Composition and method for improving the production of petroleum hydrocarbons

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12325824-B2
Application number	US-202318392303-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 21, 2023
Priority date	Sep 15, 2020
Publication date	Jun 10, 2025
Grant date	Jun 10, 2025

Abstract

A novel surfactant composition that comprises of two surfactant components, a solvent, and water. The surfactant composition is added to a fracturing fluid, which is then pumped downhole into a subterranean formation where the novel characteristics of the fracturing fluid lend to improved oil production over the fracturing fluid without the surfactant composition.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of increasing the production of petroleum hydrocarbons, comprising:
formulating a surfactant solution, comprising:
a first surfactant;
a second surfactant;
a solvent; and
water;
wherein the first surfactant comprises an anionic surfactant and the second surfactant comprises a nonionic surfactant, and wherein the ratio between the first surfactant to the second surfactant is about 0.30 to about 0.44;

mixing the surfactant solution with a fracturing fluid to form a fracturing fluid composition; and
injecting the fracturing fluid composition into a well bore at a flow rate and pressure sufficient to fracture the subterranean formation;
wherein the production of petroleum hydrocarbons from the well bore is increased in comparison to production of petroleum hydrocarbons if the surfactant solution was not added to the fracturing fluid composition.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the surfactant solution is mixed with the fracturing fluid to a concentration of about 0.02 to about 50 gallons per thousand gallons of the fracturing fluid.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fracturing fluid composition further comprises a gelling agent, a proppant, a biocide, a scale inhibitor, a clay stabilizer, a friction reducer, a crosslinking agent, a breaker, a thermal stabilizer, a pH adjuster, a corrosion inhibitor, an iron control agent, or any combination thereof.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the gelling agent is selected from the group comprising: hydroxyethyl guar, carboxymethyl guar, hydroxypropyl guar, carboxymethylhydroxypropyl guar, carboxymethylhydroxyethyl guar, carboxyethylcellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, carboxymethylhydroxyethylcellulose, carboxymethylcellulose, xanthan, diutan, or any combination thereof.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the surfactant solution acts as a wettability altering agent to increase production of the subterranean formation.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the surfactant solution is thermally stable in the subterranean formation.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the surfactant solution is hydrolytically stable in the subterranean formation.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first surfactant is an ether sulfonate having the formula: R1O(R2O)x(R3O)yCH2CH(OH)CH2SO3M, wherein R1 is a linear or branched alkyl group having 5 to 30 carbon atoms, R2 is —CH2CH2-, R3 is —CH(CH3)CH2-, x is an integer from 2 to 30, y is an integer from 0 to 20, and M is a monovalent cation.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second surfactant is an alkyl alkoxylated nonionic surfactant having the formula R4O(R2O)m(R3O)nH where R4 is a linear or branched alkyl group having 5 to 30 carbon atoms, m is an integer from 5 to 30, and n is an integer from 1 to 20.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the solvent is methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, 1-propanol, butanol, acetone, ethyl lactate, glycerol, ethylene glycol, ethylene glycol butyl ether, butyl acetate, acetic acid, or any combination thereof.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein a concentration of the first surfactant in the surfactant solution is from about 1 wt. % to about 65 wt. %.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the concentration of the first surfactant in the surfactant solution is from about 10 wt. % to about 45 wt. %.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein a concentration of the second surfactant in the surfactant solution is from about 1 wt. % to about 80 wt. %.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the concentration of the second surfactant in the surfactant solution is from about 30 wt. % to about 50 wt. %.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein a concentration of the solvent in the surfactant solution is from about 1 wt. % to about 90 wt. %.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the concentration of the solvent in the surfactant solution is from about 10 wt. % to about 35 wt. %.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein a concentration of water in the surfactant solution is from about 1 wt. % to about 90 wt. %.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the concentration of water in the surfactant solution is from about 30 wt. % to about 45 wt. %.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the water comprises sodium chloride and calcium chloride and a concentration of sodium chloride in the water is up to about 25.0 wt. % and a concentration of calcium chloride in the water is up to about 5.0 wt. %.

Assignees

• Cnpc Usa Corp
• Beijing Huamei Inc
• China Nat Petroleum Corp

Inventors

• Huang Jiangshui
• Zhou Nancy
• Lin Lijun
• Liu Fuchen
• Wu Guodong
• Huang Bo

Classifications

• C09K8/584

  characterised by the use of specific surfactants · CPC title

• C09K8/602

  containing surfactants · CPC title

• E21B37/06

  using chemical means for preventing or limiting {, e.g. eliminating,} the deposition of paraffins or like substances · CPC title

• E21B43/26

  by forming crevices or fractures · CPC title

• E21B41/02

  in situ inhibition of corrosion in boreholes or wells · CPC title