Multiple hydrophilic head hydrate inhibitors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9902893-B2
Application number	US-201715706903-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 18, 2017
Priority date	May 5, 2014
Publication date	Feb 27, 2018
Grant date	Feb 27, 2018

Abstract

Compounds comprising multiple hydrophilic heads and a lipophilic tail may be employed into fluids to inhibit agglomeration of hydrates, among other things. Suitable hydrophilic heads may include secondary, tertiary, and/or quaternary ammonium cation moieties, phosphonium cation moieties, and combinations thereof. Such LDHI compounds may provide enhanced interactivity with hydrate crystals and/or hydrate-forming molecules. These compounds may be employed in fluids in various environments, such as a conduit penetrating a subterranean formation, or a conduit carrying fluid in an industrial setting.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A composition comprising a compound having the structural formula:

wherein each of R 1 , R 2 , and R 3 is independently selected from the group consisting of: hydrogen and a C 2 to C 8 hydrocarbon chain;
wherein each of X and X′ is an anion selected from the group consisting of halide, carboxylate, sulfate, organic sulfonate, hydroxide, and combinations thereof; and
wherein R comprises a hydrocarbon chain that comprises more carbon atoms than each one of R 1 , R 2 , and R 3 .

2. The composition of claim 1 wherein each of R 1 , R 2 , and R 3 is linear C 3 H 7 and R is a C 12 to C 16 hydrocarbon chain.

3. The composition of claim 1 , further comprising a solvent selected from the group consisting of: toluene, xylene, methanol, isopropyl alcohol, glycol, and combinations thereof.

4. The composition of claim 1 , wherein each of R 1 , R 2 , and R 3 is linear C 4 H 9 and R is a C 12 to C 16 hydrocarbon chain.

5. The composition of claim 1 , wherein R 1 is hydrogen, each of R 2 and R 3 is linear C 3 H 7 , and R is a C 12 to C 16 hydrocarbon chain.

6. The composition of claim 1 , wherein R is unsubstituted.

7. The composition of claim 1 , further comprising an acid selected from the group consisting of: acrylic acid, acetic acid, hydrochloric acid, citric acid, and combinations thereof.

8. A fluid comprising:
(i) water,
(ii) one of gas, liquid hydrocarbon, and combinations thereof, and
(iii) a hydrate inhibitor additive comprising a compound having the structural formula:

wherein each of R 1 , R 2 , and R 3 is independently selected from the group consisting of: hydrogen and a C 2 to C 8 hydrocarbon chain;
wherein each of X and X′ is an anion selected from the group consisting of halide, carboxylate, sulfate, organic sulfonate, hydroxide, and combinations thereof; and
wherein R comprises a hydrocarbon chain that comprises more carbon atoms than each one of R 1 , R 2 , and R 3 .

9. The fluid of claim 8 , wherein each of R 1 , R 2 , and R 3 is linear C 3 H 7 and R is a C 12 to C 16 hydrocarbon chain.

10. The fluid of claim 8 , wherein R is unsubstituted.

11. The fluid of claim 8 , wherein each of R 1 , R 2 , and R 3 is linear C 4 H 9 and R is a C 12 to C 16 hydrocarbon chain.

12. The fluid of claim 8 , wherein R 1 is hydrogen, each of R 2 and R 3 is linear C 3 H 7 , and R is a C 12 to C 16 hydrocarbon chain.

13. The fluid of claim 8 , wherein the fluid has a water cut of 50% or more.

14. The fluid of claim 8 , wherein the fluid has a water cut of between about 30% and about 60%.

15. The fluid of claim 8 , further comprising a solvent selected from the group consisting of: toluene, xylene, methanol, isopropyl alcohol, glycol, and combinations thereof.

16. The fluid of claim 8 , further comprising an acid selected from the group consisting of: acrylic acid, acetic acid, hydrochloric acid, citric acid, and combinations thereof.

17. The fluid of claim 8 , wherein the compound is present in the fluid in an amount equal to about 0.1 to about 3.0% volume based on the water cut of the fluid.

Assignees

• Multi Chem Group Llc

Inventors

• Qu Liangwei
• Sun Yangqiu
• Zhao Funian
• Conkle Curtis
• Acosta Erick J

Classifications

• C09K8/52 Primary

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

• C09K8/524 Primary

  organic depositions, e.g. paraffins or asphaltenes · CPC title

• C10L3/107

  Limiting or prohibiting hydrate formation · CPC title

• C09K2208/22

  Hydrates inhibition by using well treatment fluids containing inhibitors of hydrate formers · CPC title