Synergistic performance of amine blends in shale control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12486444-B2
Application number	US-202017619160-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 14, 2020
Priority date	Jun 19, 2019
Publication date	Dec 2, 2025
Grant date	Dec 2, 2025

Abstract

The present disclosure provides water-based well treatment fluids methods of using such fluids in treating subterranean formations to prevent swelling and/or migration of fines. The water-based well treatment fluid contains an aqueous continuous phase and a clay stabilizing agent comprising less than 20% by weight, based on the total weight of the clay stabilizing agent, of an unhindered primary amine and a second amine selected from an alkanolamine, a polyalkylene polyamine, a compound having a formula R 4 —(CH 2 ) d —NH 2 where R 4 is a piperazino group or a morpholino group and d is an integer from 0 to 10, a compound having the formula where h is an integer from about 2 to about 7 and a mixture thereof.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A water-based well treatment fluid for the treatment of a subterranean formation comprising:
(A) an aqueous continuous phase and (B) a clay stabilizing agent including: (a) about 0.001% by weight to about 20% by weight, based on the total weight of the clay stabilizing agent, of an unhindered primary amine, wherein the unhindered primary amine is butoxypropylamine; and (b) a second amine which is a mixture of polyethyleneamines, wherein the average molecular weight of the mixture of polyethyleneamines is from about 200 to about 500.

2 . The water-based well treatment fluid of claim 1 , wherein the aqueous continuous phase is selected from fresh water.

3 . The water-based well treatment fluid of claim 1 , further comprising a weighting material.

4 . The water-based well treatment fluid of claim 1 , wherein the clay stabilizing agent includes:
(a) about 0.01% by weight to about 17.5% by weight, based on the total weight of the clay stabilizing agent, of the unhindered primary amine and (b) at least about 82.5% by weight, based on the total weight of the clay stabilizing agent, of the second amine.

5 . The water-based well treatment fluid of claim 1 , wherein the clay stabilizing agent includes:
(a) about 1% by weight to about 10% by weight, based on the total weight of the clay stabilizing agent, of the unhindered primary amine and (b) at least about 90% by weight, based on the total weight of the clay stabilizing agent, of the second amine.

6 . A process of making a water-based well treatment fluid comprising admixing a clay stabilizing agent comprising:
(a) about 0.001% by weight to about 20% by weight, based on the total weight of the clay stabilizing agent, of an unhindered primary amine, wherein the unhindered primary amine is butoxypropylamine; and (b) a second amine which is a mixture of polyethyleneamines in an aqueous continuous phase, wherein the average molecular weight of the mixture of polyethyleneamines is from about 200 to about 500.

7 . A method of inhibiting the swelling and/or migration of clay subterranean materials encountered during the drilling of a subterranean formation comprising circulating in the subterranean formation the water-based well treatment fluid of claim 1 .

8 . A method of extracting oil from an oil containing subterranean formation comprising providing through a first borehole, a pressurized water-based well treatment fluid of claim 1 and recovering oil from the subterranean formation through a second borehole.

Assignees

• Huntsman Petrochemical Llc

Inventors

• Lewis David C
• Clements John
• Machac James

Classifications

• C09K2208/18

  Bridging agents, i.e. particles for temporarily filling the pores of a formation; Graded salts · CPC title

• C09K8/58

  Compositions for enhanced recovery methods for obtaining hydrocarbons, i.e. for improving the mobility of the oil, e.g. displacing fluids · CPC title

• C09K2208/12

  Swell inhibition, i.e. using additives to drilling or well treatment fluids for inhibiting clay or shale swelling or disintegrating · CPC title

• C09K8/18 Primary

  characterised by the organic compounds · CPC title

• C09K8/04 Primary

  Aqueous well-drilling compositions · CPC title