Chemical enhanced hydrocarbon recovery
Compositions and methods for chemical enhanced hydrocarbon recovery that utilize a nonionic surfactant that is a mixture of isomerized C 9-11 ethoxylated alcohols.
1. An enhanced hydrocarbon recovery composition comprising:
a surfactant component comprising a mixture of isomerized C 9-11 ethoxylated alcohols;
wherein the mixture of isomerized C 9-11 ethoxylated alcohols comprises a C 9 ethoxylated alcohol, a C 10 ethoxylated alcohol, a C 11 ethoxylated alcohol, isomers of the C 9 ethoxylated alcohol, isomers of the C 10 ethoxylated alcohol, and isomers of the C 11 ethoxylated alcohol, and
wherein an amount of the C 10 ethoxylated alcohol and the isomers of the C 10 ethoxylated alcohol in the mixture of isomerized C 9-11 ethoxylated alcohols is greater than about 50 wt % based on a total weight of the mixture of isomerized C 9-11 ethoxylated alcohols.
2. The enhanced hydrocarbon recovery composition of claim 1 , wherein an amount of the C 11 ethoxylated alcohol and the isomers of the C 11 ethoxylated alcohol in the mixture of isomerized C 9-11 ethoxylated alcohols is in a range of from about 1 wt % to about 25 wt % based on a total weight of the mixture of isomerized C 9-11 ethoxylated alcohols.
3. The enhanced hydrocarbon recovery composition of claim 2 , wherein an amount of the C 9 ethoxylated alcohol and the isomers of the C 9 ethoxylated alcohol in the mixture of isomerized C 9-11 ethoxylated alcohols is in a range of from about 1 wt % to about 25 wt % based on a total weight of the mixture of isomerized C 9-11 ethoxylated alcohols.
4. The enhanced hydrocarbon recovery composition of claim 1 , wherein the surfactant component further comprises one or more anionic disulfonate surfactants.
5. The enhanced hydrocarbon recovery composition of claim 4 , wherein the one or more anionic disulfonate surfactants comprise a sodium dodecyl (C 12 ) diphenyl oxide disulfonate salt and a sodium hexyl (C 6 ) diphenyl oxide disulfonate salt.
6. The enhanced hydrocarbon recovery composition of claim 5 , wherein the dodecyl (C 12 ) group in the sodium dodecyl (C 12 ) diphenyl oxide disulfonate salt is branched.
7. The enhanced hydrocarbon recovery composition of claim 5 , wherein the sodium dodecyl (C 12 ) diphenyl oxide disulfonate salt and the sodium hexyl (C 6 ) diphenyl oxide disulfonate salt are present in a range of from about 40 wt % to about 50 wt % of the surfactant component.
8. The enhanced hydrocarbon recovery composition of claim 1 , wherein the mixture of isomerized C 9-11 ethoxylated alcohols is present in a range of from about 50 wt % to about 100 wt % of the surfactant component, wherein the mixture of isomerized C 9-11 ethoxylated alcohols has an average distribution of 8 EO units.
9. The enhanced hydrocarbon recovery composition of claim 1 , wherein the surfactant component is present in a range of from about 0.01 wt % to about 5 wt % based on a total weight of the enhanced hydrocarbon recovery composition.
10. The enhanced hydrocarbon recovery composition of claim 1 , further comprising a water component.
11. The enhanced hydrocarbon recovery composition of claim 10 , wherein the water component comprises fresh water, gray water, untreated produced water, treated produced water, or a combination thereof.
12. The enhanced hydrocarbon recovery composition of claim 10 , wherein the water component is present in a range of from about 0.01 wt % to about 99.9 wt % based on a total weight of the enhanced hydrocarbon recovery composition.
13. The enhanced hydrocarbon recovery composition of claim 1 , further comprising:
a biocide component comprising glutaraldehyde, alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride, or a combination thereof;
wherein the biocide component is present in a range of from about 0.001 wt % to about 1 wt % based on a total weight of the enhanced hydrocarbon recovery composition.
14. The enhanced hydrocarbon recovery composition of claim 1 , further comprising:
an alkali component comprising sodium carbonate, sodium hydroxide, or a combination thereof;
wherein the alkali component is present in a range of from about 0.01 wt % to about 1.0 wt % based on a total weight of the enhanced hydrocarbon recovery composition.
15. The enhanced hydrocarbon recovery composition of claim 1 , further comprising:
a cosolvent component comprising methanol, ethanol, isopropyl alcohol, propylene glycol, ethylene glycol mono-butyl ether, diethylene mono-butyl ether, and tri-ethylene mono-butyl ether, or a combination thereof;
wherein the cosolvent component is present in a range of from about 0.01 wt % to about 5.0 wt % based on a total weight of the enhanced hydrocarbon recovery composition.
16. The enhanced hydrocarbon recovery composition of claim 1 , wherein the enhanced hydrocarbon recovery composition further comprises:
a hydrotrope component comprising sodium toluene sulfonate, potassium toluene sulfonate, sodium xylene sulfonate, ammonia xylene sulfonate, potassium xylene sulfonate, calcium xylene sulfonate, sodium cumene sulfonate, ammonia cumene sulfonate, or a combination thereof;
wherein the hydrotrope component is present in a range of from about 0.01 wt % to about 5 wt % based on a total weight of the enhanced hydrocarbon recovery composition.
17. The enhanced hydrocarbon recovery composition of claim 1 , further comprising:
a viscosifying component comprising hydrolyzed polyacrylamide, xantham gum, scleroglucan, or a combination thereof;
wherein the viscosifying component is present in a range of from about 0.01 wt % to about 5 wt % based on a total weight of the enhanced hydrocarbon recovery composition.