IP Library Granted Patent US 12,410,359
Granted Patent B2
US 12,410,359 · App. 18/483,781 · Granted Sep 9, 2025

Nanoparticle fluids for an AI-assisted water alternating gas process

Inventors: Uchenna Odi (Missouri City, TX); Nouf Jabri (Dhahran, SA)
Assignee: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
C09K8/584E21B43/164E21B43/166C09K2208/10E21B2200/20E21B2200/22
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,410,359
App. No.
18/483,781
Granted
Sep 9, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A treatment fluid including an aqueous colloid containing a first surfactant and a plurality of nanoparticles encapsulated by a second surfactant. A method for preparing a treatment fluid including mixing a plurality of metallic oxide nanoparticles with a first surfactant to form an intermediate solution. A second surfactant is added to the intermediate solution to form nanoparticles encapsulated by the second surfactant. A method of extracting hydrocarbons from a well environment and storing carbon dioxide in the well environment including injecting a first amount of carbon dioxide and a first amount of a treatment fluid into a hydrocarbon reservoir via an injection well in a well environment. The treatment fluid treatment fluid including an aqueous colloid containing a first surfactant and a plurality of nanoparticles encapsulated by a second surfactant. Subsequently, determining a byproduct amount of the carbon dioxide extracted from the well environment.

Claims (29)

1. A treatment fluid, comprising:

an aqueous colloid comprising:

a brine;

0.02 to 0.08% by weight of a nanoparticle;

5% to 50% by weight of a first surfactant in the form of a micelle around the nanoparticle, wherein the first surfactant comprises petroleum sulfonate; and

a second surfactant encapsulating the micelle around the nanoparticle.

2. The treatment fluid of claim 1 , wherein the second surfactant comprises cocamidopropyl hydroxysultaine.

3. The treatment fluid of claim 1 , wherein the nanoparticle comprises a metal oxide.

4. The treatment fluid of claim 3 , wherein the metal oxide is selected from the group consisting of iron oxide, magnesium oxide, zinc oxide, aluminum oxide, and combinations thereof.

5. The treatment fluid of claim 1 , wherein the treatment fluid comprises the second surfactant in an amount ranging from about 5% to 50% by weight of the treatment fluid.

6. The treatment fluid of claim 1 , wherein the treatment fluid is stable for a year or more under conditions of a temperature of 70 degrees Celsius (° C.) or more and a salinity of 30,000 parts per million (ppm) or more.

7. A method for preparing a treatment fluid, comprising:

mixing a metal oxide nanoparticle with a first surfactant to form an intermediate solution containing a metal oxide nanoparticle capsule in the form of a micelle around the nanoparticle, wherein the first surfactant comprises petroleum sulfonate; and

adding a second surfactant to the intermediate solution, wherein a sequential addition of the first surfactant and the second surfactant encapsulates the metal oxide nanoparticle capsule to form the treatment fluid;

wherein the treatment fluid comprises 0.02% to 0.08% by weight of the metal oxide nanoparticles and 5% to 50% by weight of the first surfactant.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the second surfactant comprises cocamidopropyl hydroxysultaine.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the nanoparticle comprises a metal oxide.

10. A method of extracting hydrocarbons from a well environment and storing carbon dioxide in the well environment comprising:

injecting, via an injection well in the well environment, a first amount of carbon dioxide and a first amount of a treatment fluid in turn into a hydrocarbon reservoir;

extracting, via a production well in the well environment, a produced amount of the hydrocarbons from the hydrocarbon reservoir; and

determining a byproduct amount of the carbon dioxide extracted from the well environment;

wherein the treatment fluid comprises an aqueous colloid comprising a nanoparticle and a first surfactant wherein the first surfactant is in the form of a micelle around the nanoparticle; and a second surfactant encapsulating the micelle around the nanoparticle;

wherein the treatment fluid comprises 0.02% to 0.08% by weight of the metal oxide nanoparticles and 5% to 50% by weight of the first surfactant.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

inputting a value of the byproduct amount of the carbon dioxide and a value of the produced amount of hydrocarbons into a trained artificial intelligence model; and

obtaining a value of a second amount of carbon dioxide and a value of a second amount of the treatment fluid from the trained artificial intelligence model.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the trained artificial intelligence model comprises a Markov decision process.

13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising separating the produced amount of hydrocarbons as a final product from a byproduct amount of the treatment fluid and the byproduct amount of the carbon dioxide.

14. The method of claim 10 , further comprising recycling the byproduct amount of the treatment fluid and the byproduct amount of the carbon dioxide for reinjecting.

Assignments (4)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 5, 2025
From: ARAMCO SERVICES COMPANY
To: SAUDI ARAMCO UPSTREAM TECHNOLOGIES COMPANY
Reel/Frame 070418/0329 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 5, 2025
From: SAUDI ARAMCO UPSTREAM TECHNOLOGIES COMPANY
To: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
Reel/Frame 070418/0366 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 7, 2024
From: ODI, UCHENNA
To: ARAMCO SERVICES COMPANY
Reel/Frame 066683/0434 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 7, 2024
From: JABRI, NOUF
To: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
Reel/Frame 066683/0454 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20250115804A1 · Apr 10, 2025
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