Breaker fluids for removal of polyolefin residue

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12351755-B1
Application number	US-202318401150-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Dec 29, 2023
Priority date	Dec 29, 2023
Publication date	Jul 8, 2025
Grant date	Jul 8, 2025

Abstract

Breaker fluids for removing polyolefin agglomerations from wellbore equipment and subterranean formations. An example breaker fluid includes an acid, at least one oxidizer, a corrosion inhibitor, a surfactant, an asphaltene remover, a sludging inhibitor, and an aqueous base fluid. The breaker fluid is introduced to wellbore equipment and subterranean formations and breaks down polyolefin agglomerations present therein.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for treating a wellbore in a subterranean formation using a breaker fluid, the method comprising:
providing the breaker fluid by combining an acid, an oxidizer, a corrosion inhibitor, a surfactant, an asphaltene remover, a sludging inhibitor, and an aqueous base fluid; wherein the acid is (i) an organic acid selected from the group consisting of acetic acid, methanesulfonic acid, propionic acid, p-toluenesulfonic acid, butanoic acid, derivatives thereof, and any combination thereof, or (ii) an inorganic acid selected from the group consisting of hydrochloric acid, hydrobromic acid, phosphoric acid, hydrofluoric acid, hypochlorous acid, chlorous acid, derivatives thereof, and any combination thereof; wherein the sludging inhibitor is selected from the group consisting of alkylbenzene sulfonate, alkylbenzene, or a combination thereof; wherein the breaker fluid comprises the acid in a concentration of 5% (w/v) to 15% (w/v);
introducing the breaker fluid into the wellbore; and
then contacting a surface contaminated with a polyolefin with the breaker fluid and thereby removing at least a portion of the polyolefin.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the contaminated surface is a surface of a wellbore equipment.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the method further comprises removing a second wellbore equipment from the wellbore, the second wellbore equipment comprising a surface contaminated with the polyolefin and contacting the contaminated surface of the second wellbore equipment with the breaker fluid after removal from the wellbore.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the contaminated surface is a rock face within the subterranean formation.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising introducing the breaker fluid into the wellbore after a drilling fluid has been introduced into the wellbore.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising introducing the breaker fluid into the wellbore after a fracturing fluid has been introduced into the wellbore.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising introducing the breaker fluid into a fracture within the subterranean formation.

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Prakash Chetan
• Santos Sarai
• Salgaonkar Lalit Pandurang
• Reyes Enrique Antonio
• Mendez Marisol
• Vasquez Estrada Julio Estuardo

Classifications

• C09K2208/26

  Gel breakers other than bacteria or enzymes · CPC title

• C09K8/524 Primary

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

• C09K2208/32

  Anticorrosion additives · CPC title

• C09K8/52 Primary

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