Method of inhibiting scale in a geological formation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9890623-B2
Application number	US-201314406404-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 6, 2013
Priority date	Jun 7, 2012
Publication date	Feb 13, 2018
Grant date	Feb 13, 2018

Abstract

A method of inhibiting scale in a geological formation comprising depositing a binder on the formation surface, delivering a nano-material to the surface where it chemically interacts with the binder, emplacing a scale inhibitor on the formation that is absorbed by the nano-material, where a sustained release of the scale inhibitor into the geological formation results.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of inhibiting scale in a geological formation comprising:
(a) depositing an organosilane on a surface of the geological formation;
(b) delivering a nano-material comprising carboxy-functionalised multi-wall carbon nanotubes or fullerene to the surface of the geological formation whereby to cause adherence by a chemical interaction between the nano-material and the organosilane, wherein the nano-material provides one or more adsorption sites for a polycarboxylic acid-based scale inhibitor;
(c) emplacing a quantity of the polycarboxylic acid-based scale inhibitor in the geological formation so that an amount of the polycarboxylic acid-based scale inhibitor is adsorbed by the nano-material; and
(d) inhibiting scale in the geological formation by sustained release of the amount of the polycarboxylic acid-based scale inhibitor from the nano-material into the geological formation.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the nano-material comprises carbon nanotubes having a linear dimension in the range from 0.5 nm to 2000 nm.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the nano-material comprises carbon nanotubes including one or more defects.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the organosilane chemically bonds to the geological formation when it is deposited on the surface of the geological formation.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the organosilane is a binder.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the organosilane has an amino group.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the chemical interaction between the nano-material and the organosilane is a chemical bond.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the chemical bond between the nano-material and the organosilane includes an amide bond.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the polycarboxylic acid-based scale inhibitor is polyphosphinocarboxylic acid or diethylenetriamine-penta-methylene phosphonic acid.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein step (c) comprises the sub-steps:
(c)(i) pumping the quantity of the polycarboxylic acid-based scale inhibitor into the geological formation via a well;
(c)(ii) shutting in the well until the amount of the scale inhibitor is adsorbed by the nano-material; and
(c)(iii) re-opening the well.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
(e) emplacing a further quantity of the polycarboxylic acid-based scale inhibitor in the geological formation so that a further amount of the polycarboxylic acid-based scale inhibitor is adsorbed by the nano-material.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11 , further comprising:
(f) inhibiting scale in the geological formation by sustained release of the further amount of the polycarboxylic acid-based scale inhibitor from the nano-material into the geological formation.

13. A kit of parts for performing the method as claimed in claim 1 , the kit of parts comprising:
an organosilane;
a nano-material comprising carboxy-functionalised multi-wall carbon nanotubes or fullerene capable of adhering to the organosilane by a chemical interaction between the nano-material and the organosilane wherein the nano-material provides one or more adsorption sites; and
a polycarboxylic acid-based scale inhibitor capable of adsorbing to the adsorption sites on the nano-material.

14. A kit of parts as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the nano-material is carbon nanotubes.

15. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the carbon nanotubes comprise nano-particles which have a linear dimension in the range from 0.5 nm to 2000 nm.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the nano-particles include one or more defects.

17. A method of inhibiting scale in a geological formation as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the nano-material is carbon nanotubes.

Assignees

• Univ Leeds Innovations Ltd

Inventors

• Ghorbani Nasser
• Fleming Niall
• Wilson Mark
• Kapur Nikil
• Neville Anne

Classifications

• E21B43/16 Primary

  Enhanced recovery methods for obtaining hydrocarbons · CPC title

• F24F2011/0061

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic

• Y02P20/124

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• F24F2011/0041

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic

• C09K2208/10

  Nanoparticle-containing well treatment fluids · CPC title