Baker Hughes Corporation

Lu Chien Chou

Thomas Joseph Martin

Nagesh Sri Kommareddi

Jeffery R Harris

John Francis Motier

Thomas Mathew

George Gervin Ramsay

Polymer slurries of ultrahigh molecular weight polyalpha-olefins are made stable toward settling, separation and agglomeration by surface treatment with a combination of wax and optional relatively high-density particulates. The selection of the surface coating acts not only as an anti-blocking agent, or partitioning aid to keep the tacky polymer particles separated, but also provides the suspended polymer particle with a density that matches the carrier. This prevents separation of the slurry components over time. Such materials, ultimately used as pipeline additives to reduce the fluid drag and increase the volumetric throughput, can be stored and shipped for extended periods of time without degradation of the slurry quality. Upon injection into the pipeline, the polymer particle dissolves quickly, unhindered by the coating.

Methods of forming density-matched polymer slurries

Drag reduction of hydrocarbon fluids flowing through pipelines of various lengths is improved by polyolefin drag reducer dispersions or dispersions using bi- or multi-modal particle size distributions. Drag reducers having larger particle sizes dissolve more slowly than drag reducers having smaller particle sizes. By using at least bi-modal particle size distributions drag reduction can be distributed more uniformly over the length of the pipeline where smaller sized particles dissolve sooner or earlier in the pipeline and larger sized particles dissolve later or further along the pipeline.

Bi-or multi-modal particle size distribution to improve drag reduction polymer dissolution

Density-matched polymer slurries

A method for producing a stabilized polymer drag reducing agent slurry comprising combining a fatty acid wax and a liquid carrier to form a dispersion; pre-treating the dispersion by heating to partially dissolve the fatty acid wax in the liquid carrier; and adding the polymer drag reducing agent thereto, to form a stabilized polymer drag reducing agent slurry. The resulting slurry is relatively stable against settling, separation and agglomeration.

Stabilized polymer drag reducing agent slurries

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Tulsa, OK, United States of America

Lu Chien Chou