Baker Hughes Oilfield Operations LLC

Leonardo Franca

Radhika Suresh

Rostyslav Dolog

Tran Minh Nguyen

Brandon M Vittur

Jerry J Weers

Lirio Quintero

Carl E Weaver

Tomasa Ledesma

Joseph Aresndorf

Chad Pyle

Joseph Arensdorf

Daniel Fakunle

Functionalized foaming agents can be used to produce and improve stabilized foamers for use in the recovery of petroleum products from subterranean formations. In some embodiments, the functionalized foaming agent includes at least one nanoparticle, at least one polymer, or a combination thereof, where the nanoparticle(s), the polymer(s), or the combination thereof includes a functional group from a donor molecule. Suitable donor molecules include organosilicon molecules, alkyl halides with a chain of eight or more carbon atoms, and combinations of the same. In other embodiments, the functionalized foaming agent includes at least one nanoparticle, at least one polymer, or a combination thereof and a carrier fluid. The functionalized foaming agent can be introduced into a well or reservoir as part of an enhanced oil recovery (EOR) by injecting slugs of the functionalized foaming agent and slugs of gas in an alternating pattern to produce a foam.

Functionalized nanoparticles and polymers for foamer applications in upstream environments

It has been discovered that solid contaminants in a mixture of a hydrocarbon phase and an aqueous phase may be retained in the hydrocarbon phase by introducing to the mixture an effective amount of an oil-wetting additive to retain at least a portion of the solid contaminants in the hydrocarbon phase as contrasted with an aqueous phase. The oil-wetting additive can be a surface-active additive including, but is not necessarily limited to, drilling fluid additives, surfactants, antifoulants, nanoparticles and combinations thereof.

Oil-wetting chemicals for solids retention

It has been discovered that nanoparticles and/or functionalized polymers are effective in removing metal contaminants from a hydrocarbon phase into an aqueous phase. In particular, the nanoparticles and/or functionalized polymers can remove iron contaminants from crude oil into an aqueous phase in a refinery desalter. Suitable nanoparticles can include graphene oxide and/or titanium dioxide. Suitable functionalized polymers include iodododecane-functionalized vinylpyrrolidone/vinylimidazole copolymers, sulfonated-functionalized vinylpyrrolidone/vinylimidazole copolymers, sulfonated polyether ether ketones, imidazole polymers, imidazole copolymers, and/or 3-(1-pyridino)-1-propanesulfonate.

Nanoformulations and functionalized polymers for iron removal from crude oil

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Katy, TX, United States of America

Leonardo Franca