Foaming Composition Wettability Corrosion High Salinity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current technologies face challenges in enhancing crude oil recovery in naturally fractured carbonate reservoirs due to issues with fluid channeling, rock wettability, and corrosion in high-temperature, ultra-high salinity conditions, where existing foaming agents and surfactants lose stability and effectiveness.
Innovation Solution
The development of foaming compositions that utilize the synergistic effect of alkyl amido propyl hydroxysultaines or alkyl hydroxysultaines with sodium alkyl hydroxysulfonates and sodium alkenyl sulfonates, forming supramolecular complexes that improve stability, alter rock wettability, and inhibit corrosion, even in harsh conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional foaming agents and surfactants are used in high-temperature and ultra-high salinity conditions, then crude oil recovery enhancement is attempted, but the foaming agents lose stability and effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses composite surfactant formulations combining multiple surfactant types (anionic, cationic, nonionic, and zwitterionic surfactants) to create a synergistic effect that maintains foam stability at high temperatures and ultra-high salinity conditions where single-component surfactants fail
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies surfactant molecular structures and compositions to change their physical and chemical parameters, creating surfactants with enhanced thermal stability and salinity tolerance that maintain effectiveness in extreme reservoir conditions
2Productivity
If traditional foaming agents are used to control fluid channeling, then some mobility control is achieved, but uniform corrosion problems occur in production rigs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent develops multi-functional surfactant compositions that simultaneously provide foam stability for fluid mobility control and corrosion inhibition for production equipment, eliminating the need for separate chemical treatments
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces corrosion inhibitor additives as intermediary substances that form protective films on metal surfaces, mediating between the aqueous foam system and the production rig metals to prevent direct corrosive interaction
3Adaptability or versatility
If conventional surfactants are used to alter rock wettability, then some wettability modification occurs, but the effect is insufficient in ultra-high salinity environments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical parameters of surfactants by selecting specific molecular structures with appropriate hydrophobic and hydrophilic balance that maintain interfacial activity and wettability modification capability even in the presence of ultra-high concentrations of divalent ions
4Ease of manufacture
If sea water and/or congenital water are used as transportation means for foaming composition, then cost is reduced, but the high divalent ion content challenges surfactant stability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the surfactant formulation self-adapting to the specific water chemistry conditions (sea water or congenital water) by incorporating ingredients that automatically adjust to the local divalent ion content, eliminating the need for pre-treatment or optimization for each specific water source
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
These foaming compositions significantly enhance crude oil recovery by stabilizing foams, altering rock wettability from oil-wettable to water-wettable, and reducing corrosion in production rigs, maintaining effectiveness at high temperatures and salinity levels.
Implementation Method 1
The foaming composition provides a synergistic effect resulting from the supramolecular interaction of alkyl amido propyl hydroxysultaines or alkyl hydroxysultaines with sodium alkyl hydroxysulfonates and sodium alkenyl sulfonates
Implementation Method 2
The foaming compositions alter the rock wettability in crude oil enhanced recovery processes
Implementation Method 3
The foaming composition reduces corrosion and reduces pitting of ferrous metals and components of the well equipment. The foaming compositions with wettability-modifying and corrosion inhibitory properties
Data Source
AI summary
A foaming composition with wettability-modifying and corrosion inhibitory properties is used to control the channeling of fluids in naturally fractured carbonate reservoirs, favorably alter the rock wettability in crude oil enhanced recovery processes and control uniform corrosion problems occurring in production rigs under high temperature and ultra-high salinity conditions by the synergistic effect resulting from the supramolecular interaction of alkyl amido propyl hydroxysultaines or alkyl hydroxysultaines with sodium alkyl hydroxysulfonates and sodium alkenyl sulfonates having the formula (1). The foaming compositions with wettability-modifying and corrosion inhibitory properties are tolerant to high concentrations of divalent ions such as calcium, magnesium, strontium and barium and are suitable for use in the reservoir, seawater and/or congenital water characteristic of the reservoir for transporting the crude oil from the reservoir.