Method of reducing the viscosity of hydrocarbon fluids

1. A method for reducing the apparent viscosity of a hydrocarbon fluid encountered in petroleum operations, the method comprising: contacting said hydrocarbon fluid with an effective amount of a composition comprising a ter-polymer comprised of at least one type of non-ionic monomer and at least one type of cationic monomer, wherein the ter-polymer has at least 25 mole percent cationic monomers.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ter-polymer further comprises at least one type of cationic monomer including a quaternary ammonium moiety.

3. A method for reducing the apparent viscosity of a hydrocarbon fluid encountered in petroleum operations, the method comprising: contacting said hydrocarbon fluid with an effective amount of a composition comprising at least one polymer having at least 25 mole percent cationic monomers, wherein at least a portion of the cationic monomers are hydrophobically modified cationic monomers.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the hydrophobic groups are selected from the group consisting of N,N-dimethylaminoethylacrylate quaternary amine salts having benzyl, substituted benzyl, or alkyl chains of C 4 or higher.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the cationic monomers are selected from the group consisting of: dimethylaminoethylacrylate alkyl salts; cationic monomers having four carbons bonded to a single nitrogen to form a quaternary ammonium ion; cationic monomers having two carbons singly bonded to a single nitrogen and one carbon doubly bonded to the nitrogen to form a quaternary imminium ion; cationic amine monomers with a C 1 to C 24 alkyl chain or benzyl salts; and combinations thereof.

6. The method of claim 3 , wherein at least a portion of the cationic monomers has the following formula, wherein R 1 is H or methyl; R 2 is an alkyl or benzyl, and X is any counterion:

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the benzyl has the following structure, wherein R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , R 6 , and R 7 are independently H or alkyl

8. A method for reducing the apparent viscosity of a hydrocarbon fluid encountered in petroleum operations, the method comprising: contacting said hydrocarbon fluid with an effective amount of a composition comprising at least one polymer having at least 25 mole percent cationic monomers, wherein the cationic monomer has the following formula, wherein R 1 is H or methyl, n is 1 or 2, and X is any counterion

9. A method for reducing the apparent viscosity of a hydrocarbon fluid encountered in petroleum operations, the method comprising: contacting said hydrocarbon fluid with an effective amount of a composition comprising at least one polymer having at least 25 mole percent cationic monomers, wherein the cationic monomer has the following formula, wherein R 1 is H or methyl; R 8 , R 9 , R 10 , R 11 , and R 12 are independently H or alkyl; and X is any counterion

10. A method for reducing the apparent viscosity of a hydrocarbon fluid encountered in petroleum operations, the method comprising: contacting said hydrocarbon fluid with an effective amount of a composition comprising at least one polymer having at least 25 mole percent cationic monomers, wherein the cationic monomer is formed from a nonionic monomer having a charged crosslinked moiety.

11. The method of claim 3 , wherein the at least one polymer has the characteristic of lowering surface tension of DI water to below about 50 mN/m.

12. The method of claim 3 , wherein the at least one polymer has a weight average molecular weight from about 500,000 kDa to about 10 million kDa.

13. The method of claim 3 , wherein the at least one polymer has a weight average molecular weight from about 1 to about 5 million kDa.

14. The method of claim 3 , wherein the effective amount of the at least one polymer is from about 10 to about 5,000 ppm, as polymer actives based on total volume of emulsion.

15. The method of claim 3 , wherein the effective amount of the at least one polymer is from about 50 to about 500 ppm, as polymer actives based on total volume of emulsion.

16. The method of claim 3 , wherein the hydrocarbon fluid is oil and/or gas.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one type of cationic monomer including the quaternary ammonium moiety comprises at least 25 mole percent of the ter-polymer.

18. The method of claim 3 , further comprising converting the hydrocarbon fluid to a reduced apparent viscosity oil-in-water emulsion.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the reduced apparent viscosity oil-in-water emulsion is a complex water external emulsion.