Granted Patent B2

US 7,749,946 · App. 11/841,401 · Granted Jul 6, 2010

Assignee: Sanjel Corporation

Abstract

Claims (24)

1. A composition for gelling a hydrocarbon fracturing fluid, comprising:

(a) a gelling agent comprising a phosphate ester;

(b) a crosslinking agent comprising a multivalent metal ion; and

(c) a catalytic agent comprising a fatty quaternized amine;

wherein said composition gels as a result of coordination complexes formed in the fluid.

2. The composition of claim 1 further comprising a base.

3. The composition of claim 2 wherein the base comprises NaOH or a primary amino alcohol.

4. The composition of claim 3 wherein the primary amino alcohol comprises monoethanolamine.

5. The composition of claim 1 further comprising a coupling agent.

6. The composition of claim 5 wherein the coupling agent comprises ethylene glycol or a primary amino alcohol.

7. The composition of claim 6 wherein the primary amino alcohol comprises monoethanolamine.

8. The composition of claim 1 wherein the crosslinking agent comprises ferric ions.

9. The composition of claim 8 wherein the crosslinking agent comprises ferric sulphate.

10. The composition of claim 1 wherein the fatty quaternized amine comprises a monoalkyl benzyl quaternized amine.

11. The composition of claim 10 wherein the fatty quaternized amine comprises dimethyl benzyl alkyl ammonium chloride or dimethyl benzyl hydrogenated tallow ammonium chloride.

12. A method of forming a gelled hydrocarbon fracturing fluid, comprising the step of mixing together a base hydrocarbon fluid; a gelling agent comprising a phosphate ester; a crosslinking agent comprising a multivalent metal ion; and a catalytic agent comprising a fatty quaternized amine.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the fatty quaternized amine comprises a monoalkyl benzyl quaternized amine.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the fatty quaternized amine comprises dimethyl benzyl alkyl ammonium chloride or dimethyl benzyl hydrogenated tallow ammonium chloride.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the hydrocarbon fracturing fluid mixture further comprises a base.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the base comprises a primary amino alcohol.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the primary amino alcohol comprises monoethanoloamine.

18. A method of improving the temperature stability of a gelled hydrocarbon fracturing fluid, comprising the step of mixing together a base hydrocarbon fluid; a gelling agent comprising a phosphate ester; a crosslinking agent comprising a multivalent metal ion; a catalytic agent comprising a fatty quaternized amine; and a base.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the base comprises a primary amino alcohol.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the primary amino alcohol comprises monoethanoloamine.

Assignments (18)

Continuity (1)