Friction reducing composition and method
View Patent ↗Water soluble nonionic friction reducers and added to coacervate gels having excellent shear viscosities and other properties. A preferred gel comprises poly diallyl dimethyl ammonium chloride, a lesser amount of sodium lauryl sulfonate, and lauryl alcohol. Excellent friction reducing properties are manifested; a particularly practical use for the compositions is in subterranean formation fracturing.
1. An aqueous composition useful for conserving energy in the transportation of aqueous fluids through pipes, comprising:
water and, by weight based on the water, a gel, comprising:
(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 0.001 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, and at least 0.0001% water soluble nonionic friction reducer.
2. Composition of claim 1 wherein said water soluble nonionic friction reducer is polyethylene oxide.
3. Composition of claim 1 wherein said hydrophobic alcohol is a linear or branched alkyl alcohol of the general formula C M H 2M+2−N (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.
4. Composition of claim 2 wherein said polyethylene oxide has a molecular weight of at least 10,000.
5. Composition of claim 1 wherein said water soluble nonionic friction reducer is a polyalkylene glycol having a molecular weight of at least 1000.
6. Composition of claim 1 wherein said anionic or cationic polymer (a) is poly (diallyl dimethyl ammonium chloride).
7. Composition of claim 1 wherein said anionic or cationic polymer (a) is a cationic polymer and said hydrophobic alcohol is a linear or branched alkyl alcohol of the general formula C M H 2M+2−N (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.
8. Composition of claim 1 wherein said anionic surfactant comprises sodium lauryl sulfonate.
9. Composition useful for friction reduction in aqueous systems, comprising:
a coacervate gel, comprising:
a cationic or anionic polymer;
a lesser amount of an oppositely charged surfactant, in a ratio to provide a Zeta Potential of an absolute value of at least 20 millivolts, and
from 0.001% to 5% by weight of a hydrophobic alcohol having 6 to 23 carbon atoms, and
a nonionic water soluble friction reducer, the nonionic water soluble friction reducer being present in a weight ratio to the anionic or cationic polymer of 0.001:1 to 5:1.
10. The composition of claim 9 , wherein the anionic or cationic polymer comprises a cationic polymer and the hydrophobic alcohol is a linear or branched alkyl alcohol of the general formula C M H 2M+2−N (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.
11. The composition of claim 10 , wherein the surfactant comprises sodium lauryl sulfonate.
12. The composition of claim 11 , wherein the cationic polymer comprises a poly (diallyl dimethyl ammonium chloride).
13. The composition of claim 9 , wherein the friction reducer comprises a water soluble polymer having a molecular weight of at least 1000.
14. The composition of claim 9 , further comprising up to 5% of an amphoteric surfactant.
15. The composition of claim 9 , further comprising up to 5% of an amine oxide.
16. The composition of claim 9 , wherein said friction reducer is polyethylene oxide.
17. The composition of claim 16 , wherein said polyethylene oxide has a molecular weight of at least 10,000.
18. The composition of claim 9 , wherein the hydrophobic alcohol comprises a linear or branched alkyl alcohol of the general formula C M H 2M+2−N (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.
19. The composition of claim 9 , wherein friction reducer comprises a polyalkylene glycol having a molecular weight of at least 1000.
20. A method of conserving energy in the transportation of aqueous fluid through a pipe comprising adding to the aqueous fluid a small amount of a composition of claim 9 .
21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the pipe is in a well and the aqueous fluid comprises a fracturing fluid.
22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the fracturing fluid includes a proppant.
23. The method of claim 22 , wherein flow of the fracturing fluid is laminar flow.
24. The method of claim 22 , further comprising up to 5% of an amphoteric surfactant.
25. The method of claim 22 , further comprising up to 5% of an amine oxide.
26. The composition of claim 9 , wherein the friction reducer comprises natural gums, modified gums, or polyalkylene glycols.
27. The composition of claim 9 , wherein
a. the polymer comprises polyDADMAC;
b. the surfactant comprises sodium lauryl sulfonate; and
c. the friction reducer comprises polyethylene oxide polymer.
28. The composition of claim 1 , wherein
a. the polymer comprises polyDADMAC;
b. the surfactant comprises sodium lauryl sulfonate; and
c. the friction reducer comprises polyethylene oxide polymer.
29. A method of conserving energy in the transportation of aqueous fluids through a pipe comprising adding to the aqueous fluids a small amount of a composition of claim 1 .
30. The method of claim 29 , wherein the pipe is in a well and the aqueous fluids comprises a fracturing fluid.
31. The method of claim 30 , wherein the fracturing fluid includes a proppant.