Nanoparticle modified fluids and methods of manufacture thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9809740-B2
Application number	US-201514934732-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 6, 2015
Priority date	Oct 10, 2012
Publication date	Nov 7, 2017
Grant date	Nov 7, 2017

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a nanoparticle modified fluid that includes nanoparticles that are surface modified to increase a viscosity of the nanoparticle modified fluid and that have at least one dimension that is less than or equal to about 50 nanometers; nanoparticles that are surface modified to increase a viscosity of the nanoparticle modified fluid and that have at least one dimension that is less than or equal to about 70 nanometers; and a liquid carrier; wherein the nanoparticle modified fluid exhibits a viscosity above that of a comparative nanoparticle modified fluid that contains the same nanoparticles but whose surfaces are not modified, when both nanoparticle modified fluids are tested at the same shear rate and temperature.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of using a nanoparticle modified fluid comprising:
injecting into a subterranean hydrocarbon formation the nanoparticle modified fluid
comprising first nanoparticles that are surface modified to increase a viscosity of the nanoparticle modified fluid and that have at least one dimension that is less than 100 nanometers and second nanoparticles that are surface modified to increase a viscosity of the nanoparticle modified fluid and that have at least one dimension that is less than 100 nanometers; the first nanoparticles being different from the second nanoparticles; the sum of the weight of the first and second nanoparticles being about 0.1 to about 2 wt. %, based on the total weight of the nanoparticle modified fluid, and the nanoparticle modified fluid displaying a viscosity increase of about 2 to about 6 orders of magnitude when the shear rate is decreased from 1,000 seconds −1 to 0.1 second −1 ;
contacting the subterranean hydrocarbon formation with the nanoparticle modified fluid;
plugging a first zone of the formation by reducing flow rate of the nanoparticle modified fluid and increasing the viscosity of the nanoparticle modified fluid to a point of gelation;
channeling the nanoparticle modified fluid into a second zone of the formation; the second zone of the formation having a lower permeability than the first zone of the formation; and
injecting additional nanoparticle modified fluid into channels formed in the gelled nanoparticle modified fluid in the subterranean hydrocarbon formation,
wherein the first nanoparticles comprise carbonaceous nanoparticles, and the second nanoparticles comprise metal oxide nanoparticles, metal nanoparticles, polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane nanoparticles, clay nanoparticles, silica nanoparticles, boron nitride nanoparticles, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing nanoparticles.

2. The method of claim 1 , where at least one of the first and second nanoparticles has a surface area of about 120 to about 2,000 square meters per gram.

3. The method of claim 1 , where the carbonaceous nanoparticles comprise carbon nanotubes, graphite nanoparticles, graphene nanoparticles, fullerenes, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing carbonaceous nanoparticles.

4. The method of claim 1 , where at least one of the first and second nanoparticles comprises spherical or ellipsoidal nanoparticles, nanorods, nanotubes, nanowhiskers, nanoribbons, nanosheets, nanoplatelets, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing nanoparticles.

5. The method of claim 1 , where at least one of the first and second nanoparticles has an aspect ratio greater than 5.

6. The method of claim 1 , where the metal oxide nanoparticles comprise zinc oxide nanoribbons, tin dioxide nanoribbons, indium (III) oxide nanowires, cadmium oxide nanoribbons, gallium (III) oxide nanoribbons, tungsten oxide nanowires, titanium dioxide nanotubes, silicon dioxide spherical or ellipsoidal nanoparticles, aluminum oxide spherical or ellipsoidal nanoparticles, zirconium oxide spherical or ellipsoidal nanoparticles, titanium dioxide spherical or ellipsoidal nanoparticles, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing metal oxide nanoparticles.

7. The method of claim 1 , where at least one of the first and second nanoparticles is modified with functional groups that facilitate their dispersal in the liquid carrier and resist phase separation from the liquid carrier.

8. The method of claim 7 , where the functional groups comprise carboxyl groups, amine groups, amide groups, polymers, oligomers, ionic groups or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing functional groups.

9. The method of claim 1 , where at least one of the first and second nanoparticles is modified with groups that are compatible with water.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nanoparticle modified fluid further comprises a liquid carrier comprising water.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the liquid carrier further comprises a mutual solvent, the mutual solvent comprising:
a substituted and unsubstituted glycol of the formula R 1 O(CH 2 CHR 2 O) n R 3 , wherein R 1 , R 2 , and R 3 are independently hydrogen, alkyl group, aryl group, and acetyl group, and n is about 1 to about 10;
an amide of the formula R 4 CONR 5 R 6 , wherein R 4 , R 5 , and R 6 are independently a C1-C5 alkyl group or C1-C5 alkenyl group, and any two of R 4 -R 6 can cyclize together to form a cycle;
an alcohol; or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing.

Assignees

• Chakraborty Soma
• Johnson Michael H
• Baker Hughes A Ge Co Llc

Inventors

• Chakraborty Soma
• Johnson Michael H

Classifications

• C09K8/92

  characterised by their form or by the form of their components, e.g. encapsulated material (C09K8/70 takes precedence) · CPC title

• C09K8/665

  containing inorganic compounds (proppants C09K8/80) · CPC title

• C09K8/032

  Inorganic additives · CPC title

• C09K8/70

  characterised by their form or by the form of their components, e.g. foams · CPC title

• C09K2208/10

  Nanoparticle-containing well treatment fluids · CPC title