The Queen's University of Belfast

Petroliam Nasional Berhad

David Wassell

Kenneth Richard Seddon

Martin Philip Atkins

Mark Shelton Aston

Natalia V Plechkova

Yong Cheun Kuah

Julien Estager

Alberto Puga

Shieling Ng

Alex Oliferenko

The invention provides a wellbore fluid which comprises an aqueous continuous phase and, dissolved in said aqueous continuous phase, at least one salt containing an imidazolium cation having at least 6 carbon atoms, and a method of carrying out a wellbore operation, which comprises introducing into a wellbore in a clay-containing formation, a wellbore fluid according to the invention. The described salts are effective shale inhibitors.

Aqueous-based wellbore fluids

The present invention relates to the separation of gases, and more specifically to an inventive process for the removal of carbon dioxide gas using carefully selected ionic liquid absorbents together with water in a carefully selected ratio.

Removal of carbon dioxide from a gas stream by using aqueous ionic liquid

The invention provides a wellbore fluid which comprises an aqueous continuous phase and, dissolved in said aqueous continuous phase, at least one salt which exists in a liquid state at a temperature below 150&#xb0; C. and which has an ammonium, phosphonium or sulfonium cation containing at least 5 carbon atoms, or a quaternised nitrogen-containing heterocyclic cation containing at least 6 carbon atoms; provided that said salt is not 2-hydroxy-N,N,N-trimethyl ethanaminium acetate; and a method of carrying out a wellbore operation, which comprises introducing into a wellbore in a clay-containing formation, a wellbore fluid according to the invention. The described salts are effective shale inhibitors.

Aspects of the disclosure relate to the separation of gases and to a process for the removal of carbon dioxide gas using liquid absorbents. A process is disclosed for removing carbon dioxide from a gaseous stream comprising contacting the gaseous stream with a carbon dioxide absorbent comprising a mixture of an ionic liquid and water in a molar ratio of from 10:1 to 1:10, wherein the ionic liquid has the formula: [Cat+][X&#x2212;].

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Belfast, United Kingdom

David Wassell