The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.

The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.

Date of Patent:
Jul. 22, 2014

Filed:

May. 15, 2009
Applicants:

Robert Seth Hartshorne, Newmarket, GB;

Trevor Lloyd Hughes, Cambridge, GB;

Timothy Gareth John Jones, Cottenham, GB;

Gary John Tustin, Sawston, GB;

Jian Zhou, Sugar Land, TX (US);

Inventors:

Robert Seth Hartshorne, Newmarket, GB;

Trevor Lloyd Hughes, Cambridge, GB;

Timothy Gareth John Jones, Cottenham, GB;

Gary John Tustin, Sawston, GB;

Jian Zhou, Sugar Land, TX (US);

Assignee:
Attorneys:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
C09K 8/532 (2006.01);
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
Abstract

The present invention provides aqueous viscoelastic compositions comprising a cleavable anionic surfactant which is a sulphonate and possibly also an electrolyte. The cleavable surfactants useful in the present invention comprise a chemical bond, which is capable of being broken under appropriate conditions, to produce oil soluble and water soluble products typically having no interfacial properties and surface activity compared with the original surfactant molecule. Further, the rheological properties of the aqueous viscoelastic composition are usually altered upon cleavage of the cleavable surfactant generally resulting in the elimination of the viscosifying, viscoelastic and surfactant properties of the composition. Aqueous viscoelastic compositions in accordance with the present invention are suitable for use in oil-field applications, particularly for hydraulic fracturing of subterranean formations. Thus, the present invention also relates to a wellbore service fluid and a method of fracturing a subterranean formation.


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