Ampholyte polymeric compounds in subterranean applications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9695350-B2
Application number	US-201313929871-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 28, 2013
Priority date	May 31, 2013
Publication date	Jul 4, 2017
Grant date	Jul 4, 2017

Abstract

Ampholyte polymeric compounds that comprise at least one nonionic monomer, at least one sulfonic acid-containing monomer, and at least one cationic monomer may be useful as friction reducing agents in treatment fluids for use in subterranean operations at a concentration of about 0.001 v/v % to about 0.5 v/v % of the treatment fluid. Such operations may involve introducing the treatment fluid into a wellbore penetrating a subterranean formation optionally at a rate and/or a pressure sufficient to create or extend at least one fracture in the subterranean formation.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
providing a treatment fluid comprising a base fluid and an ampholyte polymeric compound, the ampholyte polymeric compound comprising:
about 30-50% by weight of at least one nonionic monomer, wherein the at least one nonionic monomer is acrylamide;
about 5-15% by weight of at least one sulfonic acid-containing monomer, wherein the at least one sulfonic acid-containing monomer is 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid or a salt thereof; and
about 40-60% by weight of at least one cationic monomer, wherein the at least one cationic monomer is acryloyloxy ethyl trimethyl ammonium chloride, methacrylamidopropyltrimethyl ammonium chloride, or a combination thereof;
wherein the ampholyte polymeric compound is present at a friction reducing concentration of about 0.001 v/v % to about 0.5 v/v % of the treatment fluid; and
wherein the treatment fluid comprises 100,000 to 250,000 ppm of total dissolved solids; and

reducing friction between the fluid and the wellbore using the treatment fluid in a wellbore penetrating a subterranean formation;
wherein the treatment fluid has less than about a 10% variation in friction reduction in a salinity range from about 100,000 to about 250,000 ppm of total dissolved solids.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one nonionic monomer is about 35% to about 45% by weight of the ampholyte polymeric compound.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one sulfonic acid-containing monomer is about 8% to about 12% by weight of the ampholyte polymeric compound.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one cationic monomer is about 45% to about 55% by weight of the ampholyte polymeric compound.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
partially hydrolyzing the ampholyte polymeric compound.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the treatment fluid further comprises a plurality of particulates.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the treatment fluid has a viscosity of about 0.7 cP to about 10 cP; wherein introducing the treatment fluid is at a rate and a pressure that is at or near the fracture extension pressure of the subterranean formation so as to create or extend at least one fracture in the subterranean formation; and wherein the method further comprises forming a particulate pack comprising the particulates in the fracture.

8. A method comprising:
reducing friction between the fluid and the wellbore while fracturing by introducing a treatment fluid into a wellbore penetrating a subterranean formation at a pressure sufficient to create or extend at least one fracture in the subterranean formation;
wherein the treatment fluid comprises a base fluid, an ampholyte polymeric compound, and a gelling agent;
wherein the ampholyte polymeric compound consists of:
about 30-50% by weight of at least one nonionic monomer, wherein the at least one nonionic monomer is acrylamide;
about 5-15% by weight of at least one sulfonic acid-containing monomer, wherein the at least one sulfonic acid-containing monomer is 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid or a salt thereof; and
about 40-60% by weight of at least one cationic monomer, wherein the at least one cationic monomer is acryloyloxy ethyl trimethyl ammonium chloride, methacrylamidopropyltrimethyl ammonium chloride, or a combination thereof;
wherein the ampholyte polymeric compound is present at a friction reducing concentration of about 0.001 v/v % to about 0.5 v/v % of the treatment fluid;

wherein the treatment fluid comprises 100,000 to 250,000 ppm of total dissolved solids; and
wherein the treatment fluid has less than about a 10% variation in friction reduction in a salinity range from about 100,000 to about 250,000 ppm of total dissolved solids.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:
providing a second treatment fluid that comprises a second base fluid, a second ampholyte polymeric compound at a friction reducing concentration, a gas, a foaming agent, and a plurality of particulates, and
placing the second treatment fluid into the at least one fracture to form a particulate pack in the fracture.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the second base fluid is the base fluid and the second ampholyte polymeric compound is the ampholyte polymeric compound.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the at least one nonionic monomer is about 35% to about 45% by weight of the ampholyte polymeric compound.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the at least one sulfonic acid-containing monomer is about 8% to about 12% by weight of the ampholyte polymeric compound.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the at least one cationic monomer is about 45% to about 55% by weight of the ampholyte polymeric compound.

14. A method comprising:
providing a treatment fluid having a viscosity between about 0.7 cP and about 10 cP and comprising:
a base fluid having from 100,000 to 250,000 ppm of total dissolved solids, and
an ampholyte polymeric compound present at a friction reducing concentration of about 0.001 v/v % to about 0.5 v/v % of the treatment fluid, the ampholyte polymeric compound consisting of:
acrylamide monomer that is about 30% to about 50% by weight of the ampholyte polymeric compound,
2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid monomer or a salt thereof that is about 5% to about 15% by weight of the ampholyte polymeric compound, and
acryloyloxy ethyl trimethyl ammonium chloride monomer that is about 40% to about 60% by weight of the ampholyte polymeric compound; and

introducing the treatment fluid into a wellbore penetrating a subterranean formation at a rate sufficient to create or extend a fracture within the subterranean formation, and
wherein the regain permeability after the treatment fluid has been in the subterranean formation is 50% or greater; and
wherein the treatment fluid has less than about a 10% variation in friction reduction in a salinity range from about 100,000 to about 250,000 ppm of total dissolved solids.

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Chung Hsinchen
• Hu Yuntao Thomas
• Ye Xiangnan
• Tonmukayakul Narongsak
• Mccabe Michael A
• Frederick Kevin Walter
• Chen Shih-Ruey Tom
• Loeffler Randy Jack

Classifications

• E21B43/27

  by use of eroding chemicals, e.g. acids · CPC title

• E21B43/26

  by forming crevices or fractures · CPC title

• C09K8/68 Primary

  containing organic compounds · CPC title

• C09K8/12 Primary

  containing synthetic organic macromolecular compounds or their precursors · CPC title

• C09K8/467

  containing additives for specific purposes · CPC title