Marathon Oil Company

Hercules Corporation

Other

William B Gogarty

Karl D Dreher

John S Rhudy

Bruce L Knight

LaVaun S Merrill, Jr

Gerald W Haws

John B Hayes

Drag reduction of fluids containing a water phase, e.g. hydrocarbon-in-water mixture, flowing through a conduit, is reduced by incorporating within the water phase a polymer obtained by radiation-induced polymerization of acrylamide, methacrylamide, acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, alkali metal salts thereof, or mixtures thereof. The polymerization is preferably carried out in 10-60% aqueous monomer solution with gamma radiation. The mixture of monomers, before radiation, preferably contains 25-99% acrylamide and 75-1% sodium acrylate. The polymer preferably shows viscoelastic effects at high concentrations in a solvent. Concentrations of about 1-10,000 ppm of the polymer in the water phase is desired. Examples of fluids useful with this invention include hydrocarbon-in-water and water-in-hydrocarbon slurries, the hydrocarbon is preferably comminuted oil shale or coal, congealed particles of crude oil and/or wax, viscous crude oil, etc.

Use of radiation-induced polymers as friction reducing agents

A fluidic fluid composition containing lamellar micelles and which exhibits retro-viscous properties at noncryogenic temperatures is composed of 7.00-7.35% of a surfactant (preferably petroleum sulfonate having an average equivalent weight of 350-525), 50.00-54.00% of liquid hydrocarbon, 24.80-28.00% of water and optionally up to 13.00-13.95% of a cosurfactant (preferably an alcohol containing 1-20 carbon atoms) and/or electrolyte (preferably inorganic salt). The micelles within the composition must have an axial ratio of at least 3.5. The composition is substantially optically clear, phase stable, birefrigent, and the flow properties are such that substantially large increases in flow rates, e.g. 20-fold, can be realized at very small pressure increases, e.g. 5%. Additional additives to impart desired properties can be included with the composition.

Retro-viscous fluidic fluid

An oil-external microemulsion drilling fluid having a wide range of tolerance for salinity, having good gel strength and low fluid loss characteristics, and also obtained by mixing about 1% to about 30% of a sodium petroleum sulfonate having an average equivalent weight within the range of about 350 to about 525, about 5% to about 84% of a hydrocarbon (e.g. diesel fuel), about 15% to about 90% of an aqueous medium (can contain water soluble salts), about 0.01 to about 20% of a cosurfactant (e.g. alcohols such as primary amyl alcohol) and about 0.1 to about 15% of bentonite clay. Weighting agents, e.g. barite, and other desired additives can be added to the microemulsion.

Water-in-oil microemulsion drilling fluids

Comminuted solids having a specific gravity greater than 1.0 and having a porosity greater than about 10% are maintained in suspension within a liquid-solids slurry by saturating the pores of the solids with a substance having a specific gravity lower than 1.0.

Process for reducing the settling rate of comminuted porous solids in a

The injectivity profile of a heterogeneous formation and/or vertical conformance is improved by injecting an aqueous solution into the formation, the solution containing a polymer obtained as a product of radiation-induced polymerizatin of acrylamide and/or methacrylamide and acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, and/or alkali metal salts thereof. The polymerization is preferably carried out in a 10-60% aqueous solution with gamma radiation; the aqueous monomer solution preferably contains 25-99% acrylamide and 1-75% sodium acrylate. Immiscible, miscible, or miscible-like displacing processes can be used in conjunction with this invention.

Injection profiles with radiation induced copolymers

Compositions containing lamellar micelles and which exhibit retro-viscous property at noncryogenic temperatures are prepared by mixing 4-15 percent of a surfactant (preferably an alkaryl sulfonate having an average equivalent weight of 350-525), 30-70 percent of a liquid hydrocarbon, 15-66 percent of water and optionally up to 20 percent of a cosurfactant, preferably an alcohol containing 1-20 carbon atoms, and/or electrolyte (preferably inorganic salt). The micelles have an axial ratio of at least 3.5 and preferably the composition has a viscosity of at least 75 cp. at a shear rate of 10 sec.sup.- .sup.1 at 23.degree.C. The composition is substantially optically clear, phase stable, birefringent, and the flow properties are such that substantially large increases in flow rate, e.g. 20-fold, can be realized at very small increases in pressure drop, e.g. 5 percent. Uses for the compositions include stimulation of wells (e.g. fracturing fluids), drilling fluids, carrier fluids in pipelines, fluidics, cutting oils, and similar applications.

Lamellar micelle containing compositions which exhibit retro-viscous

An improved method of pipelining solids is effected by suspending the solids in a liquid containing lamellar micelles and pumping the mixture at flow rates predetermined to produce retro-viscous behavior in the liquid at noncryogenic temperatures. The liquid is a composition containing 4-15% surfactant (preferably petroleum sulfonate having an average equivalent weight of 350-525), and at least two substantially immiscible liquids (e.g. 30-70% liquid hydrocarbon and 15-66% water) and optionally up to 20% cosurfactant (preferably an alcohol containing 1-20 carbon atoms) and/or electrolyte (preferably inorganic salt). The micelles have an axial ratio of at least 3.5. Preferably, the composition has a viscosity of at least 75 cp at a shear rate of 10.sup.-.sup.1 seconds at 23.degree.C. The composition is substantially optically clear, phase stable, birefringent, and the flow properties are such that substantially large increases in flow rates, e.g. 20-fold, can be realized at very small pressure increases, e.g. 5%. Concentration of the solids can be up to about 60% by weight of the composition.

High fluidity liquid for pipelining solids

An improved method of drilling a well is effected by circulating in the well a drilling fluid containing lamellar micelles at flow rates predetermined to produce retro-viscous behavior in the drilling fluid at noncryogenic temperatures. The composition contains 4-15% surfactant (preferably petroleum sulfonate having an average equivalent weight of 350-525), 30-70% liquid hydrocarbon, 15-66% water and optionally up to 20% cosurfactant (preferably an alcohol containing 1-20 carbon atoms) and/or electrolyte (preferably inorganic salt) and the micelles have an axial ratio of at least 3.5. Preferably, the composition has a viscosity of at least 75 cp at a shear rate of 10.sup.-.sup.1 seconds at 23.degree.C. The composition is substantially optically clear, phase stable, birefrigent, and the flow properties are such that substantially large increases in flow rates, e.g., 20-fold, can be realized at very small pressure increases, e.g., 5%. Additional additives to impart desired drilling properties can be included with the composition.

Drilling with low viscosity fluids

Water loss from cement slurries is reduced by incorporating within a cement slurry a polymer obtained as a product of radiation-induced polymerization of acrylamide and/or methacrylamide and acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, and/or alkali metal salts thereof. The polymerization is preferably carried out in 10-60% aqueous monomer solution with gamma radiation. The aqueous monomer solution preferably contains 25-99% acrylamide and 75-1% sodium acrylate. The polymer can be present in concentration of about 0.001 to about 3.0 weight percent, based on the aqueous phase of the slurry.

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Littleton, CO, United States of America

William B Gogarty