Subterranean storage of hydrogen foams

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12258845-B2
Application number	US-202318347469-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 5, 2023
Priority date	Jul 5, 2023
Publication date	Mar 25, 2025
Grant date	Mar 25, 2025

Abstract

Hydrogen foams may be used for placing and maintaining hydrogen in a subterranean location. For example, methods for introducing hydrogen to a subterranean location may include: placing a hydrogen foam in a subterranean location, in which the hydrogen foam comprises a continuous phase generated from a foamable composition comprising an aqueous fluid and a discontinuous phase comprising at least hydrogen gas; and maintaining the hydrogen foam in the subterranean location.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
placing a hydrogen foam in a subterranean location;
wherein the hydrogen foam comprises a continuous phase generated from a foamable composition comprising an aqueous fluid and a discontinuous phase comprising at least hydrogen gas, wherein the hydrogen gas is present in the hydrogen foam at a concentration of 0.001 vol % to 99.9 vol %, based on total volume of the hydrogen foam; and

maintaining the hydrogen foam in the subterranean location;
wherein the foamable composition comprises a foam stabilizing agent comprising a polymer, a plurality of nanoparticles, a surfactant, or any combination thereof, and,
wherein the surfactant comprises at least one fluorocarbon-based surfactant.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein placing the hydrogen foam in the subterranean location comprises:
forming the hydrogen foam external to the subterranean location by injecting the hydrogen gas and optionally one or more secondary gases into the foamable composition; and
introducing the hydrogen foam into the subterranean location.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the one or more secondary gases are present.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the one or more secondary gases comprise methane, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, or any combination thereof.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein placing the hydrogen foam in the subterranean location comprises:
introducing the foamable composition into the subterranean location; and
forming the hydrogen foam within the subterranean location by injecting the hydrogen gas and optionally one or more secondary gases into the foamable composition within the subterranean location.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the one or more secondary gases are present.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the one or more secondary gases comprise methane, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, or any combination thereof.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein placing the hydrogen foam in the subterranean location comprises:
forming a precursor foam external to the subterranean location by injecting one or more secondary gases into the foamable composition;
introducing the precursor foam into the subterranean location; and
forming the hydrogen foam within the subterranean location by injecting the hydrogen gas into the precursor foam within the subterranean location.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the one or more secondary gases comprise methane, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, or any combination thereof.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein placing the hydrogen foam in the subterranean location comprises:
introducing the foamable composition into the subterranean location;
forming a precursor foam within the subterranean location by injecting one or more secondary gases into the foamable composition within the subterranean location; and
forming the hydrogen foam within the subterranean location by injecting the hydrogen gas into the precursor foam within the subterranean location.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the one or more secondary gases comprise methane, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, or any combination thereof.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein a temperature of the subterranean location is from about 40° C. to about 100° C.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein a pressure of the subterranean location is from 500 psi to 3000 psi.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the aqueous fluid comprises a brine.

15. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
displacing a native fluid within the subterranean location with the hydrogen foam.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the surfactant further comprises:
at least one anionic surfactant, at least one non-ionic surfactant, or any combination thereof; or
at least one cationic surfactant, at least one non-ionic surfactant, or any combination thereof.

17. A method comprising:
placing a hydrogen foam in a subterranean location;
wherein the hydrogen foam comprises a continuous phase generated from a foamable composition comprising an aqueous fluid and a discontinuous phase comprising at least hydrogen gas, wherein the hydrogen gas is present in the hydrogen foam at a concentration of 0.001 vol % to 99.9 vol %, based on total volume of the hydrogen foam; and

maintaining the hydrogen foam in the subterranean location;
wherein the subterranean location comprises a sandstone formation, and
wherein the foamable composition comprises a foam stabilizing agent comprising one or more surfactants comprising at least one anionic surfactant, at least one non-ionic surfactant, or any combination thereof.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the one or more surfactants further comprise a fluorocarbon-based surfactant.

19. A method comprising:
placing a hydrogen foam in a subterranean location;
wherein the hydrogen foam comprises a continuous phase generated from a foamable composition comprising an aqueous fluid and a discontinuous phase comprising at least hydrogen gas, wherein the hydrogen gas is present in the hydrogen foam at a concentration of 0.001 vol % to 99.9 vol %, based on total volume of the hydrogen foam; and

maintaining the hydrogen foam in the subterranean location;
wherein the subterranean location comprises a carbonate formation, and
wherein the foamable composition comprises a foam stabilizing agent comprising one or more surfactants comprising at least one cationic surfactant, at least one non-ionic surfactant, or any combination thereof.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the one or more surfactants further comprise a fluorocarbon-based surfactant.

Assignees

• Saudi Arabian Oil Co

Inventors

• Ozden Sehmus
• Gizzatov Ayrat
• Al Yousef Zuhair

Classifications

• E21B43/166 Primary

  Injecting a gaseous medium; Injecting a gaseous medium and a liquid medium (CO2 injection E21B43/164; steam injection E21B43/24) · CPC title

• F17C2221/012

  Hydrogen · CPC title

• F17C2270/0142

  placed underground · CPC title

• C09K8/594

  Compositions used in combination with injected gas {, e.g. CO2 orcarbonated gas}(C09K8/592 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B65G5/00

  Storing fluids in natural or artificial cavities or chambers in the earth · CPC title