IP Library Granted Patent US 12,595,407
Granted Patent B2
US 12,595,407 · App. 18/248,197 · Granted Apr 7, 2026

Radiation activated well treatment

Inventors: Timur Zharnikov (Moscow, RU); Maxim Orlov (Moscow, RU); Tao Chen (Dhahran, SA)
Assignee: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
C09K8/92C09K8/536C09K8/725C09K8/82C09K8/882C09K8/885E21B37/06E21B2200/08
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,595,407
App. No.
18/248,197
Granted
Apr 7, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A well treatment composition may include a capsule and a treatment agent solution within the capsule. The treatment agent solution may have a treatment agent. The system may include a radiation source: neutron, gamma, X-ray, and/or ultraviolet. A method may include introducing the well treatment composition downhole in wellbore circulation fluid, and introducing a radiation source into the wellbore and positioning the radiation source. The method may include activating the radiation source and emitting radiation that intermingles with the well treatment composition at a target location. The method may include maintaining the wellbore to allow emitted radiation from the activated radiation source to react with the well treatment composition, forming a radiation activated well treatment composition. The method may include allowing the radiation activated well treatment composition to disintegrate or dissolve, breaking encapsulation and releasing treatment agent at the target location.

Claims (33)

1 . A system, comprising:

a well treatment composition comprising a delivery fluid, a capsule within the delivery fluid, and a treatment agent solution within the capsule,

wherein the treatment agent solution comprises an emulsion comprising one or more selected from the group consisting of an oil-in-water emulsion, a water-in-oil emulsion, a water-in-oil-in-water emulsion, and an oil-in-water-in-oil emulsion, and wherein the emulsion includes an internal phase comprising the treatment agent,

wherein the treatment agent solution includes a treatment agent comprising one or more selected from the group consisting of a scale dissolver, a scale inhibitor, a hydrate inhibitor, a halite inhibitor, a corrosion inhibitor, a biocide, a wax control substance, an asphaltene control substance, a demulsifier, a gel breaker, a drag reducer, an oxygen scavenger, a foaming agent, a surfactant, an acid treatment, and a well clean up substance,

wherein the capsule comprises a polymer shell configured to degrade when exposed to radiation, and

wherein the polymer shell comprises one or more selected from the group consisting of melamine-formaldehyde, an urea-formaldehyde, a phenol-formaldehyde resin, a melamine-phenol-formaldehyde resin, a furan-formaldehyde resin, an epoxy resin, a polysiloxane, a polyurethane, a polyether, a polyimide, a polyolefin, a gelatin, a gelatin derivative, a starch, a starch derivative, an ethylene-vinylacetate copolymer, a maleic-anhydride based copolymer, a polyacrylamide, a polyacrylamide based copolymer, a polyvinylpyrrolidone, a polyvinylpyrrolidone based copolymer, a propylene-acrylate copolymer, a propylene-methacrylate copolymers, an oxidized polypropylene, an oxidized polyethylene, a propylene-ethylene oxide copolymer, a styrene-acrylate copolymer, and an acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer; and

a radiation source external to the well treatment composition comprising one or more selected from the group consisting of a neutron source, a gamma source, an X-ray source, and an ultraviolet source.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the delivery fluid comprises water, a delivery fluid surfactant, or a mixture thereof.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the treatment agent solution further comprises one or more selected from the group consisting of a suspension, a polymer filler, and a combination thereof.

4 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the suspension comprises a solid material and a liquid component,

where the solid material comprises the treatment agent, and

where the liquid component is one or more selected from the group consisting of acetone, benzene, methanol, diethyl ether, and a combination thereof.

5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the solid material further comprises one or more selected from the group consisting of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA), tetrasodium glutamate diacetate (GLDA), sulfamic acid, and a combination thereof.

6 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the treatment agent is embedded in the polymer filler, and 1

where the polymer filler comprises one or more selected from the group consisting of an addition polymer of vinyl monomers, a condensation polymer of monomers, and a condensation polymer of prepolymers.

7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the addition polymer of vinyl monomers comprises one or more selected from the group consisting of acrylamide, acrylic acid, acrylic esters, methacrylic acid, methacrylic esters, styrene, 4 -vinylbenzyl chloride, divinylbenzene, and methylenebisacrylamide.

8 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the condensation polymer of monomers comprises one or more selected from the group consisting of melamine-formaldehyde resin, phenol-formaldehyde resin, urea-formaldehyde resin, epoxy resin, urethane resin, urea resin, urethane/urea resin, and polyester resin.

9 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the condensation polymer of prepolymers comprises one or more selected from the group consisting of a methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI)-based prepolymer or a toluene diisocyanate (TDI)-based prepolymer.

10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the scale dissolver comprises one or more selected from the group consisting of an acid-based scale dissolver and a chelant-based scale dissolver.

11 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the acid treatment comprises one or more selected from the group consisting of a mineral acid, a powdered acid, a mixed acid, a retarded acid, and an acid precursor.

12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the retarded acid is a gelled acid.

13 . A method of treating a wellbore or a hydrocarbon formation, comprising:

introducing a well treatment composition comprising a treatment agent solution encapsulated within a polymer shell downhole to a target location in a delivery fluid comprising wellbore circulation fluid,

wherein the treatment agent solution comprises a treatment agent and an emulsion comprising one or more selected from the group consisting of an oil-in-water emulsion, a water-in-oil emulsion, a water-in-oil-in-water emulsion, and an oil-in-ater-in-oil emulsion, and wherein the emulsion includes an internal phase comprising the treatment agent; and

wherein the polymer shell comprises one or more selected from the group consisting of melamine-formaldehyde, an urea-formaldehyde, a phenol-formaldehyde resin, a melamine-phenol-formaldehyde resin, a furan-formaldehyde resin, an epoxy resin, a polysiloxane, a polyurethane, a polyether, a polyimide, a polyolefin, a gelatin, a gelatin derivative, a starch, a starch derivative, an ethylene-vinylacetate copolymer, a maleic-anhydride based copolymer, a polyacrylamide, a polyacrylamide based copolymer, a polyvinylpyrrolidone, a polyvinylpyrrolidone based copolymer, a propylene-acrylate copolymer, a propylene-methacrylate copolymers, an oxidized polypropylene, an oxidized polyethylene, a propylene-ethylene oxide copolymer, a styrene-acrylate copolymer, and an acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer;

introducing a radiation source into the wellbore and positioning the radiation source at the target location;

activating the radiation source and emitting radiation that intimately intermingles with the well treatment composition at the target location, wherein the emitted radiation is one or more selected from the group consisting of neutron, gamma, X-ray, ultraviolet (UV), and a combination thereof;

maintaining the wellbore to allow emitted radiation from the activated radiation source to react with the well treatment composition, thereby forming a radiation activated well treatment composition; and

allowing the radiation activated well treatment composition to disintegrate or dissolve, thereby degrading the polymer shell, breaking encapsulation and releasing treatment agent at the target location.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the well treatment composition comprises a scale dissolver.

15 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the well treatment composition comprises an acid treatment.

16 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the emitting radiation has a depth of penetration of between 1 mm and 100 cm.

17 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the emitting radiation has an energy range of between 10 0 eV and 10 7 eV.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 19, 2026
From: CHEN, TAO
To: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
Reel/Frame 073841/0340 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 19, 2026
From: ZHARNIKOV, TIMUR; ORLOV, MAXIM
To: ARAMCO INNOVATIONS LLC
Reel/Frame 074965/0259 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20250084300A1 · Mar 13, 2025
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