University of Kansas

Conocophillips Company

The Texas A&m University System

Jenn-Tai Liang

Cory Berkland

Ahmad Moradi-Araghi

Riley Bryan Needham

Min Cheng

James H Hedges

Faye Lynn Scully

Huili Guan

Terry M Christian

David R Zornes

James P Johnson

Ying-Ying Lin

Mary Cordova

G Paul Willhite

Ahmad Moradiaraghi

Hulli Guan

Stephen J Johnson

Andrew B Woodside

Ramesh S Sarathi

Riley Byran Needham

David Russell Zornes

James Pryor Johnson

Aaron M Scurto

William Gilbert

Corbin D Andersen

James Herbert Hedges

Michael J Geier

The invention is directed to stable and labile crosslinked water swellable polymeric microparticles that can be further gelled by covalent crosslinking in a transamidation reaction, methods for making same, and their various uses in the hygiene and medical arts, gel electrophoresis, packaging, agriculture, the cable industry, information technology, in the food industry, papermaking, use as flocculation aids, and the like. More particularly, the invention relates to a composition comprising expandable polymeric microparticles having labile crosslinkers and stable crosslinkers, said microparticle mixed with a fluid and an unreacted tertiary crosslinker comprising PEI or other polyamine based tertiary crosslinker that is capable of further crosslinking the microparticle on degradation of the labile crosslinker and swelling of the particle, so as to form a stable gel. A particularly important use is as an injection fluid in petroleum production, where the expandable polymeric microparticles are injected into a well and when the heat and/or pH of the well cause degradation of the labile crosslinker and when the microparticle expands, the tertiary crosslinker crosslinks the polymer to form a stable gel, thus diverting water to lower permeability regions and improving oil recovery.

Crosslinking of swellable polymer with PEI

The disclosure is directed to methods and compositions delaying the gelation of polymers in water flooding by sequentially or co-injecting a carboxylate-containing polymer solution, a gel-delaying polymer, and gelation agent into a hydrocarbon reservoir. Delays of weeks are observed.

Delayed gelation of polymers

The instant application relates to nanogels or compositions that hold multivalent metal ions until some level of nanogel degradation has occurred, then slowly release the multivalent metal ions for gelation with carboxylate containing polymers. Compositions comprising such nanogels, together with polymers that can be crosslinked with multivalent metal ions, allow the deployment of such mixtures in various applications, and greatly increased gelation times.

Nanogels for delayed gelation

The invention is directed to delayed gelation agents comprising a degradable polymeric cage containing therein one or more gelation agents. The cage degrades in situ, e.g, in an oil reservoir, thus releasing the gelation agent(s), which can then crosslink second polymers in situ to form a gel.

Delayed gelling agents

Provided herein are drilling muds, including water-based drilling muds. The components of the drilling muds are a degradable fluid loss additive, for example, synthetic degradable nanoparticles, a clay mineral, for example, a smectite, and a base fluid, for example, water. Also provide are methods for preventing leak-off during a drilling operation and for automatically cleaning-up filter cake after completion of a drilling process both of which utilize the drilling muds and water-based drilling muds.

Degradable polymeric nanoparticles and uses thereof

Provided herein is a hydraulic fracturing fluid containing enzyme encapsulated hydrogel nanoparticles and a breaker composition of a viscosifier-degrading enzyme encapsulated in the hydrogel nanoparticle. Also provided are methods for hydraulic fracturing utilizing hydrogel nanoparticles encapsulating an enzyme as a breaker to prevent the premature degradation of the fracturing fluid, to improve transport and placement of the proppant and to facilitate subsequent cleaning of the fracturing fluid.

Enzyme-encapsulated hydrogel nanoparticles for hydraulic fracturing fluid cleanup

A variety of fluid loss control compositions and methods are provided for controlling fluid loss in a cementing operation. As described herein, polyelectrolyte complex nanoparticles and fluid loss control compositions containing polyelectrolyte complex nanoparticles can be effective for fluid loss control in a variety of cementing operations. Methods of making and methods of using the electrolyte complex nanoparticles and fluid loss control compositions containing polyelectrolyte complex nanoparticles are also provided. The polyelectrolyte complex nanoparticles can include a polycation polymer such as a branched chain polyethylenimine, and a polyanion polymer such as polyacrylic acid or poly(vinylsulfonic) acid. The polyelectrolyte complex nanoparticles can contain additional additives such as metal ions or fluid loss additives such as a cellulose polymer.

Application of polyelectrolyte complex nanoparticles to fluid loss control of oil well cementing

The disclosure is directed to polyelectrolyte complex nanoparticles that can be used to deliver agents deep into hydrocarbon reservoirs. Methods of making and using said polyelectrolyte complex nanoparticles are also provided.

The invention is directed to stable and labile crosslinked water swellable polymeric microparticles that can be further gelled, methods for making same, and their various uses in the hygiene and medical arts, gel electrophoresis, packaging, agriculture, the cable industry, information technology, in the food industry, papermaking, use as flocculation aids, and the like. More particularly, the invention relates to a composition comprising expandable polymeric microparticles having labile crosslinkers and stable crosslinkers, said microparticle mixed with a fluid and an unreacted tertiary crosslinker comprising PEI or other polyamine based tertiary crosslinker that is capable of further crosslinking the microparticle on degradation of the labile crosslinker and swelling of the particle, so as to form a stable gel. A particularly important use is as an injection fluid in petroleum production, where the expandable polymeric microparticles are injected into a well and when the heat and/or pH of the well cause degradation of the labile crosslinker and when the microparticle expands, the tertiary crosslinker crosslinks the polymer to form a stable gel, thus diverting water to lower permeability regions and improving oil recovery.

The disclosure is directed to low molecular weight polyelectrolyte complex nanoparticles that can be used to deliver agents deep into hydrocarbon reservoirs. Methods of making and using said polyelectrolyte complex nanoparticles are also provided.

Low molecular weight polyacrylates for EOR

The invention is directed to polymers that self-crosslink at acidic pH or can be crosslinked by phenolic agents in brine. Such polymers have lower viscosity and can be pumped deep into reservoirs, where they will cross link in situ, thus increasing their viscosity and/or form a gel and blocking thief zones. Methods of making and using such polymers are also provided.

Low pH crosslinking of polymers

Provided herein are compositions and methods for degrading polymer systems. These compositions and methods can be used to effectively degrade a range of polymers commonly used in oil and gas operations, including polymers with carbon-carbon backbones such as polyacrylamides. Further, these compositions and methods can simultaneously degrade other organic molecules and pollutants associated with oil and gas operations. The compositions and methods described herein employ reactants that are more environmentally-friendly than conventional methods and components used in, for example, polymer breaking processes.

Growing community of inventors

Lawrence, KS, United States of America

Jenn-Tai Liang