Polymer compositions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9909053-B2
Application number	US-201514927069-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 29, 2015
Priority date	Oct 31, 2014
Publication date	Mar 6, 2018
Grant date	Mar 6, 2018

Abstract

Embodiments of a polymer composition are disclosed for use in enhancing the production of oil from a formation. In one embodiment, the composition includes a powder polymer having an average molecular weight of 0.5 to 30 Million Daltons suspended in a water soluble solvent having an HLB of greater than or equal to 8 and selected from the group of surfactants, glycol ethers, alcohols, co-solvents, and mixtures thereof, at a weight ratio of powder polymer to water soluble solvent ranging from 20:80 to 80:20. The polymer composition is substantially anhydrous. The polymer composition is hydrated in an aqueous fluid for an injection solution in less than or equal to 4 hours containing a polymer concentration ranging from 100 ppm to 50,000 ppm and having a filter ratio of less than or equal to 1.5 at 15 psi using a 1.2 μm filter.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A polymer composition for use in enhancing the production of oil from a formation, the composition comprising:
a powder polymer having an average molecular weight of 0.5 to 30 Million Daltons suspended in a water soluble solvent at a weight ratio of powder polymer to water soluble solvent ranging from 20:80 to 80:20, wherein the water soluble solvent has a HLB of greater than or equal to 8 and comprises a mixture of non-ionic and anionic surfactants; and
wherein the polymer composition contains less than or equal to 3 wt. % water;
wherein the polymer composition is hydrated in an aqueous fluid for an injection solution in less than or equal to 4 hours containing a polymer concentration ranging from 100 ppm to 50,000 ppm and having a filter ratio of less than or equal to 1.5 at 15 psi using a 1.2 μm filter.

2. The polymer composition of claim 1 , wherein the polymer composition is hydrated in an aqueous fluid for an injection solution in less than or equal to 2 hours.

3. The polymer composition of claim 2 , wherein the polymer composition is hydrated in an aqueous fluid for an injection solution in less than or equal to 1 hour.

4. The polymer composition of claim 1 , wherein the polymer composition is hydrated in an aqueous fluid for an injection solution in less than or equal to 2 hours and having a filter ratio of less than or equal to 1.2 at 15 psi using a 1.2 μm filter.

5. The polymer composition of claim 4 , wherein the polymer composition is hydrated in an aqueous fluid for an injection solution in less than or equal to ½ hour and having a filter ratio of less than or equal to 1.05 at 15 psi using a 1.2 μm filter.

6. The polymer composition of claim 1 , wherein the polymer composition is hydrated in an aqueous fluid for an injection solution in less than or equal to 4 hours, and having a turbidity of less than or equal to 20 NTU.

7. The polymer composition of claim 6 , wherein the polymer composition is hydrated in an aqueous fluid in less than or equal to 1 hour for an injection solution having a turbidity of less than or equal to 15 NTU.

8. The polymer composition of claim 7 , wherein the polymer composition is hydrated in an aqueous fluid in less than or equal to 1 hour for an injection solution having a turbidity of less than or equal to 10 NTU.

9. The polymer composition of claim 1 , wherein the polymer composition is stable.

10. The polymer composition of claim 1 , where the polymer composition is characterized has having a turbidity decrease of at least 25% after the powder polymer is suspended in the water soluble solvent for a period of at least 2 hours.

11. The polymer composition of claim 10 , where the polymer composition is characterized has having a turbidity decrease of at least 50% after the powder polymer is suspended in the water soluble solvent for a period of at least 2 hours.

12. The polymer composition of claim 11 , where the polymer composition is characterized has having a turbidity decrease of at least 75% after the powder polymer is suspended in the water soluble solvent for a period of at least 2 hours.

13. The polymer composition of claim 1 , wherein the polymer composition is hydrated in an aqueous fluid by mixing a sufficient concentration of the polymer suspension in an aqueous fluid in a mixing tank or an in-line mixer in less than or equal to 4 hours for an injection solution containing a polymer concentration ranging from 100 ppm to 50,000 ppm.

14. The polymer composition of claim 13 , wherein the polymer composition is hydrated in an aqueous fluid by mixing a sufficient concentration of the polymer suspension in an aqueous fluid in a mixing tank or an in-line mixer in less than or equal to 2 hours for an injection solution containing a polymer concentration ranging from 100 ppm to 50,000 ppm.

15. The polymer composition of claim 14 , wherein the polymer composition is hydrated in an aqueous fluid by mixing a sufficient concentration of the polymer suspension in an aqueous fluid in a mixing tank or an in-line mixer in less than or equal to 1 hour for an injection solution containing a polymer concentration ranging from 100 ppm to 50,000 ppm.

16. The polymer composition of claim 1 , wherein the polymer composition is pumpable.

17. The polymer composition of claim 16 , wherein the polymer composition remains pumpable after the powder polymer is suspended in the water soluble solvent for more than or equal to 24 hours.

18. The polymer composition of claim 1 , wherein the powder polymer is a biopolymer that is a polysaccharide.

19. The polymer composition of claim 1 , wherein the powder polymer is a biopolymer or a synthetic polymer.

20. The polymer composition of claim 1 , wherein the powder polymer is a synthetic polymer selected from the group of polyacrylamides, partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamides, hydrophobically-modified associative polymers, copolymers of polyacrylamide and one or both of 2-acrylamido 2-methylpropane sulfonic acid and salts thereof and N-vinyl pyrrolidone, single-, co-, or ter-polymers of N-vinyl pyrrolidones, polyacrylic acid, polyvinyl alcohol, and mixtures thereof.

21. The polymer composition of claim 1 , wherein the anionic surfactant is present in an amount of less than or equal to 5 wt. % as a stabilizer.

22. The polymer composition of claim 1 , wherein the water soluble solvent further comprises isopropyl alcohol (IPA), n-propyl alcohol, isobutyl alcohol (IBA), methyl-isobutyl alcohol, secondary butyl alcohol (SBA), ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, diethylene glycol monobutyl ether, triethylene glycol monobutyl ether, and mixtures thereof.

23. The polymer composition of claim 1 , wherein the water soluble solvent is selected from ethoxylated surfactants, nonylphenol ethoxylates, alcohol ethoxylates, internal olefin sulfonates, isomerized olefin sulfonates, alkyl aryl sulfonates, medium alcohol (C10 to C17) alkoxy sulfates, alcohol ether [alkoxy]carboxylates, alcohol ether [alkoxy]sulfates, alkyl sulfonate, a-olefin sulfonates (AOS), dihexyl sulfosuccinates, alkylpolyalkoxy sulfates, sulfonated amphoteric surfactants, and mixtures thereof.

24. The polymer composition of claim 1 , wherein the water soluble solvent further comprises a co-solvent, wherein the co-solvent is selected from the group of an ionic surfactant, non-ionic surfactant, anionic surfactant, cationic surfactant, nonionic surfactant, amphoteric surfactant, ketones, esters, ethers, glycol ethers, glycol ether esters, lactams, cyclic ureas, alcohols, aromatic hydrocarbons, aliphatic hydrocarbons, alicyclic hydrocarbons, nitroalkanes, unsaturated hydrocarbons, halocarbons, alkyl aryl sulfonates (AAS), a-olefin sulfonates (AOS), internal olefin sulfonates (IOS), alcohol ether sulfates derived from propoxylated Ci 2 -C 2 o alcohols, ethoxylated alcohols, mixtures of an alcohol and an ethoxylated alcohol, mixtures of anionic and cationic surfactants, disulfonated surfactants, aromatic ether polysulfonates, isomerized olefin sulfonates, alkyl aryl sulfonates, medium alcohol (C10 to C17) alkoxy sulfates, alcohol ether [alkoxy]carboxylates, alcohol ether [alkoxy]sulfates, primary amines, secondary amines, tertiary amines, quaternary ammonium cations, cationic surfactants that are linked to a terminal sulfonate or carboxylate group, alkyl aryl alkoxy alcohols, alkyl alkoxy alcohols, alkyl alkoxylated esters, alkyl polyglycosides, alkoxy ethoxyethanol compounds, isobutoxy ethoxyethanol (“iBDGE”), n-pentoxy

Assignees

• Chevron Usa Inc

Inventors

• Dwarakanath Varadarajan
• Dean Robert M
• Kim Do Hoon
• Alexis Dennis Arun
• Thach Sophany
• Malik Taimur
• Poulsen Anette
• Subrahmanyan Sumitra

Classifications

• E21B43/26

  by forming crevices or fractures · CPC title

• C09K8/68

  containing organic compounds · CPC title

• C09K8/588 Primary

  characterised by the use of specific polymers {(polymeric surfactants C09K8/584)} · CPC title

• C09K8/88

  macromolecular compounds · CPC title

• E21B43/16

  Enhanced recovery methods for obtaining hydrocarbons · CPC title