Methods of controlling water production from hydrocarbon bearing subterranean formations using dense carbon dioxide compositions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022154563-A1
Application number	US-202017097553-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 13, 2020
Priority date	Nov 13, 2020
Publication date	May 19, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method for reducing water production from a hydrocarbon bearing subterranean formation includes identifying a high permeability zone in the formation and injecting a dense CO2 composition from a production well into the high permeability zone. The dense CO2 composition includes dense CO2 and a thickener soluble in the dense CO2. The thickener includes a copolymer that is the polymerized reaction product of monomers that include at least one alkenyl ether or dialkenyl ether monomer, at least one acrylate or methacrylate monomer, at least one structural monomer, and at least one allyl ester monomer. After injecting the dense CO2 composition into the high permeability zone, the method includes withdrawing hydrocarbons from the hydrocarbon bearing subterranean formation through the production well. The dense CO2 composition blocks pores in the high permeability zone to reduce or prevent flow of water from the high permeability zone into the production well.

First claim

1 . A method for reducing water production from a hydrocarbon bearing subterranean formation, the method comprising:
identifying a high permeability zone in the hydrocarbon bearing subterranean formation; injecting a dense carbon dioxide composition from a production well into the high permeability zone, wherein the dense carbon dioxide composition comprises dense carbon dioxide and a thickener soluble in the dense carbon dioxide, the thickener comprises a copolymer, the copolymer being the polymerized reaction product of monomers that include:
at least one alkenyl ether or dialkenyl ether monomer;
at least one acrylate or methacrylate monomer;
at least one structural monomer; and
at least one allyl ester monomer; and
after injecting the dense carbon dioxide composition into the high permeability zone, withdrawing hydrocarbons from the hydrocarbon bearing subterranean formation through the production well, wherein the dense carbon dioxide composition blocks pores in the high permeability zone to reduce or prevent flow of water from the high permeability zone into the production well.

2 . The method of claim 1 , where the dense carbon dioxide is supercritical carbon dioxide.

3 . The method of claim 1 , where the dense carbon dioxide composition comprises from 0.05 weight percent to 3.0 weight percent thickener based on the total weight of the dense carbon dioxide composition.

4 . The method of claim 1 , where the thickener further comprises at least one co-solvent that includes one or more of propylene carbonate, allyl ethyl carbonate, dimethyl carbonate, white oil, silicon oil, petroleum ether, or combinations of these.

5 . The method of claim 1 , where the copolymer of the thickener comprises an average molecular weight of from 500,000 grams per mole to 800,000 grams per mole.

6 . The method of claim 1 , where the thickener has a pH of from 5.0 to 8.0.

7 . The method of claim 1 , where the thickener has a specific gravity of from 0.90 to 1.10.

8 . The method of claim 1 , where 1 percent by weight of the thickener dissolves in supercritical carbon dioxide in less than or equal to 3 minutes at 25 degrees Celsius.

9 . The method of claim 1 , where the thickener increases the viscosity of the dense carbon dioxide by at least 100 times the viscosity of the dense carbon dioxide without the thickener.

10 . The method of claim 1 , where the dense carbon dioxide composition has a viscosity of from 50 millipascal seconds to 150 millipascal seconds.

11 . The method of claim 1 , where the dense carbon dioxide composition reduces the permeability of carbonate rock by greater than or equal to 50%.

12 . The method of claim 1 , where the dense carbon dioxide composition is injected at a pressure of from 900 pounds per square inch to 3,000 pounds per square inch.

13 . The method of claim 1 , where the dense carbon dioxide composition is injected at a temperature of from 20° C. to 150° C.

14 . The method of claim 1 , where injecting the dense carbon dioxide composition comprises isolating a portion of the production well in fluid communication with the high permeability zone from other portions of the production well before injecting the dense carbon dioxide composition into the high permeability zone.

15 . The method of claim 14 , where isolating the portion of the production well in fluid communication with the high permeability zone from other portions of the production well comprises installing one or more temporary plugs in the production well.

16 . The method of claim 15 , where the one or more temporary plugs are disposed in the production well downhole of the high permeability zone or both uphole and downhole of the high permeability zone.

17 . The method of claim 15 , where the one or more temporary plugs comprise gel plugs.

18 . The method of claim 14 , where, after injecting the dense carbon dioxide composition, removing isolation of the portion of the production well in fluid communication with the high permeability zone.

19 . The method of claim 1 , comprising resuming production of hydrocarbons from the production well.

20 . The method of claim 1 , comprising injecting an aqueous treatment fluid from an injection into the hydrocarbon bearing subterranean formation, wherein:
the injection well is spaced apart from the production well; and the injecting of the aqueous treatment fluid drives hydrocarbons in the hydrocarbon bearing subterranean formation to the production well.

Assignees

• Saudi Arabian Oil Co

Inventors

• Alyousif Zuhair
• Almajid Muhammad Majid

Classifications

• E21B43/20

  Displacing by water · CPC title

• E21B33/138

  Plastering the borehole wall; Injecting into the formation · CPC title

• E21B43/164 Primary

  Injecting CO2 or carbonated water (in combination with organic material C09K8/594) · CPC title

• E21B33/12

  Packers; Plugs (used for cementing E21B33/134, E21B33/16) · CPC title

• E21B43/24

  using heat, e.g. steam injection · CPC title