High temperature aqueous-based zirconium crosslinking composition and use

a zirconium and composition technology, applied in the direction of fluid removal, chemistry apparatus and processes, borehole/well accessories, etc., can solve the problems of uneconomic recovery, reduced production rate, and inability to cross-link with known cross-linking compositions

Inactive Publication Date: 2009-05-07
DORF KETAL SPECIALITY CATALYSTS
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0010]The present invention provides a fracturing fluid or crosslinking composition suitable for use at high temperature comprising (a) an aqueous liquid, (b) brine, (c) a thermal stabilizer, (d) a non-delaying alkaline buffer sufficient to provide a pH of less than 9, (e) an organic acid, (f) hydroxypropyl guar and (g) a zirconium crosslinking agent. Preferably pH is from 7.5 to 8.9, more preferably from 8.0 to 8.9. Preferably the buffer is sodium carbonate or potassium carbonate. More preferably the buffer is sodium

Problems solved by technology

Typically, less than one third of available oil is extracted from a well after it has been fractured before production rates decrease to a point at which recovery becomes uneconomical.
Ideally, such techniques (commonly called flooding techniques) provide a bank of oil of substantial depth being driven into a producing well; however, in practice this is frequently not the case.
Cross-linked fluids or gels, whether for fracturing a subterranean formation or for reducing permeability of zones in subterranean formation, are now being used in hotter and deeper wells under a variety of temperature and pH conditions, where rates of cross-linking with known cross-linking compositions may be unacceptable.
Commercially available zirconium complexes of triethanolamine do not cross-link at desirable rates for all organic polymers, for example, too fast, or they do not maintain adequate viscosity in the cross-linked fluid under high pH conditions and / or temperatures of about 275° F.
(135° C.) and higher, causing a significant loss in viscosity due to shear degradation, which can also result in a sand out.
However, when HPG is crosslinked using a zirconium crosslinker under certain conditions, such as at high temperature, viscosity is unacceptably low.

Method used

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Examples

Experimental program
Comparison scheme
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examples

[0041]The zirconium crosslinkers, zirconium lactate sodium salt (TYZOR 217 organic zirconate), alkanolamino zirconate (TYZOR 212 organic zirconate) and triethanolamino zirconate (TYZOR TEAZ organic zirconate), are all commercially available from E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, Wilmington, Del. Zirconium lactate ammonium salt was made by reacting zirconium oxychloride with lactic acid, followed by neutralization with ammonium hydroxide.

[0042]Carboxymethylhydroxypropylguar (CMHPG), hydroxypropylguar (HPG) and natural guar are commercially available from Rhodia, Inc., NJ. All other chemicals used herein were purchased from Aldrich Chemical Company, Milwaukee, Wis.

examples 1-5

[0048]A base gel was prepared by adding distilled water (1 L) to a Waring blender jar and KCl brine (20 g) was added. The solution was agitated. Sodium thiosulfate pentahydrate (2.4 g), fumaric acid (0.55 g) and hydroxypropyl guar (HPG, 6.0 g) were added to the solution simultaneously (i.e., less than 60 seconds for the addition) and the solution was agitated for 30 minutes. The pH was then adjusted to pH 7.8-8.8 with sodium carbonate (buffer). The agitation was stopped and the gel was allowed to stand for 30 minutes prior to adding zirconium crosslinker to produce a fracturing fluid.

example 6

[0049]A base gel was prepared by adding distilled water (1 L) to a Waring blender jar and KCl brine (20 g) was added. The solution was agitated. Sodium thiosulfate pentahydrate (2.4 g), acetic acid (0.58 g) and hydroxypropyl guar (HPG, 6.0 g) were added to the solution and the solution was agitated for 30 minutes. The pH was then adjusted to pH 8.8 with sodium carbonate (buffer). The agitation was stopped and the gel was allowed to stand for 30 minutes prior to adding zirconium crosslinker to produce a fracturing fluid.

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PUM

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Abstract

A fracturing fluid or crosslinking composition suitable for use at high temperature (275-340° F., 135-171° C.) comprising (a) an aqueous liquid, (b) brine, (c) a thermal stabilizer, (d) a non-delaying alkaline buffer sufficient to provide a pH less than 9, (e) an organic acid, (f) hydroxypropyl guar and (g) a zirconium crosslinking agent. The composition is useful as a fracturing fluid in oil field applications, for example, for hydraulically fracturing a subterranean formation or selectively plugging a permeable zone or leak in a subterranean formation.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]The present invention relates to zirconium-based crosslinking compositions and their use in oil field applications such as hydraulic fracturing and plugging of permeable zones.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]The production of oil and natural gas from an underground well (subterranean formation) can be stimulated by a technique called hydraulic fracturing, in which a viscous fluid composition (fracturing fluid) containing a suspended proppant (e.g., sand, bauxite) is introduced into an oil or gas well via a conduit, such as tubing or casing, at a flow rate and a pressure which create, reopen and / or extend a fracture into the oil- or gas-containing formation. The proppant is carried into the fracture by the fluid composition and prevents closure of the formation after pressure is released. Leak-off of the fluid composition into the formation is limited by the fluid viscosity of the composition. Fluid viscosity also permits suspension of the proppant in the...

Claims

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Application Information

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IPC IPC(8): E21B43/267
CPCC09K8/512C09K8/887C09K8/685
Inventor YOU, FENGXIANG
Owner DORF KETAL SPECIALITY CATALYSTS
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