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BR-112022017481-B1 - Formulation for hydrocarbon recovery and methods for recovering a hydrocarbon.

BR112022017481B1BR 112022017481 B1BR112022017481 B1BR 112022017481B1BR-112022017481-B1

Abstract

FORMULATION FOR HYDROCARBON RECOVERY, AND METHOD OF RECOVERING A HYDROCARBON. Surfactants for use in formulations and processes suitable for hydrocarbon recovery. These formulations include formulations suitable for fracking, enhanced oil and/or gas recovery, and the recovery and/or production of bio-based oils.

Inventors

  • Edward Asirvatham

Assignees

  • ADVANSIX RESINS & CHEMICALS LLC

Dates

Publication Date
20260317
Application Date
20210309
Priority Date
20200311

Claims (20)

  1. 1. A formulation for the recovery of hydrocarbons, characterized in that it comprises: at least one surfactant of Formula I, wherein R1 and R2 may be the same or different and may be selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and C1-C6 alkyl, wherein the C1-C6 alkyl may optionally be substituted with one or more substituents selected from the group consisting of hydroxyl, amino, amido, sulfonyl, sulfonate, carbonyl, carboxyl and carboxylate; n is 5; m is an integer from 9 to 20 (including 9 and 20); the terminal nitrogen is optionally further substituted with R3, wherein R3 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, oxygen, hydroxyl and C1-C6 alkyl, wherein the C1-C6 alkyl may optionally be substituted with one or more substituents selected from the group consisting of hydroxyl, amino, amido, sulfonyl, sulfonate, carbonyl, carboxyl and carboxylate; an optional counter-ion associated with the compound which, if present, is selected from the group consisting of chloride, bromide, iodide and hydroxide; and an aqueous phase.
  2. 2. Formulation according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises at least one additional surfactant selected from the group consisting of: an anionic surfactant with a hydrophobic chain of 12 to 24 carbon atoms selected from the group consisting of sulfonate surfactants, sulfate surfactants, cationic surfactants, nonionic surfactants and zwitterionic surfactants.
  3. 3. Formulation according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the aqueous phase comprises at least one inorganic salt, selected from the group consisting of: sodium chloride, sodium sulfate, potassium chloride, magnesium sulfate and magnesium chloride.
  4. 4. Formulation according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it further comprises at least one polymer.
  5. 5. Formulation according to claim 4, characterized in that at least one polymer is selected from the group consisting of: a quaternary ammonium compound, such as a cationic polymer comprising a quaternary diallyl dialkyl ammonium monomer and/or an anionic surfactant, preferably an anionic polymer comprising an anionic monomer selected from the group consisting of acrylic acid, methacrylic acid and combinations thereof, wherein the average molecular weight of said anionic polymer ranges from 50,000 to 10,000,000.
  6. 6. Formulation according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it further includes lecithin or modified lecithin.
  7. 7. Formulation according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that it further comprises at least one water-immiscible solvent.
  8. 8. Formulation according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that it further comprises at least one water-miscible solvent.
  9. 9. Formulation, according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that it further comprises at least one gas selected from the group consisting of: air, nitrogen, carbon dioxide and natural gas.
  10. 10. Formulation, according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that it further includes at least one additive selected from the group consisting of: hydrogen chloride, an ammonium salt, ammonium bicarbonate, ammonium carbonate or ammonium hydroxide, alcohol, crosslinking agent, cracking retardants, particles, propants, gas component, cracking aids, oxygen scavengers, alcohols, scale inhibitors, corrosion inhibitors, fluid loss additives, biocides/bactericides, friction reducers and latex.
  11. 11. Formulation according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the surfactant comprises at least one 6-(dodecyloxy)-N,N,N-trimethyl-6-oxo-hexan-1-ammonium iodide, having the following formula: Dodecyl 6-(dimethylamino)hexanoate N-oxide, having the following formula: 6-(dodecyloxy)-N,N-dimethyl-6-oxohexan-1-amino chloride, having the following formula: 4-((6-(dodecyloxy)-6-oxohexyl)dimethylammonium)butane-1-sulfonate, having the following formula: 6-(dodecyloxy)-6-oxo-hexan-1-ammonium chloride, having the following formula:
  12. 12. A method for recovering a hydrocarbon, characterized in that it comprises the steps of: providing a formulation defined in any one of claims 1 to 11; injecting at least one formulation into a well; and recovering material from the well after the step of injecting the formulation into the well.
  13. 13. A method for recovering a hydrocarbon, characterized in that it comprises the steps of: providing a formulation defined in any one of claims 1 to 11; mixing the formulation with a material that includes a bio-oil; and recovering the bio-oil from the mixture.
  14. 14. Method according to claim 13, characterized in that the material containing the bio-oil is vinasse.
  15. 15. A hydrocarbon recovery method, characterized in that it comprises the steps of: introducing a foamed fluid composition into an oil or gas well and performing an operation with the foamed fluid composition wherein the foamed composition comprises: a base fluid comprising: an oil-based or water-based fluid; a gas, at least one surfactant of Formula I , wherein R1 and R2 may be the same or different and may be selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and C1-C6 alkyl, wherein the C1-C6 alkyl may optionally be substituted with one or more substituents selected from the group consisting of hydroxyl, amino, amido, sulfonyl, sulfonate, carbonyl, carboxyl and carboxylate; n is an integer from 2 to 5 (including 2 and 5); m is an integer from 9 to 20 (including 9 and 20); the terminal nitrogen is optionally further substituted with R3, wherein R3 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, oxygen, hydroxyl and C1-C6 alkyl, wherein the C1-C6 alkyl may optionally be substituted with one or more substituents selected from the group consisting of hydroxyl, amino, amido, sulfonyl, sulfonate, carbonyl, carboxyl and carboxylate; an optional counter-ion associated with the compound which, if present, is selected from the group consisting of chloride, bromide, iodide, and hydroxide.
  16. 16. A method according to claim 15, characterized in that the operation is selected from the group consisting of: a gas lifting operation, a drilling operation, a completion operation, a stimulation operation, a fracturing operation, an injection operation, an enhanced oil recovery operation, and combinations thereof.
  17. 17 Method, according to claim 15 or 16, characterized in that n is 5 in the surfactant of Formula (I).
  18. 18. Method according to claim 15 or 16, characterized in that the surfactant comprises at least one of 6-(dodecyloxy)-N,N,N-trimethyl-6-oxo-hexan-1-ammonium iodide, having the following formula: Dodecyl 6-(dimethylamino)hexanoate N-oxide, having the following formula: 6-(dodecyloxy)-N,N-dimethyl-6-oxohexan-1-amino chloride, having the following formula: 4-((6-(dodecyloxy)-6-oxohexyl)dimethylammonium)butane-1-sulfonate, having the following formula: 6-(dodecyloxy)-6-oxo-hexan-1-ammonium chloride, having the following formula:
  19. 19. A method according to any one of claims 15 to 18, characterized in that the gas is air, carbon dioxide, nitrogen or methane.
  20. 20. A method according to any one of claims 15 to 19, characterized in that the water-based fluid is water, brine, an oil-in-water emulsion, or an oil-in-brine emulsion.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE ON RELATED REQUEST [001] This application claims priority over U.S. Provisional Application 62/988,194, filed March 11, 2020, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. FIELD [002] This disclosure relates to surfactants for use in the production and recovery of hydrocarbons, including oil and gas, from wells, and bio-based process oils. Such surfactants may include amino acid derivatives wherein the derivatives have surfactant properties. FUNDAMENTALS [003] Surfactants (molecules with active surface properties) are widely used in the commercial production of oil and natural gas. These formulations can include a variety of liquids, emulsions, and foams used to recover hydrocarbons from land and bio-based sources. Both oil and natural gas can be found in contact with water or water-soluble substrates; consequently, surfactants can be included in formulations to improve the recovery of oils and/or gases. Ideally, formulations for such production and recovery processes are easy to manufacture, deploy, and, if possible, reuse. [004] Surfactants can be uncharged, zwitterionic, cationic, or anionic. Although, in principle, any class of surfactant (e.g., cationic, anionic, nonionic, amphoteric) is suitable, it is possible that a formulation may include a combination of two or more surfactants from two or more surfactant classes. [005] Surfactants are often amphiphilic molecules with a relatively water-insoluble hydrophobic “tail” group and a relatively water-soluble hydrophilic “head” group. These compounds can adsorb at an interface, such as an interface between two liquids, a liquid and a gas, or a liquid and a solid. In systems comprising relatively polar and relatively nonpolar components, the hydrophobic tail preferentially interacts with the relatively nonpolar component(s), while the hydrophilic head preferentially interacts with the relatively polar component(s). In the case of a water-oil interface, the hydrophilic head group extends preferentially into the water, while the hydrophobic tail extends preferentially into the oil. When added to a water-gas-only interface, the hydrophilic head group extends preferentially into the water, while the hydrophobic tail extends preferentially into the gas. The presence of the surfactant disrupts at least part of the intermolecular interaction between water molecules, replacing at least some of the interactions between water molecules with generally weaker interactions between at least some of the water molecules and the surfactant. This results in lower surface tension and can also serve to stabilize the interface. [006] At sufficiently high concentrations, surfactants can form aggregates that serve to limit the exposure of the hydrophobic tail to the polar solvent. One such aggregate is a micelle. In a typical micelle, the molecules are arranged in a sphere with the hydrophobic tail(s) of the surfactant(s) preferentially located inside the sphere and the hydrophilic heads of the surfactant(s) preferentially located outside the micelle, where the heads preferentially interact with the more polar solvent. The effect that a given compound has on surface tension and the concentration at which it forms micelles can serve as defining characteristics for a surfactant. [007] The development and production of crude oil from oil-bearing formations can include up to three phases: primary, secondary, and tertiary (or enhanced) recovery. During primary recovery, natural energy present in the formation (e.g., water, gas) and/or gravity drives the oil to the production wellbore. As oil is produced from an oil-bearing formation, pressures and/or temperatures within the formation may decrease. Artificial lift techniques (such as pumps) can be used to bring the oil to the surface. Only about 10% of the Original Oil in Place (OOIP) of a reservoir is typically produced during primary recovery. Secondary recovery techniques are employed to extend the productive life of the field and generally involve injecting a displacement fluid, such as water (water flooding), to displace the oil and drive it to a production wellbore. [008] Secondary recovery techniques typically result in the recovery of an additional 20 to 40 percent of a reservoir's OOIP. However, even if flooding continued indefinitely, typically more than half of the OOIP would remain unrecovered. Low mixing efficiency between water and oil (because of the high interfacial tension between water and oil), capillary forces in the formation, formation temperature, salinity of the water in the formation, composition of the oil in the formation, poor sweeping of injected water through the formation, and other factors contribute to inefficiency. Primary and secondary techniques, therefore, leave a significant amount of oil in the reservoir. [009] With much of the easily produced oil already recovered from oil fields, producers have employed tertiary, or enhanced oil recovery (EOR), techniques, which off