Multicomponent viscoelastic surfactant fluid and method of using as a fracturing fluid
View Patent ↗There is a viscoelastic fluid. The fluid has one or more cationic surfactants selected from the group consisting of certain quaternary salts, certain amines, and combinations thereof; one or more anionic polymers/anionic surfactants; one or more of certain zwitterionic/amphoteric surfactants; and water. There is also a method of fracturing a subterranean formation. The viscoelastic fluid is pumped through a wellbore and into a subterranean formation at a pressure sufficient to fracture the formation. There is also a method for gravel packing a subterranean formation.
1. A viscoelastic fluid, comprising:
one or more cationic surfactants;
one or more anionic polymers;
one or more zwitterionic and/or amphoteric surfactants; and
water;
wherein the one or more cationic surfactants includes methylpolyoxyethylene octadecanammonium chloride
wherein the zwitterionic surfactant has the following structural formula:
wherein R 1 , R 2 , and R 3 are as described above; R 4 is a hydrocarbyl radical with a chain length 1 to 4; and
wherein the amphoteric surfactant has the following structural formula:
wherein R 1 , R 2 , and R 4 are as described above.
2. The fluid of claim 1 , further comprising a component selected from the group consisting of organic acids, organic acid salts, inorganic salts, and combinations thereof.
3. The fluid of claim 2 , wherein the component is selected from the group consisting of potassium chloride and trimethylammonium chloride.
4. The fluid of claim 2 , wherein the component is present at about 0.1 wt % to about 10 wt %.
5. The fluid of claim 2 , further comprising a proppant.
6. The fluid of claim 1 , wherein the one or more anionic polymers has the following structural formula:
wherein n is an integer from about 8 to about 100.
7. The fluid of claim 6 , wherein the one or more anionic polymers is present at from about 0.1 wt % to about 5 wt %.
8. The fluid of claim 1 , wherein the one or more anionic polymers has the following structural formula:
wherein n is an integer from about 8 to about 100.
9. The fluid of claim 8 , wherein the one or more anionic polymers is present at from about 0.1 wt % to about 5 wt %.
10. The fluid of claim 1 , wherein the one or more anionic polymers is present at from about 0.1 wt % to about 5 wt %.
11. The fluid of claim 10 , wherein R 1 is an alkyl or alkenyl group having about 18 to about 22 carbon atoms, and wherein R 2 , R 3 and R 5 , independently, each have about 1 to about 6 carbon atoms.
12. The fluid of claim 1 , wherein the one or more cationic surfactants is present at from about 1 to about 40 wt % based on weight of active surfactant.
13. The fluid of claim 1 , wherein the one or more cationic surfactants is present at from about 5 to about 20 wt % based on weight of active surfactant.
14. The fluid of claim 1 , wherein the one or more zwitterionic surfactants is selected from the group consisting of the following structural formulas:
and combinations thereof.
15. The fluid of claim 1 , wherein the one or more zwitterionic surfactants is erucyl amidopropyl betaine.
16. The fluid of claim 1 , wherein the water is present at about 50 wt % or more based on fluid weight.
17. The fluid of claim 1 , wherein the water is present at about 70 wt % or more based on fluid weight.
18. The fluid of claim 1 , wherein the one or more cationic surfactants and the one or more zwitterionic and/or amphoteric surfactants are present at about 0.1 to about 10 wt % based on fluid weight.
19. The fluid of claim 1 , wherein the one or more cationic surfactants and the one or more zwitterionic and or amphoteric surfactants are present at about 0.25 to about 2 wt % based on fluid weight.
20. The fluid of claim 1 , wherein the one or more cationic surfactants and the one or more zwitterionic and/or amphoteric surfactants are present at less than 2 wt % based on fluid weight.
21. The fluid of claim 1 , further comprising a proppant.
22. The fluid of claim 1 , wherein the one or more cationic surfactants is present at from about 1 to about 40 wt % based on weight of active surfactant, wherein the anionic polymer is present at from about 0.1 wt % to about 5 wt % based on fluid weight, wherein the water is present at about 50 wt % or more based on fluid weight, wherein the one or more cationic surfactants and the one or more zwitterionic and/or amphoteric surfactants are present at about 0.1 to about 10 wt % based on fluid weight, the fluid further comprising a component selected from the group consisting of organic acids, organic acid salts, inorganic salts, and combinations thereof, wherein the component is present at about 0.1 wt % to about 10 wt % based on fluid weight.
23. The fluid of claim 1 , wherein R 1 is an alkyl or alkenyl group having about 18 to about 22 carbon atoms, and wherein R 2 , R 3 and R 5 , independently, each have about 1 to about 6 carbon atoms.