Granted Patent B2

US 12,560,063 · App. 17/978,538 · Granted Feb 24, 2026

Inventors: John H. Mayor (Cypress, TX); Marty J. Usie (Youngsville, LA); Kelly Guilbeau Berard (Breaux Bridge, LA)

E21B43/25C09K8/602C09K8/68C09K8/703C09K2208/30

Abstract

Claims (91)

1 . A method of enhancing foam stability in a subterranean formation penetrated by a well, the method comprising:

(A) pumping into the well:

(a) a foaming gas;

(b) a viscoelastic surfactant selected from the group consisting of:

(i) an amine or amidoamine oxide of structural formula (II):

where:

R 1 is an alkyl, alkenyl, cycloalkyl, alkylarylalkyl, alkylamido or alkylamidoalkyl and has from about 8 to about 30 carbon atoms;

R 2 and R 3 are independently hydrogen or an aliphatic group having from 1 to about 30 carbon atoms;

(ii) an amidoamine oxide of the structural formula (III):

(iii) an alkylamido quaternary amine of the structural formula (IV):

where:

R 1 of (III) and (IV) is independently selected from an aliphatic group of from about 8 to about 30 carbon atoms or a fatty aliphatic derived from natural fats and oil having an iodine value of from about 1 to about 140;

R 2 of (III) and (IV) is independently selected from a divalent alkylene group of from 2 to about 6 carbon atoms;

R 3 and R 4 of (III) and (IV) are the same or different and are independently selected from alkyl or hydroxyalkyl groups of from 1 to about 6 carbon atoms that may optionally be alkoxylated or together with the nitrogen atom form a heterocyclic ring of up to 6 members;

R 5 of (III) and (IV) is independently selected from hydrogen, R 3 or R 4 ;

X is a counterion;

and mixtures thereof; and

(c) a microemulsion containing:

(iv) an aqueous phase having a surfactant of formula (I):

wherein each of R 7 , R 8 , R 9 , R 10 , and R 11 are the same or different and are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, optionally substituted C 1 -C 6 alkyl, and —CH═CHAr, wherein Ar is an aryl group, provided at least one of R 7 , R 8 , R 9 , R 10 and R 11 is —CH—CHAr, T is either hydrogen, C 1-6 alkyl, X + Y − or Z + , n is 1-100, each m is independently 1 or 2, Y is an anionic group, X + is a metal cation or N(R 13 ) 4 , and Z is N(R 13 ) 3 wherein each R 13 is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, optionally substituted alkyl, or optionally substituted aryl; and

(v) a non-aqueous phase comprising a terpene; and

(B) forming a foam in the subterranean formation from (a), (b) and (c) wherein either (1) the viscoelastic surfactant of the foam does not thermally degrade until the temperature in the formation reaches between 325° F. to about 500° F.; or (2) the foam containing the viscoelastic surfactant and the microemulsion does not degrade until about 350° F.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein T of formula (I) is hydrogen or a C 1-6 alkyl.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of R 2 and R 3 of formula (II) is an alkyl, alkenyl, cycloalkyl, alkylaryl, hydroxyalkyl, carboxyalkyl or hydroxyalkyl-polyoxyalkylene group.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the viscoelastic surfactant of (b) is the amidoamine oxide of structural formula (III) or an alkylamido quaternary amine of structural formula (IV).

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein R 1 of structural formula (III) or (IV) is a fatty aliphatic derived from a natural fat or oil.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein R 1 is tallow alkyl, hardened tallow alkyl, rapeseed alkyl, hardened rapeseed alkyl, tall oil alkyl, hardened tall oil alkyl, coco alkyl, oleyl, or soya alkyl.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the viscoelastic surfactant of (b) is the alkylamido quaternary amine (IV) and further wherein X is selected from the group consisting of halides, oxo ions of phosphorus, sulfur or chloride, hypochlorides, phosphates, oxides of sulfur, sulfates, sulfites, sulfonates, phosphates, acetates, carboxylates, chlorates, perchlorates, salicylates, phthalates, lactates, maleates, glycinates, citrates, citric acid, lactic acid, salicylic acid, phthalic acid, benzoic acid, naphthoic acid and amino acids.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the viscoelastic surfactant of the foam does not thermally degrade until the temperature in the formation reaches between 375° F. to about 500° F.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the amount of microemulsion in the formed foam is from about 0.05 to 0.4 weight percent.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the amount of surfactant of formula (I) in the microemulsion is between about 1 wt % and about 20 wt %.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the terpene is d-limonene.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the microemulsion further comprises an alcohol.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the alcohol contains from 1 to about 20 carbon atoms.

14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:

(a) the viscoelastic surfactant is of structural formula (II);

(b) the microemulsion contains from about 5 to about 65 weight percent of the surfactant of formula (I):

wherein each of R 7 , R 8 , R 9 , R 10 , and R 11 are the same or different and are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, optionally substituted C 1 -C 6 alkyl and —CH═CHAr, wherein Ar is an aryl group including phenyl, provided at least one of R 7 , R 8 , R 9 , R 10 , and R 11 is —CH═CHAr, T is hydrogen or a C 1-6 alkyl n is 1-100, and each m is independently 1 or 2;

(c) the microemulsion further contains between from about 1 to about 50 weight percent of an alcohol;

(d) the microemulsion contains from about 1 to about 30 weight percent of the terpene; and

(e) the microemulsion contains between from about 1 to about 60 weight percent of water.

15 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

(a) enhancing the thermal stability of the foam with the microemulsion;

(b) thermally degrading the viscoelastic surfactant at a temperature from 325° F. to 500° F.;

(c) selectively blocking a permeable first zone in the well with the foam and then diverting flow of fluid into a second zone wherein the permeability of the second zone is lower than the permeability of the first zone;

(d) releasing acid from the foam and removing scales in the subterranean formation with the released acid;

(e) reducing breakdown formation pressure with the foam and then pumping a pad fluid into the formation and initiating or creating a fracture within the subterranean formation;

(f) consolidating particles in the well or subterranean formation with the foam; or

(g) forming a silica gel plug with a silicate and the foam.

16 . A method of enhancing foam stability in a subterranean formation penetrated by a well, wherein pressure in the well is from about 1 to about 100 psi, the method comprising:

(A) pumping into the well a gas and a fluid comprising:

a viscoelastic surfactant of an alkylamido quaternary amine of the structural formula (IV):

where:

R 1 is an aliphatic group of from about 8 to about 30 carbon atoms or a fatty aliphatic derived from natural fats and oil having an iodine value of from about 1 to about 140;

R 2 is a divalent alkylene group of from 2 to about 6 carbon atoms;

R 3 and R 4 are the same or different and are selected from alkyl or hydroxyalkyl groups of from 1 to about 6 carbon atoms that may optionally be alkoxylated or together with the nitrogen atom form a heterocyclic ring of up to 6 members;

R 5 is hydrogen, R 3 or R 4 ;

X is a counterion; and

a microemulsion containing:

(i) an aqueous phase having a surfactant of formula (I):

wherein each of R 7 , R 8 , R 9 , R 10 , and R 11 are the same or different and are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, optionally substituted C 1 -C 6 alkyl, and —CH═CHAr, wherein Ar is an aryl group including phenyl, provided at least one of R 7 , R 8 , R 9 , R 10 , and R 11 is —CH—CHAr, T is hydrogen or a C 1 -6 alkyl n is 1-100, each m is independently 1 or 2;

(ii) an alcohol; and

(iii) a non-aqueous phase comprising a terpene; and

(B) forming a foam from the pumped fluid and gas in the subterranean formation wherein either (1) the viscoelastic surfactant of the foam does not thermally degrade until the temperature in the formation reaches between 325° F. to about 500° F.; or (2) the foam containing both the viscoelastic surfactant and the microemulsion does not degrade until about 350° F.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the terpene is limonene.

18 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the microemulsion further comprises a solvent selected from hydrocarbons, and amines.

19 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the amount of water in the aqueous phase of the microemulsion is between from about 5 to about 60 weight percent and/or the amount of microemulsion in the formed fluid foam is between from about 0.05 to about 4 weight percent.

20 . A method of enhancing foam stability in a subterranean formation penetrated by a well, the method comprising:

(A) pumping into the well:

(a) a foaming gas;

(b) a viscoelastic surfactant selected from the group consisting of:

(i) an amine or amidoamine oxide of structural formula (II):

where:

R 1 is an alkyl, alkenyl, cycloalkyl, alkylarylalkyl, alkylamido or alkylamidoalkyl and has from about 8 to about 30 carbon atoms;

R 2 and R 3 are independently hydrogen or an aliphatic group having from 1 to about 30 carbon atoms;

(ii) an amidoamine oxide of the structural formula (III):

(iii) an alkylamido quaternary amine of the structural formula (IV):

and mixtures thereof;

where:

R 1 of (III) and (IV) is independently selected from an aliphatic group of from about 8 to about 30 carbon atoms or a fatty aliphatic derived from natural fats and oil having an iodine value of from about 1 to about 140;

R 2 of (III) and (IV) is independently selected from a divalent alkylene group of from 2 to about 6 carbon atoms;

R 3 and R 4 of (III) and (IV) are the same or different and are independently selected from alkyl or hydroxyalkyl groups of from 1 to about 6 carbon atoms that may optionally be alkoxylated or together with the nitrogen atom form a heterocyclic ring of up to 6 members;

R 5 of (III) and (IV) is independently selected from hydrogen, R 3 or R 4 ;

X is a counterion;

and

(c) a microemulsion containing:

(iv) an aqueous phase having a surfactant of formula (I):

wherein each of R 7 , R 8 , R 9 , R 10 , and R 11 are the same or different and are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, optionally substituted C 1 -C 6 alkyl, and —CH—CHAr, wherein Ar is an aryl group, provided at least one of R 7 , R 8 , R 9 , R 10 , and R 11 is —CH—CHAr, T is either hydrogen, C 1-6 alkyl, X + Y − or Z + , n is 1-100, each m is independently 1 or 2, Y is an anionic group, X + is a metal cation or N(R 13 ) 4 , and Z is N(R 13 ) 3 , wherein each R 13 is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, optionally substituted alkyl, or optionally substituted aryl; and

(v) a non-aqueous phase comprising a terpene;

(B) forming a foam from (a), (b) and (c) in the subterranean formation wherein either (1) the viscoelastic surfactant of the foam does not thermally degrade until the temperature in the formation reaches between 325° F. to about 500° F.; or (2) the foam containing both the viscoelastic surfactant and the microemulsion does not degrade until about 350° F.; and

(C) either (a) selectively blocking a permeable first zone in the well with the foam and then diverting flow of fluid into a second zone wherein the permeability of the second zone is lower than the permeability of the first zone; (b) releasing acid from the foam and removing scales in the subterranean formation with the released acid; (c) reducing breakdown formation pressure with the foam and then pumping a pad fluid into the formation and initiating or creating a fracture within the subterranean formation; (d) consolidating particles in the well or subterranean formation with the foam; or (e) forming a silica gel plug with a silicate and the foam.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (31)