC title

• C09K8/82

  Oil-based compositions (C09K8/64 takes precedence) · CPC title

• C09K8/94

  Foams · CPC title