Patent Grant
7575057
Micellar combinations of cationic or anionic polymers and oppositely charged surfactants are made preferably with C6-23 alcohols in proportions coordinated in aqueous media with the aid of Zeta Potential measurements. The resulting gels are useful in drilling and formation fracturing in hydrocarbon recovery, manifesting excellent proppant suspending properties in low concentrations of polymer and surfactant as compared to the prior art.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,169,441, Lauzon suggests the use of Zeta Potential for characterizing particulates such as pigments treated with cationic polymers. Lauzon's U.S. Pat. No. 5,846,308 describes the stabilization of a rosin dispersion for use as a sizing composition by treating it with a “cationic colloidal coacervate” which may include both a cationic polymer and an anionic surfactant; the finished sizing composition is to have a Zeta Potential of at least 20 millivolts. Poly(diallyldimethyl ammonium chloride), sometimes known as polyDADMAC, is the preferred cationic polymer. Also, Lauzon's U.S. Pat. No. 6,315,824 describes a similar coacervate stabilizing system used for hydrophobic non-rosin sizing agents, which may be liquid as well as solid. See also Lauzon's U.S. Pat. No. 4,507,210, which suggests a correlation of Zeta Potential to certain filtration properties in the treatment of shale and clay in hydrocarbon recovery; see also Engelmann et al in U.S. Pat. No. 5,196,401.
Other compositions comprising a cationic polymer and an anionic surfactant, often in high ratios of anionic surfactant to cationic polymer, may be found in Matz and LeMar U.S. Pat. No. 6,110,451, Verdicchio and Spilatro U.S. Pat. No. 4,948,576, and the shampoo and other personal care products described by Guskey et al in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,297,203 and 6,221,817, Sako et al in U.S. Pat. No. 6,284,230, (which also describes betaines) Hoshowski et al in U.S. Pat. No. 5,137,715, and Snyder et al in U.S. Pat. No. 6,248,317.
Combinations of cationic polymers, betaines, and anionic surfactants may be inferred from the numerous combinations of materials that are possibly viscoelastic within the disclosure of Baizer in U.S. Pat. No. 5,956,502, dealing with compositions for use on the hair and skin. See also the combination of cationic polymer with anionic surfactants for use as an automatic dishwashing detergent, in Tartakovsky et al U.S. Pat. No. 6,281,180.
In the field of hydrocarbon recovery from the earth, formation fracturing fluids proposed by Zhang in Canadian patent 2,257,699 combine anionic surfactants such as sodium xylene sulfonate and cationic surfactants such as N,N, N, trimethyl-1-octadecammonium chloride to make a gel said to be viscoelastic. Carbon dioxide is added to similar combinations in Zhang's Canadian patent 2,257,697 to generate a foam. Borchardt et al, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,409,110, describe formation flooding compositions which may comprise cationic polymers and anionic surfactants. Numerous combinations of surfactants and other compounds are proposed by Dahayanake et al in U.S. Pat. No. 6,258,859 (WO 98/56497; PCT/US/I2067). See also the compositions said to be viscoelastic and proposed for well treatment by Hughes et al in U.S. Pat. No. 6,232,274 and Jones et al in U.S. Pat. No. 6,194,356.
There remains a need for improved aqueous gels and methods of making them.
The entire specification, including description, claims, and drawings, of provisional application 60/339,630 filed Dec. 12, 2001 entitled “Cationic Polymeric Coacervates,” is hereby incorporated by reference. Our invention includes aqueous gels, gel-forming compositions, methods of making them, and their use in well treatment.
In its most basic form, our novel composition comprises (a) a cationic or anionic polymer and (b) a lesser amount of an oppositely charged surfactant, in a ratio to provide a Zeta Potential of 20 millivolts or higher, or −20 millivolts or lower, and (c) a small amount of a hydrophobic alcohol having 6 to 23 carbon atoms. The composition will preferably also include a small amount of a gel promoter comprising one or more of (d) an amphoteric surfactant and/or (e) an amine oxide surfactant, while maintaining the same limits of Zeta Potential. We may call our composition a polymer coacervate because the viscosifying properties of the polymer are controlled in coacervate form—that is, the long chain cationic or anionic polymer and the smaller amount of oppositely charged surfactant act in the presence of the hydrophobic alcohol to form a singular phase distinguished by a characteristic Zeta Potential. This singular phase, under the prescribed Zeta Potential, is capable of imparting a significantly increased viscosity compared to other solutions of the same polymer at the same concentration, including such concentrations in the presence of higher and lower amounts of the same other additives or components.
The surfactant which is oppositely charged from the polymer is sometimes called herein the “counterionic surfactant.” By this we mean a surfactant having a charge opposite that of the polymer.
Suitable cationic polymers include polyamines, quaternary derivatives of cellulose ethers, quaternary derivatives of guar, homopolymers and copolymers of at least 20 mole percent dimethyl diallyl ammonium chloride (DMDAAC), homopolymers and copolymers of methacrylamidopropyl trimethyl ammonium chloride (MAPTAC), homopolymers and copolymers of acrylamidopropyl trimethyl ammonium chloride (APTAC), homopolymers and copolymers of methacryloyloxyethyl trimethyl ammonium chloride (METAC), homopolymers and copolymers of acryloyloxyethyl trimethyl ammonium chloride (AETAC), homopolymers and copolymers of methacryloyloxyethyl trimethyl ammonium methyl sulfate (METAMS), and quaternary derivatives of starch.
Suitable anionic polymers include homopolymers and copolymers of acrylic acid (AA), homopolymers and copolymers of methacrylic acid (MAA), homopolymers and copolymers of 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid (AMPSA), homopolymers and copolymers of N-methacrylamidopropyl N,N-dimethyl amino acetic acid, N-acrylamidopropyl N,N-dimethyl amino acetic acid, N-methacryloyloxyethyl N,N-dimethyl amino acetic acid, and N-acryloyloxyethyl N,N-dimethyl amino acetic acid.
Anionic surfactants suitable for use with the cationic polymers include alkyl, aryl or alkyl aryl sulfates, alkyl, aryl or alkyl aryl carboxylates or alkyl, aryl or alkyl aryl sulfonates. Preferably, the alkyl moieties have about 1 to about 18 carbons, the aryl moieties have about 6 to about 12 carbons, and the alkyl aryl moieties have about 7 to about 30 carbons. Exemplary groups would be propyl, butyl, hexyl, decyl, dodecyl, phenyl, benzyl and linear or branched alkyl benzene derivatives of the carboxylates, sulfates and sulfonates. Included are alkyl ether sulphates, alkaryl sulphonates, alkyl succinates, alkyl sulphosuccinates, N-alkoyl sarcosinates, alkyl phosphates, alkyl ether phosphates, alkyl ether carboxylates, alpha-olefin sulphonates and acyl methyl taurates, especially their sodium, magnesium ammonium and mono-, di- and triethanolamine salts. The alkyl and acyl groups generally contain from 8 to 18 carbon atoms and may be unsaturated. The alkyl ether sulphates, alkyl ether phosphates and alkyl ether carboxylates may contain from one to 10 ethylene oxide or propylene oxide units per molecule, and preferably contain 2 to 3 ethylene oxide units per molecule. Examples of suitable anionic surfactants include sodium lauryl sulphate, sodium lauryl ether sulphate, ammonium lauryl sulphosuccinate, ammonium lauryl sulphate, ammonium lauryl ether sulphate, sodium dodecylbenzene sulphonate, triethanolamine dodecylbenzene sulphonate, sodium cocoyl isethionate, sodium lauroyl isethionate, and sodium N-lauryl sarcosinate.
Cationic surfactants suitable for use with the anionic polymers include quaternary ammonium surfactants of the formula X−N+R1R2R3 where R1, R2, and R3 are independently selected from hydrogen, an aliphatic group of from about 1 to about 22 carbon atoms, or aromatic, aryl, an alkoxy, polyoxyalkylene, alkylamido, hydroxyalkyl, or alkylaryl group having from about 1 to about 22 carbon atoms; and X is an anion selected from halogen, acetate, phosphate, nitrate, sulfate, alkylsulfate radicals (e.g., methyl sulfate and ethyl sulfate), tosylate, lactate, citrate, and glycolate. The aliphatic groups may contain, in addition to carbon and hydrogen atoms, ether linkages, and other groups such as hydroxy or amino group substituents (e.g., the alkyl groups can contain polyethylene glycol and polypropylene glycol moieties). The longer chain aliphatic groups, e.g., those of about 12 carbons, or higher, can be saturated or unsaturated. More preferably, R1 is an alkyl group having from about 12 to about 18 carbon atoms; R2 is selected from H or an alkyl group having from about 1 to about 18 carbon atoms; R3 and R4 are independently selected from H or an alkyl group having from about 1 to about 3 carbon atoms; and X is as described above.
Suitable hydrophobic alcohols having 6-23 carbon atoms are linear or branched alkyl alcohols of the general formula CMH2M+2N(OH)N, where M is a number from 6-23, and N is 1 when M is 6-12, but where M is 13-23, N may be a number from 1 to 3. Our most preferred hydrophobic alcohol is lauryl alcohol, but any linear monohydroxy alcohol having 8-15 carbon atoms is also preferable to an alcohol with more or fewer carbon atoms.
By a gel promoter we mean a betaine, a sultaine or hydroxysultaine, or an amine oxide. Examples of betaines include the higher alkyl betaines such as coco dimethyl carboxymethyl betaine, lauryl dimethyl carboxymethyl betaine, lauryl dimethyl alphacarboxyethyl betaine, cetyl dimethyl carboxymethyl betaine, cetyl dimethyl betaine, lauryl bis-(2-hydroxyethyl) carboxymethyl betaine, oleyl dimethyl gamma-carboxypropyl betaine, lauryl bis-(2-hydroxypropyl)alpha-carboxyethyl betaine, coco dimethyl sulfopropyl betaine, lauryl dimethyl sulfoethyl betaine, lauryl bis-(2-hydroxyethyl) sulfopropyl betaine, amidobetaines and amidosulfobetaines (wherein the RCONH(CH2)3 radical is attached to the nitrogen atom of the betaine, oleyl betaine, and cocamidopropyl betaine. Examples of sultaines and hydroxysultaines include materials such as cocamidopropyl hydroxysultaine.
By a Zeta potential having an absolute value of at least 20 we mean a Zeta potential having a value of +20 of higher or −20 or lower.
Amphoteric surfactants suitable for use with either cationic polymers or anionic polymers include those surfactants broadly described as derivatives of aliphatic secondary and tertiary amines in which the aliphatic radical can be straight or branched chain and wherein one of the aliphatic substituents contains from about 8 to about 18 carbon atoms and one contains an anionic water solubilizing group such as carboxy, sulfonate, sulfate, phosphate, or phosphonate. Suitable amphoteric surfactants include derivatives of aliphatic secondary and tertiary amines in which the aliphatic radical can be straight or branched chain and wherein one of the aliphatic substituents contains from about 8 to about 18 carbon atoms and one contains an anionic water solubilizing group, e.g., carboxy, sulfonate, sulfate, phosphate, or phosphonate. Examples of compounds failing within this definition are sodium 3-dodecylaminopropionate, and sodium 3-dodecylaminopropane sulfonate.
Suitable amine oxides include cocoamidopropyl dimethyl amine oxide and other compounds of the formula R1R2R3N→O wherein R3 is a hydrocarbyl or substituted hydrocarbyl having from about 8 to about 30 carbon atoms, and R1 and R2 are independently hydrogen, a hydrocarbyl or substituted hydrocarbyl having up to 30 carbon atoms. Preferably, R3 is an aliphatic or substituted aliphatic hydrocarbyl having at least about 12 and up to about 24 carbon atoms. More preferably R3 is an aliphatic group having at least about 12 carbon atoms and having up to about 22, and most preferably an aliphatic group having at least about 18 and no more than about 22 carbon atoms.
More particularly, our preferred compositions include aqueous gels comprising water and, by weight based on the water, (a) 0.1% to 5% by weight cationic polymer and (b) 0.01% to 2% by weight of an anionic surfactant, preferably a linear alkyl sulfate having from 8 to 22 carbon atoms, (c) 0.001% to 5%, more preferably 0.001% to 2%, and most preferably 0.001% to 0.5% by weight of a hydrophobic alcohol having from 6 to 23 carbon atoms, and an effective amount of a gel promoter, preferably within those classes of compounds (amphoteric surfactants and amine oxides) described above, the gel having a Zeta Potential absolute value of at least 20 millivolts and, preferably, a viscosity of at least 100 cps as measured by a Brookfield Viscometer. Our invention also includes a method of making a cationic polymer coacervate comprising forming a solution comprising at least 0.1% of a cationic polymer, adding to the solution at least one anionic surfactant in an amount by weight (a) less than the cationic polymer and (b) effective to obtain an absolute Zeta potential value of at least 20 millivolts and a viscosity of at least 100 cps as measured by a Brookfield viscometer [Brookfield DVII; LV spindle set #4 @500 rpm]; our invention also includes such a gel. The process includes the addition of 0.001% to 5% or more of a hydrophobic alcohol having 6-23 carbon atoms; that is, preferably, a linear or branched alkyl alcohol of the general formula CMH2M+2N(OH)N, where M is a number from 6-23, and N is 1 when M is 6-12, but where M is 13-23, N may be a number from 1 to 3. Our most preferred hydrophobic alcohol is lauryl alcohol, but any linear monohydroxy alcohol having 8-15 carbon atoms is also preferable to an alcohol with more or fewer carbon atoms.
Where an anionic polymer is used, our compositions include aqueous gels comprising water and, by weight based on the water, (a) 0.1% to 5% anionic polymer and (b) 0.1% to 2% of a cationic surfactant, preferably a quaternary ammonium compound having from 8 to 22 carbon atoms, the gel having a Zeta Potential absolute value of at least 20 millivolts and, preferably, a viscosity of at least 100 cps as measured by a Brookfield Viscometer (see above for the conditions). Again, most preferably the alcohol is a linear or branched alkyl alcohol of the general formula CMH2M+2N(OH)N, where M is a number from 6-23, and N is 1 when M is 6-12, but where M is 13-23, N may be a number from 1 to 3; the anionic polymer is preferably a homopolymer or copolymer (at least 20% by weight) of AMPSA.
Our invention also includes a method of making an aqueous gel comprising adding to water 0.1% to 5%, based on the water, cationic polymer and a lesser amount but at least 0.01%, up to 4% or more, of an anionic surfactant having from 8 to 22 carbon atoms, in the presence of a linear or branched alkyl alcohol of the general formula CMH2M+2N(OH)N, where M is a number from 6-23, and N is 1 when M is 6-12, but where M is 13-23, N may be a number from 1 to 3, preferably in an amount from 0.001% to 5% by weight, the ratio of said cationic polymer to said anionic surfactant being effective to provide a Zeta Potential of at least 20. Preferably the polymer will be a homopolymer.
In addition, our invention includes a method of fracturing a subterranean formation comprising forming a gel or a coacervate as described herein and pumping the gel or coacervate down a wellbore, together with a proppant and under pressure sufficient to fracture the formation. Proppants suitable for our invention include all the generally used or generally accepted proppant materials such as sand, walnut shells, and other hard particulates. The gel may be used in the absence of conventional brine-forming salts. Aqueous based gels used for formation fracturing and other well treatment usually employ guar, cellulose, or gums that depend on chemical bonding and are shear-sensitive. The compositions of our invention can be easily pumped, yet will form strong gels when in use. Our compositions are not only easily pumped, but provide a friction reducing effect. In well drilling, our gel may be used, for example, in concentrations of 0.25% to 1% or more by weight whether or not foam is deliberately generated; for subterranean formation fracturing, somewhat higher concentrations may be desired—for example 0.7 5% to 1.5% gel or more by weight in the fracturing fluid (which will normally include a proppant) are useful. Our gel compositions are compatible with conventional drilling fluid and fracturing fluid compositions. Gel breakers may be employed with them, and in particular gel breaking may be accomplished by ordinary inorganic salts such as sodium chloride, lithium chloride, magnesium chloride or any other chloride or other salt such as a formate; also by benzoic acid, various bisulfites or polyether glycols (“Carboxax”, for example) as is known in the art of gel breaking generally.
In
In
Although we prefer to use polymers of diallyl dimethyl ammonium chloride and particularly its homopolymers where cationic polymers are used in our invention, we may use any water soluble cationic polymer effective to viscosify water. Preferably the polymers will have a molecular weight of at least 10,000. Such polymers include homopolymers and copolymers made with cationic monomers (that is, at least 20% of the mer units contain cationic functional groups, while the balance may be nonfunctional or nonionic) such as diallyldimethylammonium chloride, methacrylamidopropyltrimethyl ammonium chloride, acryloyloloxyethyltrimethylammonium chloride, diallyl diethylammonium chloride, methacryloyoloxyethyltrimethyl ammonium chloride, vinyl pyridine, and vinyl benzyltrimethyl ammonium chloride.
The preferred anionic surfactant to be used with the cationic polymer is sodium lauryl sulfate, but any alkali metal alkyl sulfate or sulfonate having 8-22 carbon atoms may be used, and alkyl ether sulfates and sulfonates having 8-22 carbon atoms are included within our term “counterionic surfactant”. Commercial forms of sodium lauryl sulfate including minor or even significant amounts of other similar surfactants may be used. Other common anionic surfactants may also be useful.
The alkyl alcohol is preferably a linear alkyl one having from 8 to 22 carbon atoms or, more preferably, 8-15 carbon atoms. Commercial forms of lauryl alcohol having other alcohols as a minor ingredient are satisfactory. We have found that some commercial forms of sodium lauryl sulfate contain lauryl alcohol in amounts sufficient to satisfy the lauryl alcohol requirements of our invention, and accordingly such sodium lauryl sulfates may sometimes be used as the anionic surfactant of our invention together with a cationic polymer, but without additional moieties of lauryl alcohol or other hydrophobic alcohol as described herein. We may substitute sodium lauryl ether sulfate for the sodium lauryl sulfate; lauryl alcohol should be added separately where this substitution is made.
When used, the amine oxide promoter is preferably lauryl amine oxide, but we may use any amine oxide of the formula R1R2R3NO, preferably R1N(CH3)2O, where R′ is an alkyl group of 8-22 carbon atoms, and R1 and R2 are independently alkyl groups having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms. We may use any amine oxide of the formula R1R2R3N→O as defined by Dahayanake et al in U.S. Pat. No. 6,258,859, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. See also Tillotson U.S. Pat. No. 3,303,896 and Thompson U.S. Pat. No. 4,108,782, which are also incorporated by reference in their entirety for their descriptions of amine oxides. Generally, up to 1% by weight may be used, but as will be seen in
When used, the amphoteric surfactant is preferably a betaine such as cocamidopropyl betaine, but we may use other types of amphoteric surfactants, including aminopropionate and sultaines. We may use any of the surfactant betaines listed or described by Sake et al in U.S. Pat. No. 6,284,230, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
The weight ratio of cationic polymer to alkyl sulfate is generally 10:1 to 1.1:1, but the ratio may also be based on the molar ratio of cationic moieties on the polymer and the anionic sites on the surfactant.
Where an anionic polymer is used, we prefer to use a homopolymer of “AMPSA”—acrylamidomethylpropyl sulfonic acid—together with a common quaternary surfactant generally in the same ratios as recited above for cationic polymers and anionic surfactants, provided the absolute value of the Zeta Potential is at least 20. This may be done with or without gel promoters, but where there are no gel promoters, the concentration of anionic polymer will be significantly higher than where a gel promoter is used.
In
In
In
Likewise, as shown in
Table 1 below shows the effect on viscosity of certain of our compositions with components in addition to polymer and surfactant.
In Table 2, a different source of sodium lauryl sulfate is used for comparison, using all the other ingredients in the same concentrations as Table 1.
Following is a key to the superscripts in Tables 1 and 2:
A comparison of the initial use of the sodium lauryl sulfate, at 0.5% in each case, shows a much higher viscosity achieved by the Acmepon product. We surmise that this is attributable to a higher percentage of lauryl alcohol impurity in the Acmepon product. Persons skilled in the art will perceive that the rest of the data are consistent with this assumption. The compositions including separately. added lauryl alcohol yielded significantly higher viscosities than the remainder of those without such a separate addition.
In
In
The zero shear viscosity extrapolation of
The result after 60 minutes, 7 millimeters of substantially clear gel, compares quite favorably with the settling rate, for example, of a Diesel gel which exhibited 16 ml of settling after 60 minutes. We refer to the above described settling rate test as a “10/100 20/40” settling rate test, meaning that a 20/40 proppant is used in a volume ratio of proppant to gel of 10/100 in a gel comprising 0.65% polymer. The depth of the upper layer of clear gel after 1 hour of settling provides a good rough comparison. Thus, our invention includes an aqueous gel comprising no more than 1% by weight water soluble polymer, preferably no more than 0.7% by weight polymer, characterized by a “10/100 20/40” settling rate result at 60 minutes of no more than 8 millimeters, preferably no more than 7 millimeters.
In
Standard foam generating surfactants were used to simulate a foam system and nitrogen was used as the gas. The mixture was pumped through sand to generate a standard foam texture and, at 1200 ml/min, routed to each of four conduits designated Tube A, Tube B, Pipe A, and Pipe B. Tube A has an internal diameter of 0.30 inch and is 5.29 feet long; tube B has an I.D of 0.45 inch and is 10.53 feet long, pipe A has an I.D of 0.50 inch and is 14.29 inches long, and Pipe B has an I.D. of 0.61 inch and is 20.45 feet long. Pressure drops across the lengths of the tubes and pipes are collected, temperatures are measured in the centers of the conduits. Viscosities are calculated and reported in
Thus it is seen that our invention includes an aqueous gel comprising water and, by weight based on the water, (a) 0.1% to 5% of an anionic or cationic polymer, (b) a lesser amount but at least 0.01% of a surfactant having from 8 to 22 carbon atoms and a charge opposite that of said polymer, (c) from 0.00 1 to 5% of a hydrophobic alcohol, (d) up to 5% of an amphoteric surfactant, and (e) up to 5% of an amine oxide, said gel having a Zeta Potential of an absolute value of at least 20 millivolts. In another aspect, our invention is a method of making an aqueous gel comprising adding to water 0.1% to 5%, by weight based on the water, cationic polymer and a lesser amount but at least 0.01% by weight of an anionic surfactant having from 8 to 22 carbon atoms, in the presence of 0.001% to 5% linear or branched alkyl alcohol of the general formula CMH2M+2N(OH)N, where M is a number from 6-23, and N is 1 when M is 6-12, but where M is 13-23, N may be a number from 1 to 3, and optionally in the presence of at least one of (a) up to 5% by weight amphoteric surfactant and (b) up to 5% by weight amine oxide, the ratio of the cationic polymer to the anionic surfactant being effective to provide a Zeta Potential having an absolute value of at least 20 millivolts. Further, our invention includes an aqueous gel comprising a polymer in an amount no greater than 1% by weight in water, characterized by a “10/100 20/40” settling rate result at 60 minutes of no more than 8 millimeters, preferably no more than 7 millimeters. Stated another way, our invention includes an aqueous gel comprising no more than 1%, preferably no more than 0.7%, water soluble polymer, the gel having a zero shear viscosity of at least 45,000 following the zero shear viscosity extrapolation procedure of Asadi, Conway and Barree in SPE 73755 or, expressed another way, characterized by a “10/100 20/40” settling rate result at 60 minutes of no more than 8 millimeters, preferably no more than 7 millimeters.
This application is a divisional of U.S. Ser. No. 10/228,875, filed on Aug. 27, 2002, now abandoned, which claims benefit of U.S. Ser. No. 60/339,630, filed Dec. 12, 2001, which applications are herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6035936 | Whalen | Mar 2000 | A |
| 6627183 | Young et al. | Sep 2003 | B1 |
| 7183239 | Smith et al. | Feb 2007 | B2 |
| 7205262 | Schwartz et al. | Apr 2007 | B2 |
| 20020169085 | Miller et al. | Nov 2002 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| WO 0006102 | Feb 2000 | WO |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20080202749 A1 | Aug 2008 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60339630 | Dec 2001 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 10228875 | Aug 2002 | US |
| Child | 12033098 | US |
