Inverse Emulsion Polymer Composition for Rapid Dissolution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional polymer flooding in enhanced oil recovery (EOR) requires large volumes of aqueous polymer solutions, which are time-consuming to prepare on-site, especially in offshore production where space and equipment costs are significant, and existing methods struggle to achieve rapid dissolution and prevent formation plugging.
Innovation Solution
An inverse emulsion composition comprising hydrophobic liquids, acrylamide-(co)polymers, emulsifier surfactants, and inverting surfactants that can quickly invert in an aqueous solution to form a polymer solution with improved filterability and viscosity, reducing the risk of formation plugging and enhancing oil recovery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional dry powder polymer dissolution is used on-site, then polymer flooding can be performed, but the dissolution process is time-consuming and requires significant space and expensive equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The polymer is pre-dissolved and concentrated into an inverse emulsion form before transport to the well site. This preliminary preparation eliminates the time-consuming on-site dissolution process, as the polymer is already in a ready-to-use concentrated form that only requires dilution with formation water or brine at the injection point.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the physical state and concentration parameters of the polymer from dry powder (0.05-0.5 wt%) to concentrated inverse emulsion (30 wt%). This parameter transformation enables rapid deployment by eliminating the dissolution step while maintaining the required polymer concentration for effective flooding.
2Ease of manufacture
If conventional dry powder polymer is used, then polymer flooding can be implemented, but the equipment and space requirements are significant and expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the dissolution function from the on-site operation by pre-preparing the polymer in inverse emulsion form at a centralized location. This removes the need for complex dissolution equipment, mixers, and large preparation spaces at the well site, leaving only simple dilution and injection operations.
3Productivity
If inverse emulsion is used instead of dry powder, then dissolution time is reduced, but the composition becomes more complex with multiple components
Solution Approach 1:
The invention creates a composite inverse emulsion system combining polymer, hydrophobic liquid, emulsifier surfactant, and inverting surfactant. This composite structure enables the polymer to be delivered in a pre-dissolved, stable, concentrated form that rapidly converts to the desired aqueous solution upon contact with formation water, achieving fast deployment despite the multi-component formulation.
4Quantity of substance
If polymer concentration is increased to reduce volume, then transport efficiency improves, but the risk of formation plugging increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention utilizes phase transition of the inverse emulsion from a hydrophobic continuous phase to an aqueous continuous phase upon contact with formation water or brine. This phase transition mechanism ensures that the high-concentration polymer (30 wt%) is delivered in a stable emulsion form that automatically converts to the appropriate aqueous solution concentration, maintaining high transport efficiency while preventing formation plugging through controlled phase change.
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 inverse emulsion composition allows for rapid dissolution and improved injectivity, reducing the time required for polymer solution preparation and preventing formation plugging, thereby enhancing oil recovery efficiency and reducing operational costs.
Implementation Method 1
An inverse emulsion composition comprising hydrophobic liquids, acrylamide-(co)polymers, emulsifier surfactants, and inverting surfactants that can quickly invert in an aqueous solution to form a polymer solution
Implementation Method 2
one or more emulsifier surfactants; and one or more inverting surfactants
Data Source
AI summary
An inverse emulsion composition comprising: one or more hydrophobic liquids having a boiling point at least about 100° C.; up to about 38% by weight of one or more acrylamide-(co)polymers; one or more emulsifier surfactants; and one or more inverting surfactants; wherein, when the composition is inverted in an aqueous solution, it provides an inverted solution having a filter ratio using a 1.2 micron filter (FR1.2) of about 1.5 or less.