Compositions and methods for enhancement of production of liquid and gaseous hydrocarbons
View Patent ↗A well treatment composition is well-designed for the simultaneous enhancement of the production of both liquid and gaseous hydrocarbons from the same reservoir on a non-selective basis. The well treatment composition includes a first surfactant and a second surfactant, wherein the second surfactant is selected from the group consisting of ethoxylated alkylene amines, ethoxylated alkyl amines, propoxylated alkylene amines, propoxylated alkyl amines, ethoxylated-propoxylated alkylene amines and ethoxylated-propoxylated alkyl amines. The well treatment composition also includes a first solvent, a second solvent and water. Methods for using the well treatment composition include the steps of emplacing the well treatment composition into wells having high and low gas-to-oil ratios.
1. A method of treating a plurality of hydrocarbon-producing wells, wherein a first of the plurality of hydrocarbon-producing wells has a high gas-to-oil ratio and a second of the hydrocarbon-producing wells has a low gas-to-oil ratio, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a complex nanofluid additive;
emplacing the complex nanofluid additive into the first of the plurality of hydrocarbon-producing wells to lower the gas-to-oil ratio; and
emplacing the complex nanofluid additive into the second of the plurality of hydrocarbon-producing wells to raise the gas-to-oil ratio.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein before the providing a complex nanofluid additive step, the method further comprises the steps of:
providing a first surfactant and a second surfactant, wherein the second surfactant is selected from the group consisting of ethoxylated alkylene amines, ethoxylated alkyl amines, propoxylated alkylene amines, propoxylated alkyl amines, ethoxylated-propoxylated alkylene amines and ethoxylated-propoxylated alkyl amines;
mixing the first surfactant with the second surfactant to form a surfactant mixture;
adding a first solvent and a second solvent to the surfactant mixture to form a solvent-surfactant mixture;
adding water to the solvent-surfactant mixture to form an emulsified solvent-surfactant mixture; and
adding the emulsified-solvent surfactant mixture to a carrier fluid to form the complex nanofluid additive.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the second surfactant is ethylenediaminealcoxylate.
4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the second surfactant is diethylenetriaminealcoxylate.
5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the first surfactant includes an ethoxylated alcohol.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the first surfactant includes an ethoxylated alcohol having between 8 and 18 carbon atoms and between 5 and 20 moles of ethylene oxide.
7. The method of claim 2 , wherein the second solvent is a co-solvent selected from the group consisting of short-chain alcohols and glycols.
8. The method of claim 2 , wherein the complex nanofluid additive comprises:
up to about 90% by volume of the first surfactant, wherein the first surfactant is selected from the group consisting of nonionic surfactants, cationic surfactants, and anionic surfactants;
up to about 16% by volume of the second surfactant, wherein the second surfactant is selected from the group consisting of ethylenediaminealcoxylate and diethylenetriaminealcoxylate;
up to about 10% by volume of the first solvent, wherein the first solvent is d-limonene; up to about 25% by volume of the second solvent, wherein the second solvent comprises a co-solvent or a mixture of co-solvents; and
up to about 30% by volume water.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein before the providing a complex nanofluid additive step, the method further comprises the steps of:
providing a first surfactant and a second surfactant, wherein the second surfactant is selected from the group consisting of ethoxylated alkylene amines, ethoxylated alkyl amines, propoxylated alkylene amines, propoxylated alkyl amines, ethoxylated-propoxylated alkylene amines and ethoxylated-propoxylated alkyl amines;
mixing the first surfactant with the second surfactant to form a surfactant mixture;
adding a first solvent and a second solvent to the surfactant mixture to form a solvent-surfactant mixture; and
adding water to the solvent-surfactant mixture to form an emulsified solvent-surfactant mixture, wherein the emulsified solvent-surfactant mixture comprises a concentrated form of the complex nanofluid additive.
10. A method for increasing production of oil from a first well having a high gas-to-oil ratio and production of gas from a second well having a low gas-to-oil ratio, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a complex nanofluid additive;
emplacing the complex nanofluid additive into the first well; and
emplacing the complex nanofluid additive into the second well.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein before the providing a complex nanofluid additive step, the method further comprises the steps of:
providing a first surfactant and a second surfactant, wherein the second surfactant is selected from the group consisting of ethoxylated alkylene amines, ethoxylated alkyl amines, propoxylated alkylene amines, propoxylated alkyl amines, ethoxylated-propoxylated alkylene amines and ethoxylated-propoxylated alkyl amines;
mixing the first surfactant with the second surfactant to form a surfactant mixture;
adding a first solvent and a second solvent to the surfactant mixture to form a solvent-surfactant mixture;
adding water to the solvent-surfactant mixture to form an emulsified solvent-surfactant mixture; and
adding the emulsified-solvent surfactant mixture to a carrier fluid to form the complex nanofluid additive.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the second surfactant is ethylenediaminealcoxylate.
13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the second surfactant is diethylenetriaminealcoxylate.
14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first surfactant includes an ethoxylated alcohol.
15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first surfactant includes an ethoxylated alcohol having between 8 and 18 carbon atoms and between 5 and 20 moles of ethylene oxide.
16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the second solvent is a co-solvent selected from the group consisting of short-chain alcohols and glycols.
17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the complex nanofluid additive comprises:
up to about 90% by volume of the first surfactant, wherein the first surfactant is selected from the group consisting of nonionic surfactants, cationic surfactants, and anionic surfactants;
up to about 16% by volume of the second surfactant, wherein the second surfactant is selected from the group consisting of ethylenediaminealcoxylate and diethylenetriaminealcoxylate;
up to about 10% by volume of the first solvent, wherein the first solvent is d-limonene; up to about 25% by volume of the second solvent, wherein the second solvent comprises a co-solvent or a mixture of co-solvents; and
up to about 30% by volume water.
18. The method of claim 10 , wherein before the providing a complex nanofluid additive step, the method further comprises the steps of:
providing a first surfactant and a second surfactant, wherein the second surfactant is selected from the group consisting of ethoxylated alkylene amines, ethoxylated alkyl amines, propoxylated alkylene amines, propoxylated alkyl amines, ethoxylated-propoxylated alkylene amines and ethoxylated-propoxylated alkyl amines;
mixing the first surfactant with the second surfactant to form a surfactant mixture;
adding a first solvent and a second solvent to the surfactant mixture to form a solvent-surfactant mixture; and
adding water to the solvent-surfactant mixture to form an emulsified solvent-surfactant mixture, wherein the emulsified solvent-surfactant mixture comprises a concentrated form of the complex nanofluid additive.