Polymer hydration method
View Patent ↗Disclosed is a method of rapidly hydrating a hydratable polymer, which method involves irradiating with radio frequency electromagnetic radiation, a mixture of at least the polymer and an aqueous hydrotreating medium to form a viscosified mixture of at least aqueous hydrotreating medium and hydrated polymer. Related methods of treating a subterranean formation and continuously hydrotreating a subterranean formation are also revealed.
1. A method of treating a subterranean formation, which method comprises injecting into the formation a viscosified mixture formed by irradiating with radio frequency electromagnetic radiation, a mixture of at least a hydratable polymer and an aqueous medium to form the viscosified mixture comprising aqueous medium and hydrated polymer.
2. A method as in claim 1 wherein the electromagnetic radiation is of a frequency in the range of about 500 KHz to about 1400 MHz.
3. A method as in claim 2 wherein the electromagnetic radiation is of a frequency in the range of about 1 to about 1000 MHz.
4. A method as in claim 2 , wherein the electromagnetic radiation signal is in the range of about 30 to about 1000 watts.
5. A method as in any of claims 1 - 4 wherein the irradiation is conducted for a period of time in the range of about 5 to about 60 seconds.
6. In a method of hydraulic fracturing a subterranean well formation, the improvement comprising injecting into the formation a viscosified mixture formed by irradiating with radio frequency electromagnetic radiation, a mixture of at least a hydratable polymer and an aqueous medium to form the viscosified mixture comprising aqueous medium and hydrated polymer.
7. In a method of gravel packing a subterranean well formation, the improvement comprising injecting into the formation a viscosified mixture formed by irradiating with radio frequency electromagnetic radiation, a mixture of at least a hydratable polymer and an aqueous medium to form the viscosified mixture comprising aqueous medium and hydrated polymer.
8. A process of hydrotreating a subterranean formation, which method comprises:
continuously flowing through an irradiation zone of radio frequency electromagnetic radiation a mixture of at least a hydratable polymer and an aqueous medium to continuously convert the mixture into a viscosified mixture comprising the aqueous medium and hydrated polymer; and
injecting a fluid comprising the viscosified mixture into the subterranean formation.
9. A process as in claim 8 wherein the electromagnetic radiation is of a frequency in the range of about 500 KHz to about 1400 MHz with a signal of about 30 to about 1,000 watts, and wherein the mixture of at least the hydratable polymer and the aqueous medium has a rate of flow through the zone that provides an average residence time of the continuously flowing mixture in the zone within the range of about 5 to about 60 seconds.
10. A method as in any of claims 8 - 9 , further comprising automatically controlling the radio frequency electromagnetic radiation in the irradiation zone using one or more feedback signals indicative of a periodically or continuously measured viscosity of the viscosified mixture.
11. A method as in claim 8 wherein the electromagnetic radiation is of a frequency in the range of about 500 KHz to about 1400 MHz.
12. A method as in claim 11 wherein the electromagnetic radiation is of a frequency in the range of about 1 to about 1000 MHz.
13. A method as in claim 11 , wherein the electromagnetic radiation signal is in the range of about 30 to about 1000 watts.
14. A method as in claim 8 , wherein the electromagnetic radiation signal is in the range of about 30 to about 1000 watts.
15. In a method of hydraulic fracturing a subterranean well formation, the improvement comprising
continuously flowing through an irradiation zone of radio frequency electromagnetic radiation a mixture of at least a hydratable polymer and an aqueous medium to continuously convert the mixture into a viscosified mixture comprising the aqueous medium and hydrated polymer; and
injecting a fluid comprising the viscosified mixture into the subterranean formation.
16. A process as in claim 15 wherein the electromagnetic radiation is of a frequency in the range of about 500 KHz to about 1400 MHz with a signal of about 30 to about 1,000 watts, and wherein the mixture of at least the hydratable polymer and the aqueous medium has a rate of flow through the zone that provides an average residence time of the continuously flowing mixture in the zone within the range of about 5 to about 60 seconds.
17. A method as in claim 15 , further comprising automatically controlling the radio frequency electromagnetic radiation in the irradiation zone using one or more feedback signals indicative of a periodically or continuously measured viscosity of the viscosified mixture.
18. In a method of gravel packing a subterranean well formation, the improvement comprising
continuously flowing through an irradiation zone of radio frequency electromagnetic radiation a mixture of at least a hydratable polymer and an aqueous medium to continuously convert the mixture into a viscosified mixture comprising the aqueous medium and hydrated polymer; and
injecting a fluid comprising the viscosified mixture into the subterranean formation.
19. A process as in claim 18 wherein the electromagnetic radiation is of a frequency in the range of about 500 KHz to about 1400 MHz with a signal of about 30 to about 1,000 watts, and wherein the mixture of at least the hydratable polymer and the aqueous medium has a rate of flow through the zone that provides an average residence time of the continuously flowing mixture in the zone within the range of about 5 to about 60 seconds.
20. A method as in claim 18 , further comprising automatically controlling the radio frequency electromagnetic radiation in the irradiation zone using one or more feedback signals indicative of a periodically or continuously measured viscosity of the viscosified mixture.