Stabilized Friction Reducer Emulsions for Hydraulic Fracturing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hydraulic fracturing operations face challenges with the stability and hydration speed of inverse emulsions containing friction reducer polymers, such as polyacrylamides, which are affected by extreme temperatures and high flow rates, leading to flocculation, creaming, or gelation, and limited polymer release, impacting friction reduction performance.
Innovation Solution
The use of a specific emulsifier package comprising alkanolamides and a block copolymer in the inverse emulsion, where the block copolymer acts as an emulsifier, enhancing stability and emulsification, and the alkanolamide emulsifier improves the storage stability and hydration speed of the friction reducer polymers, ensuring complete and rapid release during hydraulic fracturing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If inverse emulsion is used for friction reducer polymer delivery, then flowable high active formulations with fast hydration are achieved, but storage stability deteriorates under extreme temperatures leading to flocculation, creaming or gelation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite emulsifier system combining two different emulsifiers with distinct functions: one emulsifier provides rapid emulsification and hydration promotion, while the second emulsifier provides thermal stability and prevents flocculation, creaming, or gelation during storage. This composite approach allows the inverse emulsion to simultaneously achieve fast hydration and stable storage.
2Speed
If inverse emulsion polymers are used for friction reduction, then high flow rate is achieved, but polymer release is limited due to stable multiple emulsion drops entrapping polymer aggregates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a specific emulsifier package that acts as an intermediary to modify the emulsion structure. This emulsifier system prevents the formation of stable multiple emulsion drops that would trap polymer aggregates, thereby facilitating complete polymer release into the continuous phase while maintaining the flowable characteristics of the inverse emulsion.
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional emulsifiers are used in inverse emulsion, then emulsification is achieved, but storage stability under extreme temperatures deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical parameters of the emulsifier system by selecting emulsifiers with specific molecular structures and properties that provide both good emulsification and thermal stability. The emulsifiers are chosen based on their hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) values and molecular weight to optimize both emulsification efficiency and storage stability under extreme temperature conditions.
Data Source
AI summary
The instant invention friction reducer formulation comprising friction reducer polymers such as PAM within the dispersed phase of an inverse emulsion containing a composition C which comprises a mixture of: —at least an alkanolamide emulsifier; and —a block copolymer comprising: —a hydrophilic block A comprising units deriving from a mono-alpha-ethylenically-unsaturated monomers; and —a hydrophobic block B.