Gellable treatment fluids comprising quaternary ammonium salt gel-time modifiers and methods for use thereof
Methods for reducing the amount of water produced from a subterranean formation can include the use of a gellable treatment fluid that comprises a quaternary ammonium salt as a gel-time modifier. The gellable treatment fluids can comprise an aqueous base fluid, a base polymer comprising an acrylamide monomer unit, an organic crosslinking agent, and a gel-time modifier comprising a quaternary ammonium salt.
1. A method comprising:
providing a gellable treatment fluid that comprises:
an aqueous base fluid comprising an alkali metal salt or an alkaline earth metal salt and having a salt content ranging between about 0.1% and about 10% by weight;
a base polymer comprising an acrylamide monomer unit;
an organic crosslinking agent; and
a gel-time modifier comprising a quaternary ammonium salt;
wherein the quaternary ammonium salt comprises at least a portion of the salt content and decreases the gel-time of the gellable treatment fluid;
introducing the gellable treatment fluid into at least a portion of a subterranean formation; and
allowing the gellable treatment fluid to form a gel in the subterranean formation.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the base polymer comprises a partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the base polymer comprises a copolymer of acrylamide and t-butyl acrylate.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the organic crosslinking agent comprises a crosslinkable polymer.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the crosslinkable polymer comprises a polymer selected from the group consisting of polyethyleneimine, polyvinylamine, any derivative thereof, any salt thereof, and any combination thereof.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the quaternary ammonium salt comprises no alkyl groups that are larger than C 4 alkyl groups.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the quaternary ammonium salt comprises tetramethylammonium chloride.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the gel-time modifier reduces the gel-time of the gellable treatment fluid compared to when the gel-time modifier is not present.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein a concentration of the quaternary ammonium salt in the gellable treatment fluid is sufficient to allow a reduced concentration of at least one of the base polymer or the organic crosslinking agent to be used in the gellable treatment fluid, while maintaining a shorter or substantially identical gel-time as a gellable treatment fluid lacking the quaternary ammonium salt and having a higher concentration of at least one of the base polymer or the organic crosslinking agent.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the gellable treatment fluid further comprises at least one additional gel-time modifier.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the at least one additional gel-time modifier comprises a compound selected from the group consisting of amino alcohols, oligomeric polyamines having a molecular weight of less than about 400, any salt thereof, any derivative thereof, and any combination thereof.
12. A method comprising:
providing a gellable treatment fluid that comprises:
an aqueous base fluid comprising an alkali metal salt or an alkaline earth metal salt and having a salt content ranging between about 0.1% and about 10% by weight;
a base polymer comprising an acrylamide monomer unit;
an organic crosslinking agent comprising a polymer selected from the group consisting of polyethyleneimine, polyvinylamine, any derivative thereof, any salt thereof, and any combination thereof; and
a gel-time modifier comprising a quaternary ammonium salt that comprises no alkyl groups that are larger than C 4 alkyl groups;
wherein the quaternary ammonium salt comprises at least a portion of the salt content and decreases the gel-time of the gellable treatment fluid;
introducing the gellable treatment fluid into at least a portion of a subterranean formation; and
allowing the gellable treatment fluid to form a gel in the subterranean formation.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the base polymer comprises a partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide.
14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the base polymer comprises a copolymer of acrylamide and t-butyl acrylate.
15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the quaternary ammonium salt comprises tetramethylammonium chloride.
16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the gellable treatment fluid further comprises at least one additional gel-time modifier comprising a compound selected from the group consisting of amino alcohols, oligomeric polyamines having a molecular weight of less than about 400, any salt thereof, any derivative thereof, and any combination thereof.