IP Library Granted Patent US 12,060,520
Granted Patent B2
US 12,060,520 · App. 17/644,346 · Granted Aug 13, 2024

Foamed wettability alteration treatment for deep condensate and water blockage in gas reservoirs

Inventors: Mohammed Ali Ibrahim Sayed (Katy, TX); Rajesh Saini (Cypress, TX)
Assignee: ARAMCO SERVICES COMPANY
C09K8/584C09K8/594E21B43/255C09K2208/10C09K2208/30
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,060,520
App. No.
17/644,346
Granted
Aug 13, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

A formation treatment fluid may include a wettability alteration agent, a solvent, an injection gas, and an optional foaming agent. The wettability alteration agent may include a fluorinated surfactant, a silicon-based surfactant, charged nanoparticles partially modified with fluorine containing groups, or combinations thereof. Methods for altering a hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir surface wettability may include providing the formation treatment fluid, injecting the formation treatment fluid into the hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir, and recovering fluids produced from the hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir.

Claims (45)

1. A foamed formation treatment fluid comprising:

a wettability alteration agent configured to provide an omniphobic layer on a rock surface;

an aqueous solvent comprising water and an alcohol,

an injection gas comprising one or more gases selected from the group consisting of air, nitrogen (N 2 ), carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), and mixtures thereof; and

optionally a foaming agent,

wherein the wettability alteration agent comprises a fluorinated surfactant,

wherein the wettability alteration optionally further comprises one or more selected from the group consisting of a silicon-based surfactant, charged nanoparticles partially modified with fluorine containing groups, and combinations thereof,

wherein the fluorinated surfactant comprises a nonionic polymeric fluorochemical surfactant, a fluoroalkylsulfonate, a fluoroalkyl phosphate, a fluoroaliphatic ester, a fluoroaliphatic amine oxide, a fluoropolyether disulfate, or combinations thereof,

wherein the wettability alteration agent, the aqueous solvent, the injection gas, and the optional foaming agent are in the form of a foamed fluid; and

wherein the foamed formation treatment fluid has a flash point of at least 50° C.

2. The foamed formation treatment fluid of claim 1 , further comprising a surfactant selected from the group consisting of a betaine-based surfactant, a viscoelastic surfactant, a polymeric surfactant, and combination thereof.

3. The foamed formation treatment fluid of claim 1 , wherein the wettability alteration agent is present in the treatment fluid in an amount of about 0.01 wt % to about 10.0 wt % based on the total weight of the treatment fluid.

4. The foamed formation treatment fluid of claim 1 , wherein the wettability alteration agent further comprises the silicon-based surfactant, and wherein the wettability alteration agent is present in the treatment fluid in an amount of about 0.1 wt % to about 2.0 wt % by weight based on the total weight of the treatment fluid.

5. The foamed formation treatment fluid of claim 1 , wherein the wettability alteration agent further comprises the charged nanoparticles having a mean diameter in a range of from about 1 nm to about 1000 nm.

6. The foamed formation treatment fluid of claim 1 , wherein the injection gas comprises natural gas.

7. The foamed formation treatment fluid of claim 1 , wherein the wettability alteration agent further comprises the charged nanoparticles present in a particle suspension.

8. The foamed formation treatment fluid of claim 1 , wherein the wettability alteration agent further comprises the charged nanoparticles present in a particle suspension in an amount ranging from about 0.001 wt % to about 10 wt % based on the total weight of the particle suspension.

9. The foamed formation treatment fluid of claim 7 , wherein the particle suspension comprises particles functionalized with a first moiety and a second moiety,

where the first moiety is selected from the group consisting of a silyl ether, an amine, an aromatic amine, an ammonium, a quaternary amine, a polyamine, a silanol, an isocyanate, an epoxide, a hydroxyl, a phenol, a halogen, a halosilane, a carboxyl, a carboxylate, a phosphate, a phosphonium, a phosphonate, a phosphine, a sulfonate, a sulfate, a sulfonic acid, a pyridine, a pyridinium, a sulfur, a mercaptan, an aldehyde, a succinic anhydride, an ester, a thiocynate, a silyl hydride, a methacryloxy, an acrylamide, an allyl, a zwitterionic group, and any combinations thereof; and

where the second moiety is selected from the group consisting of a hydroxyl, an amine, a metallic oxide, a metallic carbonate, a silicate, a polyamine, a quaternary amine, an epoxide, an isocyanate, a silyl ether, an aromatic amine, an ammonium, a silanol, a phenol, a halogen, a halosilane, a carboxylic acid, a carboxylate, a phosphate group, a phosphonate group, a phosphine, a sulfonate group, a sulfate group, a sulfonic acid, a pyridinium, a sulfur, a mercaptan, an aldehyde, a succinic anhydride, an ester, a thiocynate, a silyl hydride, a methacryloxy, an acrylamide, an allyl, and any combinations thereof.

10. A method for altering a hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir surface wettability, the method comprising:

providing a foamed formation treatment fluid comprising

a wettability alteration agent configured to provide an omniphobic layer on a rock surface;

an aqueous solvent comprising water and an alcohol,

an injection gas comprising one or more gases selected from the group consisting of air, nitrogen (N 2 ), carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), and mixtures thereof, and

optionally a foaming agent,

wherein the wettability alteration agent comprises a fluorinated surfactant,

wherein the wettability alteration optionally further comprises one or more selected from the group consisting of a silicon-based surfactant, charged nanoparticles partially modified with fluorine containing groups, and combinations thereof,

wherein the fluorinated surfactant comprises a nonionic polymeric fluorochemical surfactant, a fluoroalkylsulfonate, a fluoroalkyl phosphate, a fluoroaliphatic ester, a fluoroaliphatic amine oxide, a fluoropolyether disulfate, or combinations thereof, and

wherein the foamed formation treatment fluid has a flash point of at least 50° C.;

injecting the foamed formation treatment fluid into the hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir; and

recovering fluids produced from the hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

injecting a pre-flush treatment into the hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir prior to the injection of the formation treatment fluid,

wherein the pre-flush treatment comprises a pre-flush solvent and a rock surface modifier.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the pre-flush solvent comprises water, brine, methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, ethylene glycol, butanol, 2-butoxyethanol, butyl carbitol, pentanol, hexanol, terpineol, geraniol, citronellol, nerol, menthol, nerolidol, turpentine, D-limonene, and farnesol, propylene glycol, propylene carbonate, ethylene carbonate, mono-ethylene glycol, di-ethylene glycol, ethylene glycol monobutylether, di-propylene glycol, tri-ethylene glycol, or any combinations thereof.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the rock surface modifier comprises a chemical moiety selected from the group consisting of a hydroxyl, an amine, a metallic oxide, a metallic carbonate, a silicate, a polyamine, a quaternary amine, an epoxide, an isocyanate, a silyl ether, an aromatic amine, an ammonium, a silanol, a phenol, a halogen, a halosilane, a carboxylic acid, a carboxylate, a phosphate group, a phosphonate group, a phosphine, a sulfonate group, a sulfate group, a sulfonic acid, a pyridinium, a sulfur, a mercaptan, an aldehyde, a succinic anhydride, an ester, a thiocynate, a silyl hydride, a methacryloxy, an acrylamide, an allyl, and any combinations thereof.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the pre-flush treatment further comprises an aqueous solution comprising a chelating agent.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the chelating agent is selected from the group consisting of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), methylglycinediacetic acid trisodium salt (MGDA), N,N-dicarboxymethyl glutamic acid tetrasodium salt (GLDA), hydroxyethylethylenediaminetriacetic acid (HEDTA), and any combinations thereof.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the chelating agent is present in an amount of from about 0.1% to about 40% by weight based on the total weight of the pre-flush treatment.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the rock surface modifier is dispersed in the pre-flush solvent prior to injecting the pre-flush treatment.

18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the foamed formation treatment fluid is introduced into the hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir via coiled tubing or bullheading in a production tube.

19. The method of claim 11 , wherein the foamed formation treatment fluid is in contact with the hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir surface for a time ranging from about 30 minutes to about 24 hours.

20. The foamed formation treatment fluid of claim 1 , wherein the alcohol comprises one or more selected from the group consisting of ethylene glycol, n-butanol, 2-butoxyethanol, butyl carbitol, 1-pentanol, 1-hexanol, 2-butoxyethanol, terpineol, geraniol, citronellol, nerol, menthol, nerolidol, turpentine, D-limonene, farnesol, and mixtures thereof.

21. The foamed formation treatment fluid of claim 1 , wherein a contact angle between an aqueous fluid and the omniphobic layer of the rock surface has a value in the range from 90° to 160°.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 18, 2023
From: SAUDI ARAMCO UPSTREAM TECHNOLOGIES COMPANY
To: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
Reel/Frame 065268/0033 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 17, 2023
From: ARAMCO SERVICES COMPANY
To: SAUDI ARAMCO UPSTREAM TECHNOLOGIES COMPANY
Reel/Frame 065255/0383 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 22, 2022
From: SAYED, MOHAMMED ALI IBRAHIM; SAINI, RAJESH
To: ARAMCO SERVICES COMPANY
Reel/Frame 059344/0653 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230183557A1 · Jun 15, 2023