High temperature viscoelastic surfactant (ves) fluids comprising nanoparticle viscosity modifiers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017327722-A1
Application number	US-201715581449-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 28, 2017
Priority date	May 12, 2016
Publication date	Nov 16, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

In accordance with one or more embodiments, this disclosure describes a viscoelastic fluid for a subterranean formation comprising: viscoelastic surfactant comprising the general formula:

where R 1 is a saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon group of from 17 to 29 carbon atoms, R 2 and R 3 , are each independently selected from a straight chain or branched alkyl or hydroxyalkyl group of from 1 to 6 carbon atoms; R 4 is selected from H, hydroxyl, alkyl or hydroxyalkyl groups of from 1 to 4 carbon atoms; k is an integer of from 2-20; m is an integer of from 1-20; and n is an integer of from 0-20; brine solution; and at least one nanoparticle viscosity modifier comprising a particle size of 0.1 to 500 nanometers, or 0.1 to 100 nanometers.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A viscoelastic fluid for a subterranean formation comprising:
viscoelastic surfactant according to the formula (I):

where R 1 is a saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon group of from 17 to 29 carbon atoms, R 2 and R 3 , are each independently selected from a straight chain or branched alkyl or hydroxyalkyl group of from 1 to 6 carbon atoms, R 4 is selected from H, hydroxyl, alkyl or hydroxyalkyl groups of from 1 to 4 carbon atoms; k is an integer of from 2-20; m is an integer of from 1-20; and n is an integer of from 0-20;
brine solution; and
at least one nanoparticle viscosity modifier comprising a particle size of 0.1 to 500 nanometers, or 0.1 to 100 nanometers.

2 . The viscoelastic fluid for a subterranean formation according to claim 1 , where the viscosity modifier is non-polymeric

3 . The viscoelastic fluid for a subterranean formation according to claim 1 , where the viscoelastic surfactant comprises erucamidopropyl hydroxypropylsultaine.

4 . The viscoelastic fluid for a subterranean formation according to claim 1 , further comprising solvent.

5 . The viscoelastic fluid for a subterranean formation according to claim 4 , where the solvent is selected from water, alcohol, or combinations thereof.

6 . The viscoelastic fluid for a subterranean formation according to claim 5 , where the alcohol comprises monohydric alkyloxy, diol, triol or a combination thereof.

7 . The viscoelastic fluid for a subterranean formation according to claim 1 , where the viscoelastic fluid comprises 0.5% to 20% by volume, or 2% to 8% by volume, or 3% to 6% by volume by weight of viscoelastic surfactant.

8 . The viscoelastic fluid for a subterranean formation according to claim 1 , where the viscoelastic fluid comprises 1% to 50% by weight, or 10% to 40% by weight, or 15% to 35% by weight of salt in the solution.

9 . The viscoelastic fluid for a subterranean formation according to claim 1 , where the brine solution comprises one or more metal salts, metal halides.

10 . The viscoelastic fluid for a subterranean formation according to claim 1 , where the brine solution comprises one or more alkali or alkaline earth metal halides.

11 . The viscoelastic fluid for a subterranean formation according to claim 10 , where the metal halides comprise calcium chloride, calcium bromide, zinc bromide, or combinations thereof.

12 . The viscoelastic fluid for a subterranean formation according to claim 1 , where the nanoparticle viscosity modifier comprises one or more of carbon nanotubes, ZnO nanomaterials, ZrO 2 nanomaterials, or combinations thereof.

13 . The viscoelastic fluid for a subterranean formation according to claim 1 , where the nanoparticle viscosity modifier comprises nano-sized zirconium (Zr) compounds, titanium (Ti) compounds, cesium (Ce) compounds, zinc (Zn) compounds, aluminum (Al) compounds, boron (B) compounds, tin (Sn) compounds, calcium (Ca) compounds, magnesium (Mg) compounds, iron (Fe) compounds, chromium (Cr) compounds, silica (Si) compounds, or combinations thereof.

14 . The viscoelastic fluid for a subterranean formation according to claim 1 , where the viscoelastic fluid comprises from 0.001% to 5% by weight, 0.01% to 2% by weight, or 0.04% to 0.24% by weight nanoparticle viscosity modifier.

15 . The viscoelastic fluid for a subterranean formation according to claim 1 , where the viscosity modifier has a particle size from 10-60 nm

16 . The viscoelastic fluid for a subterranean formation according to claim 1 , further comprising breaker material.

17 . The viscoelastic fluid for a subterranean formation according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one additional surfactant.

18 . The viscoelastic fluid for a subterranean formation according to claim 1 , where the additional surfactant comprises cationic surfactant, anionic surfactant, non-ion surfactant, amphoteric surfactant or a combination thereof.

19 . A method of treating a subterranean formation penetrated by a wellbore with a viscoelastic fluid comprising:
mixing viscoelastic surfactant according to formula (I), a nanoparticles viscosity modifier, and a brine solution to produce the viscoelastic fluid, the viscoelastic surfactant according to formula (I):

where R 1 is a saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon group of from 17 to 29 carbon atoms, R 2 and R 3 , are each independently selected from a straight chain or branched alkyl or hydroxyalkyl group of from 1 to 6 carbon atoms, R 4 is selected from H, hydroxyl, alkyl or hydroxyalkyl groups of from 1 to 4 carbon atoms; k is an integer of from 2-20; m is an integer of from 1-20; and n is an integer of from 0-20; and
in which at least one nanoparticle viscosity modifier comprising a particle size of 0.1 to 500 nanometers, or 0.1 to 100 nanometers;
introducing the viscoelastic fluid into the subterranean formation through the wellbore, where the treatment fluid is subjected to temperatures greater than 250° F.

20 . The method of treating a subterranean formation penetrated by a wellbore with a viscoelastic fluid according to claim 19 , where the treatment fluid is subjected to temperatures greater than 275° F.

Assignees

• Saudi Arabian Oil Co

Inventors

• Li Leiming
• Ozden Sehmus
• Al-Muntasheri Ghaithan A
• Liang Feng

Classifications

• C09K2208/26

  Gel breakers other than bacteria or enzymes · CPC title

• C09K8/602 Primary

  containing surfactants · CPC title

• C09K8/035 Primary

  Organic additives · CPC title

• C09K8/68

  containing organic compounds · CPC title

• C09K8/74

  combined with additives added for specific purposes · CPC title