Use of sulfonium salts as hydrogen sulfide inhibitors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018245004-A1
Application number	US-201715445707-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 28, 2017
Priority date	Feb 28, 2017
Publication date	Aug 30, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present invention generally relates to the use of aryl sulfonium salts for lowering sulfide concentrations and for preventing growth of microbes in a water injection system, a hydrocarbon extraction system, or a hydrocarbon production system. Treating oilfield injection and produced fluids containing high levels of microbes with aryl sulfonium salts can significantly decrease the amount of hydrogen sulfide produced, which can be used to measure sulfidogenesis. The treatment can also decrease the number of active microbes in the injection and produced fluids. Thus, these aryl sulfonium salts can be effectively used as inhibitors of hydrogen sulfide generation and as biocides in oilfield fluids.

First claim

1 . A method for reducing or preventing the reduction of a sulfur-containing compound and production of hydrogen sulfide by a microorganism in a hydrocarbon-containing system comprising a water injection system, a hydrocarbon extraction system, or a hydrocarbon production system comprising administering an effective amount of a aryl sulfonium salt into the water injection system, the hydrocarbon extraction system, or the hydrocarbon production system.

2 . A method for reducing concentration of hydrogen sulfide in a hydrocarbon-containing system comprising a water injection system, a hydrocarbon extraction system, or a hydrocarbon production system comprising administering an effective amount of a aryl sulfonium salt into the water injection system, the hydrocarbon extraction system, or the hydrocarbon production system, wherein the aryl sulfonium salt inhibits the production of hydrogen sulfide by a sulfur utilizing prokaryote.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the aryl sulfonium salt comprises a cation or a dication of Formulae 1, 2, or 3

wherein R 1 -R 30 are independently hydrogen, alkyl, alkoxy, aryl, or heterocyclo.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the aryl sulfonium salt comprises a cation or a dication of Formulae 1.

5 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the aryl sulfonium salt comprises a cation or a dication of Formulae 2.

6 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the aryl sulfonium salt comprises a cation or a dication of Formulae 3.

7 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the aryl sulfonium salt comprises a cation or a dication of Formulae 1 and 2.

8 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the aryl sulfonium salt comprises a cation or a dication of Formulae 1 and 3.

9 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the aryl sulfonium salt comprises a cation or a dication of Formulae 2 and 3.

10 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the aryl sulfonium salt comprises a cation or a dication of Formulae 1, 2, and 3.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein one to six of R 1 -R 30 are independently alkyl and the balance are hydrogen.

12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein one to three of R 1 -R 30 are independently alkyl and the balance are hydrogen.

13 . The method of claim 3 , wherein R 1 -R 30 are hydrogen.

14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the aryl sulfonium salt is administered by injecting an injection fluid into the hydrocarbon extraction system or the hydrocarbon production system.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the hydrocarbon extraction system or the hydrocarbon production system is a subterranean hydrocarbon-containing formation, a well, a pipeline, a fluid separation vessel, a floating production storage vessel, an offloading vessel, a refinery, or a storage system.

16 .- 18 . (canceled)

19 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the microorganism comprises a sulfur utilizing prokaryote.

20 . (canceled)

21 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the aryl sulfonium salt is triarylsulfonium chloride, triarylsulfonium nitrate, triarylsulfonium bromide, triarylsulfonium iodide, triarylsulfonium hexafluorophosphate, triarylsulfonium perchloroate, triarylsulfonium hexafluoroarsenate, triarylsulfonium p-toluenesulfonate, triarylsulfonium acetate, triarylsulfonium phosphate, diaryl (4-phenylthio)arylsulfonium chloride, diaryl (4-phenylthio)arylsulfonium nitrate, diaryl (4-phenylthio)arylsulfonium bromide, diaryl (4-phenylthio)arylsulfonium iodide, diaryl (4-phenylthio)arylsulfonium hexafluorophosphate, diaryl (4-phenylthio)arylsulfonium perchloroate, diaryl (4-phenylthio)arylsulfonium hexafluoroarsenate, diaryl (4-phenylthio)arylsulfonium p-toluenesulfonate, diaryl (4-phenylthio)arylsulfonium acetate, diaryl (4-phenylthio)arylsulfonium phosphate, (thiodi-4,1-phenylene)bis-diarylsulfonium dichloride, (thiodi-4,1-phenylene)bis-diarylsulfonium dichloride dinitrate, (thiodi-4,1-phenylene)bis-diarylsulfonium dichloride dibromide, (thiodi-4,1-phenylene)bis-diarylsulfonium dichloride diiodide, (thiodi-4,1-phenylene)bis-diarylsulfonium dihexafluorophosphate, (thiodi-4,1-phenylene)bis-diarylsulfonium diperchloroate, (thiodi-4,1-phenylene)bis-diarylsulfonium dihexafluoroarsenate, diaryl (thiodi-4,1-phenylene)bis-diarylsulfonium di-p-toluenesulfonate, (thiodi-4,1-phenylene)bis-diarylsulfonium diacetate, (thiodi-4,1-phenylene)bis-diarylsulfonium diphosphate, or a combination thereof.

22 . The method of claim 21 , wherein the aryl sulfonium salt is aryl sulfonium chloride, diphenyl (4-phenylthio)phenylsulfonium chloride, (thiodi-4,1-phenylene)bis-diphenylsulfonium dichloride, or a combination thereof.

23 .- 25 . (canceled)

26 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the effective amount of the aryl sulfonium salt is administered by injecting an injection fluid at from about 1 to about 1000 ppm based on the total amount of injection fluid injected into the formation or production system.

27 .- 30 . (canceled)

31 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the aryl sulfonium salt is administered by injecting a solution containing the aryl sulfonium salt into the water injection system, the hydrocarbon extraction system, or the hydrocarbon production system intermittently with the injection fluid.

32 .- 37 . (canceled)

Assignees

• Ecolab Usa Inc

Inventors

• Geissler Brett
• Dhawan Ashish

Classifications

• C09K2208/20

  Hydrogen sulfide elimination · CPC title

• C09K2208/32

  Anticorrosion additives · CPC title

• C09K8/532

  Sulfur · CPC title

• C02F1/68

  by addition of specified substances, e.g. trace elements, for ameliorating potable water (medicinal water A61K) · CPC title

• C10G29/28 Primary

  containing sulfur as the only hetero atom, e.g. mercaptans, or sulfur and oxygen as the only hetero atoms · CPC title