Hydrogen Peroxide EOR Fluid for Permeability Recovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) methods, such as waterflooding and gas flooding, face inefficiencies due to preferential water flow zones and reduced permeability, leading to decreased oil recovery rates and increased formation damage from man-induced activities like drilling and fracturing.
Innovation Solution
A fluid formulation comprising hydrogen peroxide, non-ionic surfactants, alkali metal chelates, and cosolvents is applied to wellbores and subterranean formations, decomposing to produce gas phases that increase permeability, stabilize peroxygens, and reduce clay swelling, thereby enhancing oil and gas recovery by creating secondary porosity and reducing formation damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional waterflooding or gas flooding is used for EOR, then oil recovery can be improved, but preferential water flow zones form and permeability decreases leading to reduced recovery rates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical and chemical parameters of the flooding fluid by incorporating hydrogen peroxide, surfactants, and cosolvents. The hydrogen peroxide decomposes to generate oxygen gas bubbles that alter fluid density and flow characteristics, while surfactants modify interfacial tension to prevent preferential water flow zones, thereby maintaining formation permeability stability during the EOR process
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a composite flooding fluid composition containing multiple components: hydrogen peroxide (oxidant), surfactants (surface active agents), and cosolvents. This composite formulation works synergistically to improve oil recovery while preventing formation damage - the hydrogen peroxide provides gas generation, surfactants prevent emulsion formation and maintain permeability, and cosolvents enhance solubility and distribution
2Productivity
If thermal methods are used for EOR, then oil recovery can be improved, but large energy inputs are required making the process costly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces thermal energy input with chemical energy input. Instead of using external heat sources (steam injection, in-situ combustion) to reduce oil viscosity and improve recovery, the system uses hydrogen peroxide decomposition to generate oxygen gas in-situ, which oxidizes hydrocarbons and generates pressure-driven flow to enhance oil recovery without requiring large external energy inputs
Solution Approach 2:
The hydrogen peroxide serves as both the oxidant and the gas generation source. When injected into the formation, it decomposes autonomously to produce oxygen gas bubbles that provide the driving force for oil displacement, eliminating the need for external energy sources and making the process self-sustaining once injected
3Productivity
If miscible methods using CO2 flooding are used, then oil recovery can be improved, but large quantities of hydrocarbons and gases are required increasing cost
Solution Approach 1:
The hydrogen peroxide acts as an in-situ gas generator, producing oxygen gas directly within the formation during the EOR process. This eliminates the need to transport and inject large quantities of external gas (like CO2), as the gas is generated autonomously from the injected liquid peroxide solution, reducing both material handling requirements and operational costs
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 solution increases absolute and relative permeability, improves oil flow characteristics, and enhances hydrocarbon recovery by generating in situ gas pressure, reducing preferential water flow, and mitigating formation damage, resulting in increased areal and vertical sweep efficiencies compared to traditional EOR methods.
Implementation Method 1
Hydrogen peroxide or a hydrogen peroxide producing liquid phase composition can be applied to all or a portion of a well bore and to a portion of a subterranean formation that upon direct reduction or free radical-based reduction decomposes to produce a gas phase
Implementation Method 2
The surfactants and cosolvents can provide further stabilization of the peroxygens in the well bore and subterranean formation
Implementation Method 3
The alkali metal chelate can serve the purpose of scavenging ionic or bound phases of metals in a formation, such as iron, thereby extending the life of the peroxygen and making the peroxygen more stable in the well bore or subterranean formation
Implementation Method 4
The pressure of the gas phase in combination with the surfactant and cosolvent provides novel physical and chemical reactions in the well bore and the subterranean formation that increases the recovery of oil and gas hydrocarbons from a subterranean formation
Data Source
AI summary
A method of using a fluid formulation for increasing flow, production, or recovery of oil and gas hydrocarbons from a subterranean formation. Components including a peroxygen, surfactant, alkali metal chelate, and a cosolvent into a hydrocarbon bearing subterranean formation having a blockage or accumulation of material. Oxygen or carbon dioxide gas is generated by decomposition of the peroxygen which creates gas pressure in the formation. The formed gas pressure mobilizes, degrades, removes, releases, realigns or redistributes the material causing the blockage or accumulation physically. The aggregate pH of the components is less than about 10 or a concentration of alkali metal chelate is greater than about 0.2% and less than about 5% by weight of non-water components.