Saudi Arabian Oil Company

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Aramco Services Company

Sehoon Chang

Wei Wang

Hooisweng Ow

Jason R Cox

Rena Shi

Shannon Lee Eichmann

Martin E Poitzsch

Gawain Thomas

Bora Yoon

Amr Ismail Abdel-Fattah

Ayrat Gizzatov

Jing Kong

Silvija Gradecak

Hyesung Park

A method of preparing an enhanced oil recovery composition includes carbonizing a biomass waste material to provide carbon microparticles, functionalizing the carbon microparticles with a SO-containing gas such that the carbon microparticles include a hydrophilic surface, and grinding the carbon microparticles to provide carbon nanoparticles. The carbon nanoparticles include a hydrophilic surface and a hydrophobic surface. A method of enhanced oil recovery includes introducing an enhanced oil recovery composition including a carbon nanoparticle functionalized with a SO-containing gas and including a hydrophilic and hydrophobic surface into a hydrocarbon-bearing formation. The method includes displacing hydrocarbons from the hydrocarbon-bearing formation and recovering the hydrocarbons.

Sulfonation method for efficient scale-up synthesis of janus carbon nanomaterials from biomass waste

The disclosure features methods of analyzing a fluid extracted from a reservoir, the methods including introducing a first composition featuring a first complexing agent into a reservoir at a first location, extracting a fluid from the reservoir at a second location different from the first location, combining the fluid with a second composition featuring a concentration of a lanthanide ion to form a third composition featuring a concentration of a complex formed by the first complexing agent and the lanthanide ion, exposing a quantity of the complex to electromagnetic radiation for a first time period ending at a time t, detecting fluorescence emission from the quantity of the complex for a second time period starting at a time t>t, where t−tis greater than 2 microseconds, and determining information about a fluid flow path between the first location and the second location.

Tracers for petroleum reservoirs

Compositions and methods for determining the origin location of a subterranean sample are provided. Compositions include a nanoparticle tag including a superparamagnetic iron oxide core, an intermediate layer including a fluorescent dye, and a polymer shell. The nanoparticles can be synthesized by functionalizing a superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticle core and covalently bonding a fluorescent dye to the functionalized nanoparticle core. In some implementations, a polymer is covalently bonded to the functionalized, fluorescent superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticle core. The nanoparticle tag can be used to determine the origin location of a subterranean sample by mixing the nanoparticle tag into a fluid, flowing the fluid into a subterranean formation, recovering subterranean samples from the subterranean formation, and separating tagged samples from untagged samples using a magnet. The origin location of the subterranean sample can be determined by analyzing the fluorescent signal of the nanoparticle tag.

Multifunctional magnetic tags for mud logging

A method of treating a subsurface formation with a coated proppant includes introducing the first hydraulic fracturing composition into a wellbore and the subsurface formation through a first zone of the plurality of zones of the subsurface formation; propagating at least one subsurface fracture in the first zone with the first hydraulic fracturing composition, and wherein the hydraulic fracturing composition includes a fluid medium and a first coated proppant dispersed within the fluid medium, the first coated proppant including: a particulate substrate; a first polymeric layer surrounding the particulate substrate, the first polymeric layer including a first chemical additive; and a second polymeric layer surrounding the first polymeric layer, the second polymeric layer including a first chemical tracer, the first chemical tracer including barcoded degradable polymers, fluorescent dyes, quantum dot nanoparticles, paramagnetic nanoparticles, up-conversion phosphors, long-persistent phosphors, or time-resolved fluorescence resonance energy transfer polymer-nanoparticles (TR-FRET).

Method of treating a subsurface formation with a coated proppant

A coated proppant including a particulate substrate, a first polymeric layer surrounding the particulate substrate, and a second polymeric layer surrounding the first polymeric layer. The first polymeric layer may include chemical additives. The second polymeric layer may include chemical tracers. The chemical tracers include barcoded degradable polymers, fluorescent dyes, quantum dot nanoparticles, superparamagnetic nanoparticles, up-conversion phosphors, long-persistent phosphors, time-resolved fluorescence resonance energy transfer polymer-nanoparticles (TR-FRET), or combinations thereof.

Composition for a coated proppant

A method of quantifying zonal flow in a multi-lateral well is described. A first taggant is flowed to a first lateral, and a second taggant is flowed to a second lateral. A first produced fluid that includes the first taggant is flowed from the first lateral into a production tubing. A second produced fluid that includes the second taggant is flowed from the second lateral into the production tubing. A produced stream including the first produced fluid and the second produced fluid is flowed uphole through the production tubing. An amount of the first taggant and an amount of the second taggant in the produced stream are measured. Production of fluid from the multi-lateral well proceeds without ceasing throughout the method.

Quantifying zonal flow in multi-lateral wells via taggants of fluids

Optical properties of a tracer in water are measured at varying concentrations. A reference curve is built based on the measured optical properties at varying concentrations. An emulsion is mixed with the tracer. The emulsion is demulsified into an oil component and an aqueous component. Optical properties of one of the components are measured. A partition coefficient is determined based on the measured optical properties of a demulsified component and the reference curve.

Determining partition coefficients of tracer analytes

Devices for chemical analysis include a first separation element formed on the substrate, the first separation element having a wicking surface that separates water from hydrocarbons in a fluid sample, a hydrophobic barrier at least partially surrounding the first separation element, a second separation element fluidically connected the first separation element, the second separation element configured to trap salts and organic matter present in the fluid sample, and a detection element fluidically connected to the second separation element, the detection element having a surface that binds with one or more analytes that may be present in the fluid sample and thereby emits a signal that is capable of being optically detected by a detector. Methods include providing such a device for chemical analysis, placing the fluid sample on the first separation element, and detecting the signal emitted by the detection element.

Multipurpose microfluidics devices for rapid on-site optical chemical analysis

A method for reducing condensate in a subsurface formation is disclosed. The method includes introducing a reactive mixture including an aqueous solution, urea, dopamine, a silica nanoparticle precursor, a silane grafting compound, and an alcohol compound into the subsurface formation. The method also includes allowing generation of ammonia through thermal decomposition of the urea and allowing the silica nanoparticle precursor to hydrolyze, thereby forming silica nanoparticles. The method further includes allowing the silane grafting compound to graft onto the silica nanoparticles, thereby forming functionalized silica nanoparticles. The method also includes allowing polymerization of the dopamine, thereby forming polydopamine. The method also includes allowing the functionalized silica nanoparticles to attach to the subsurface formation via the polydopamine, thereby reducing condensate in the subsurface formation.

Methods for reducing condensation

A method, system, and taggants (tracers) for quantifying zonal flow in a multi-lateral well having a wellbore with a first lateral and second lateral. The technique includes flowing first produced fluid from a formation via the first lateral into production tubing providing a first taggant through a first dosing tubing to the first lateral, and flowing second produced fluid from the formation via the second lateral into the production tubing and providing a second taggant through a second dosing tubing to the second lateral. A produced stream having the first produced fluid and the second produced fluid flows uphole through the production tubing and discharges from the wellbore. The produced stream may be analyzed to measure an amount of the first taggant in the produced stream and an amount of the second taggant in the produced stream.

Compositions and methods for determining the origin location of subterranean rock samples. In some implementations, the compositions include a nanoparticle tag that includes a natural polysaccharide, a fluorescent dye, and superparamagnetic nanoparticles. In some implementations, a method of determining the origin location of a subterranean rock sample includes mixing the nanoparticle tag into a fluid, flowing the fluid into a subterranean formation, recovering subterranean rock samples from the formation, separating tagged rock samples from untagged rock samples using a magnet, and determining the origin location by analyzing a fluorescent signal of the nanoparticle tag.

Multifunctional polysaccharide-based mud logging barcode tracers

Systems and methods for analyzing groundwater samples with multiple organic tracer species from a petroleum containing reservoir include obtaining the sample, isolating an aqueous fraction of the groundwater sample, separating the aqueous fraction into a plurality of components, where each component corresponds to a different one of the organic tracer species, combining each of the separated components with at least one lanthanide element to form a plurality of component solutions, where a ratio of the at least one lanthanide element to the separated component in each component solution is 5:1 or greater, and analyzing each component solution to determine a relative amount of each organic tracer species in the groundwater sample.

Tracer analysis

Compositions and methods for determining the origin location of a subterranean rock sample. Compositions include a nanoparticle tag with a fluorescent core and a polymer shell. The fluorescent core can include up-converting nanoparticles, rare earth element doped oxide, long persistent fluorescent materials, or encapsulated lanthanide complexes. Methods include mixing a nanoparticle tag into a fluid, flowing the fluid through a work string into a subterranean formation, recovering subterranean rock samples from the subterranean formation, and determining an origin location of the subterranean rock sample by detecting the presence of the nanoparticle tag on the sample.

Multifunctional fluorescent tags for subterranean applications

Enhanced oil recovery (EOR) including with a lamellar phase having Janus nanoparticles, petroleum surfactant, crude oil, and water and with additional water to give the flooding fluid that may be pumped through a wellbore into a subterranean formation to affect a property of hydrocarbon in the subterranean formation via contact of the flooding fluid with the hydrocarbon.

Growing community of inventors

Cambridge, MA, United States of America

Sehoon Chang