Dual-Functional Breaker Emulsion for Hybrid Fluid Viscosity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current fracturing fluids used in hydrocarbon extraction, particularly those gelled with viscoelastic surfactants and polymers, face challenges in viscosity reduction, leading to incomplete fracture conductivity and residual polymer issues, requiring separate breaker systems that are not efficient.
Innovation Solution
A dual-functional breaker emulsion is introduced, comprising an oil external phase with an oil-soluble surfactant and a water internal phase containing a water-soluble polymer breaker, such as an oxidizer, enzyme, or acid, to effectively reduce the viscosity of hybrid fluids gelled with both viscoelastic surfactants and polymers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If separate breaker systems are used for VES-gelled fluids and polymer-gelled fluids, then each breaker can be optimized for its specific target, but the overall system complexity increases and operational efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines separate breaker systems into a single integrated dual-functional breaker that can break both VES-gelled fluids and polymer-gelled fluids. This breaker contains both a VES breaker component and a polymer breaker component, allowing one product to replace two separate products and simplify the overall system while maintaining effectiveness against both gel types.
Solution Approach 2:
The dual-functional breaker is designed to perform multiple functions: it can break VES-gelled fluids through its VES breaker component and simultaneously break polymer-gelled fluids through its polymer breaker component. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate specialized breakers for each gel type, reducing system complexity while maintaining targeted effectiveness.
2Productivity
If conventional single-functional breakers are used, then the system is simpler, but complete viscosity reduction and fracture conductivity enhancement cannot be achieved in hybrid fluids
Solution Approach 1:
The dual-functional breaker merges the breaking mechanisms for VES and polymers into a single integrated system. By combining both breaker functions in one product, the system achieves complete viscosity reduction of hybrid fluids without requiring multiple separate treatment steps or products, thereby enhancing fracture conductivity while maintaining operational simplicity.
3Reliability
If hybrid fluids are used to combine advantages of VES and polymer gelling, then fluid performance is improved, but viscosity reduction becomes more difficult requiring complex breaker systems
Solution Approach 1:
The dual-functional breaker combines targeted breaking mechanisms for both VES and polymer components into a single product. This allows hybrid fluids to maintain their stability advantages while being easily broken by a single dual-functional breaker, eliminating the need for complex multi-component breaker systems and improving operational ease.
Solution Approach 2:
The dual-functional breaker provides universal breaking capability for both VES-gelled and polymer-gelled components within hybrid fluids. This multi-functional approach maintains the fluid stability benefits of hybrid formulations while enabling efficient and simple viscosity reduction through a single breaker system that addresses both gel types simultaneously.
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 dual-functional breaker emulsion allows for controlled and complete viscosity reduction of hybrid fluids, enhancing fracture conductivity and facilitating the removal of residual polymers, improving the efficiency of hydrocarbon extraction processes.
Implementation Method 1
an oil external phase containing an oil-soluble surfactant
Implementation Method 2
a water internal phase containing a water-soluble polymer breaker, such as an oxidizer, an enzyme and/or an acid
Data Source
AI summary
Incorporating water-based polymer breakers, such as oxidizers, enzymes and/or acids, into a mixture of an oil and oil-soluble surfactants creates an emulsion that can then perform as a dual-functional breaker for reducing the viscosity of hybrid fluids gelled with both a viscoelastic surfactant (VES) and a polymer. The outer phase of the dual-functional breaker emulsion is oil, e.g. a mineral oil, containing an oil-soluble surfactant that will, over time and with heat, break the VES portion of the gel. As it does so, the polymer breaker in the internal aqueous phase will be released to then break the polymer portion of the gel. The polymer breaker will not start to break the polymer gel before the oil-soluble surfactant starts to break the VES gel. The overall breaking using the emulsion is slower as compared to introducing the polymer breaker and the oil-soluble surfactant in a non-emulsified form.