Thermoplastic Polyamide Tracer Particles for Stimulated Gas-Well Monitoring

Solution Overview

Problem

Current tracer technology for monitoring gas production in subterranean formations is limited, especially after acidizing and fracturing jobs, due to expensive and toxic fluorinated molecules, and the presence of trace amounts of chemicals makes unambiguous detection difficult.

Innovation Solution

Introduce a polymer composite particle composed of a degradable polymer blend and a color masterbatch into a stimulation fluid, which degrades over 20-60 days to produce a tracer, allowing accurate monitoring of gas production by correlating tracer presence in produced gas.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If fluorinated or deuterated gaseous molecules are used as chemical tracers, then detection precision is improved, but cost increases and environmental harm worsens

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedetection precisionVSAvoidenvironmental harm

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses biodegradable polymer particles as tracers instead of expensive fluorinated molecules. These polymer particles are inexpensive, environmentally friendly, and designed to degrade over time in the subsurface, eliminating the need for costly specialized detection equipment while reducing environmental harm.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the chemical form of the tracer from gaseous fluorinated molecules to solid biodegradable polymer particles. This parameter change allows the tracer to be detected through physical presence and degradation products rather than requiring specialized spectroscopic detection, thereby reducing cost and environmental impact while maintaining detection capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Measurement precision

If fluorinated or deuterated gaseous molecules are used as chemical tracers, then detection precision is improved, but cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedetection precisionVSAvoidcost

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses biodegradable polymer particles as tracers instead of expensive fluorinated molecules. These polymer particles are inexpensive, environmentally friendly, and designed to degrade over time in the subsurface, eliminating the need for costly specialized detection equipment while reducing environmental harm.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

3Productivity

If trace amounts of chemicals are used as tracers, then gas production monitoring is achieved, but detection difficulty increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvegas production monitoringVSAvoiddetection difficulty

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The patent incorporates colorants into the biodegradable polymer particles, causing them to change color or exhibit fluorescent properties as they degrade. This allows for easy visual or optical detection of the tracer and its degradation products, significantly reducing detection difficulty compared to trace chemical analysis.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #32Color changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the chemical form of the tracer from gaseous fluorinated molecules to solid biodegradable polymer particles. This parameter change allows the tracer to be detected through physical presence and degradation products rather than requiring specialized spectroscopic detection, thereby reducing cost and environmental impact while maintaining detection capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

4Measurement precision

If special tools are installed downhole to monitor gas production, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvegas production monitoring accuracyVSAvoiddownhole tool complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces complex mechanical downhole monitoring tools with simple biodegradable polymer particle tracers. The tracers are injected with the stimulation fluid and passively indicate gas production through their presence and degradation, eliminating the need for expensive, complex electronic sensing equipment downhole.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

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

Provides cost-effective, environmentally friendly tracer monitoring that accurately tracks gas production from specific zones in subterranean formations, enhancing detection and analysis.

Implementation Method 1

the moisture degrades the degradable polymer blend in the amount of time ranging from 20 to 60 days thus producing a tracer

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHydrolysis: Hydrolysis

Data Source

PatentUS20250333642A1Tracer release in stimulated gas wells using partially degradable thermoplastic polyamide particulates

Publication Date: 2025.10.30 SAUDI ARABIAN OIL CO

AI summary

A method includes introducing a polymer composite particle including a degradable polymer and a color masterbatch into a stimulation fluid; injecting the stimulation fluid into an opening of the subterranean formation; maintaining the polymer composite particle inside the opening during which the polymer composite particle is exposed to moisture at a downhole temperature, where moisture degrades the degradable polymer blend over a period of 20 to 60 days and produces a tracer; recovering produced gas including the tracer from the subterranean formation; determining the tracer in the produced gas; and correlating the tracer to the opening of the subterranean formation. A composition includes a polymer composite particle of a degradable polymer and a color masterbatch and stimulation fluid. A method includes blending a degradable polymer with a color masterbatch to provide a degradable polymer blend in a polymer composite particle and introducing the polymer composite particle into a stimulation fluid.