Nanoparticle kinetic gas hydrate inhibitors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9644426-B2
Application number	US-201414514841-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 15, 2014
Priority date	Jan 5, 2012
Publication date	May 9, 2017
Grant date	May 9, 2017

Abstract

Inhibiting gas hydrate formation while transporting hydrocarbon fluids may include providing a kinetic gas hydrate inhibitor, adding the kinetic gas hydrate inhibitor to a fluid capable of producing gas hydrates, and transporting the fluid that comprises the kinetic gas hydrate inhibitor. Generally a kinetic gas hydrate inhibitor may include a heterocyclic compound comprising nitrogen, e.g., poly(vinyl pyrrolidone).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of drilling, the method comprising:
providing a drilling fluid comprising a base fluid and a kinetic gas hydrate inhibitor, the kinetic gas hydrate inhibitor comprising a rubber latex and a heterocyclic compound comprising nitrogen;
drilling a wellbore using the drilling fluid, the wellbore penetrating at least one zone of a subterranean formation that is at about 5° C. or less; and
allowing the kinetic gas hydrate inhibitor to inhibit gas hydrate formation in at least a portion of the wellbore.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the kinetic gas hydrate inhibitor further comprises emulsion-polymerized copolymers of 1,3-butadiene and styrene.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the heterocyclic compound comprising nitrogen is poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) in the form of nanoparticles having an average particle size less than about 1000 nm.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the heterocyclic compound comprising nitrogen is poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) in the form of nanoparticles having an average particle size less than about 400 nm.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the heterocyclic compound comprising nitrogen is crosslinked poly(vinyl pyrrolidone).

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the kinetic gas hydrate inhibitor is at about 0.0025% to about 5% by volume of the treatment fluid.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one zone of the subterranean formation is about −10° C. or less.

8. A method of drilling, the method comprising:
providing a drilling fluid comprising a base fluid and a kinetic gas hydrate inhibitor, the kinetic gas hydrate inhibitor comprising (1) a heterocyclic compound comprising nitrogen and (2) emulsion-polymerized copolymers of 1,3-butadiene and styrene;
drilling a wellbore using the drilling fluid, the wellbore penetrating at least one zone of a subterranean formation that is at about 5° C. or less; and
allowing the kinetic gas hydrate inhibitor to inhibit gas hydrate formation in at least a portion of the wellbore.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein at least a portion of the heterocyclic compound comprising nitrogen is poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) in the form of nanoparticles having an average particle size less than about 1000 nm.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein at least a portion of the heterocyclic compound comprising nitrogen is poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) in the form of nanoparticles having an average particle size less than about 400 nm.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein at least a portion of the heterocyclic compound comprising nitrogen is crosslinked poly(vinyl pyrrolidone).

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the kinetic gas hydrate inhibitor is at about 0.0025% to about 5% by volume of the treatment fluid.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the at least one zone of the subterranean formation is about −10° C. or less.

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Morrison Alexandra Clare

Classifications

• C10L2250/06

  Particle, bubble or droplet size · CPC title

• C09K2208/10

  Nanoparticle-containing well treatment fluids · CPC title

• C10L2250/04

  Additive or component is a polymer · CPC title

• C09K8/52 Primary

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

• C10L1/1658

  from compounds containing conjugated dienes · CPC title