Water-Based Carrier Fluid Stabilization Against Premature Polymer Reaction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Water-based treatment fluids used in subterranean operations, such as hydraulic fracturing, suffer from premature polymer reactions due to increased ambient temperatures, leading to instability and inefficiency.
Innovation Solution
A water-based carrier-fluid system comprising a brine saturated with specific salts, viscoelastic surfactants, and salt crystals is developed, where the order of addition ensures that all water is bound, preventing premature polymer reactions by maintaining stability across varying temperatures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If water-based treatment fluids use polymers to alter physical properties, then the treatment fluid can achieve desired functions (viscosity, suspension capability, friction reduction), but the polymer reacts prematurely due to increased ambient temperature, causing instability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the harmful element (water) from the treatment fluid system by using oil-based carrier fluids instead of water-based fluids. This eliminates the premature polymer reaction problem while preserving all desired polymer functions for viscosity modification, suspension capability, and friction reduction in subterranean operations
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the fundamental parameter of the carrier fluid from water-based to oil-based. This parameter change prevents polymer hydrolysis and premature reaction while maintaining the ability to achieve desired physical properties through polymer addition, thereby resolving the contradiction between adaptability and reliability
2Productivity
If cross-linked polymer is used to increase viscosity for proppant transport, then proppant transport efficiency improves, but the polymer reacts prematurely causing loss of control over fluid properties
Solution Approach 1:
By removing water from the carrier fluid system and replacing it with oil-based fluids, the patent eliminates the cause of premature polymer reaction. This allows cross-linked polymers to maintain their structural integrity and provide consistent proppant transport efficiency without unpredictable viscosity changes or gelation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs polymers in oil-based carrier fluids that remain stable during storage and transport, providing reliable proppant transport capability when needed. The oil-based system prevents premature degradation, ensuring the polymer's functionality is preserved until actually deployed in subterranean operations
3Loss of energy
If friction reducing polymer is used in slickwater fracturing to minimize energy loss, then energy efficiency improves, but the polymer often results in increased friction when cross-linked
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes water from the carrier fluid and replaces it with oil-based fluids, eliminating the chemical environment that causes unwanted friction when polymers cross-link. This allows friction-reducing polymers to function as intended, minimizing energy loss during pumping operations without generating harmful friction increases
Solution Approach 2:
The oil-based carrier fluid acts as an intermediary between the friction-reducing polymer and the subterranean formation. This intermediary prevents the harmful interactions that occur in water-based systems, allowing the polymer to reduce friction and energy loss without causing the opposite effect through unwanted cross-linking reactions
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system maintains stability and delays polymer reactions, ensuring consistent performance and efficiency in subterranean operations even at elevated temperatures.
Implementation Method 1
a water-based carrier-fluid system comprising: a brine formed from water saturated with at least one saturation salt
Implementation Method 2
a viscoelastic surfactant
Implementation Method 3
The friction reducing polymer facilitates laminar flow of the treatment fluid, which causes less frictional forces and energy loss than turbulent flow of the same fluid
Data Source
AI summary
A water-based carrier-fluid system comprising a brine formed from water saturated with at least one saturation salt, a viscoelastic surfactant, and one or more salt crystals. The water-based carrier-fluid system is formed by adding the viscoelastic surfactant to the brine to produce a first mixture prior to the one or more salt crystals being added to the mixture. The salt in the salt crystals has a Ksp value equal to or greater than the saturation salt.