WO2001027218A1 - Treating a formation using a foam forming composition - Google Patents
Treating a formation using a foam forming composition Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- WO2001027218A1 WO2001027218A1 PCT/EP2000/010082 EP0010082W WO0127218A1 WO 2001027218 A1 WO2001027218 A1 WO 2001027218A1 EP 0010082 W EP0010082 W EP 0010082W WO 0127218 A1 WO0127218 A1 WO 0127218A1
- Authority
- WO
- WIPO (PCT)
- Prior art keywords
- surfactant
- hydrocarbon
- zone
- oil
- beanng
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Ceased
Links
Classifications
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
- E21B—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
- E21B43/00—Methods or apparatus for obtaining oil, gas, water, soluble or meltable materials or a slurry of minerals from wells
- E21B43/25—Methods for stimulating production
- E21B43/255—Methods for stimulating production including the injection of a gaseous medium as treatment fluid into the formation
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C09—DYES; PAINTS; POLISHES; NATURAL RESINS; ADHESIVES; COMPOSITIONS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; APPLICATIONS OF MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- C09K—MATERIALS FOR MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS, NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE
- C09K8/00—Compositions for drilling of boreholes or wells; Compositions for treating boreholes or wells, e.g. for completion or for remedial operations
- C09K8/58—Compositions for enhanced recovery methods for obtaining hydrocarbons, i.e. for improving the mobility of the oil, e.g. displacing fluids
- C09K8/584—Compositions for enhanced recovery methods for obtaining hydrocarbons, i.e. for improving the mobility of the oil, e.g. displacing fluids characterised by the use of specific surfactants
Definitions
- the present invention relates to production of crude oil from a hydrocarbon-beanng underground zone, wherein the crude oil is produced through a wellbore extending from the hydrocarbon-beanng zone to a well head at surface.
- the phrase 'extending from the hydrocarbon-beanng zone' is intended to cover extending through the hydrocarbon-bearing zone as well.
- a well is a wellbore that is for at least the larger part of its length lined with a casing, wherein the casing can be absent at the hydrocarbon-beanng zone, or wherein the casing can extend along the entire length of the wellbore. In the latter case, perforations have to be made m the casing to allow production.
- the method of treating a formation around a wellbore extending from a hydrocarbon-beanng zone comprises the steps of interrupting production from the hydrocarbon-beanng zone; introducing into the hydro- carbon-bearing zone a foam forming composition comprising a surfactant-in-oil solution; and resuming production from the hydrocarbon-beanng zone.
- the gas and the foam forming composition will create a foam and maintain the foam.
- This foam will reduce the gas permeability. Therefore in those parts of the hydrocarbon-beanng zone where the gas permeability is initially high, the foam will reduce it. And in parts of the zone where oil is produced, the foam cannot be formed.
- An advantage of the present invention is that the foam forming composition does not contain water, because water would increase the water saturation of the formation which will have an adverse effect on the initial oil production.
- the foam-forming composition does not contain gas, the pumping effort is low.
- the oil used in the foam forming composition can be any hydrocarbon oil, however, suitably the crude oil that is produced is used.
- the surfactant concentration in the solution s suitably between 0.5 and 5 per cent by volume.
- the surfactant used is suitably a polymeric compound having good solubility in oil, but low (e.g., less than 1 %w, preferably less than 0.1 %w) or preferably no solubility in water (less than 0.01 %w) .
- the molecular weight of the surfactant varies m the range of 5,000 to 20,000.
- Non-ionic surfactants are preferred.
- suitable surfactants include polyesters prepared from acrylates, methacrylates and other vinyl ethers, or siloxanes .
- Examples of the first class of surfactants include fluoroaliphatic polyesters that contain fluoroacrylate derivates, such as FLUORAD FC-740 (trademark by 3 Industrial Chemical Products), or similar products from e.g. ATOFINA. Polymethyloctadecyl- siloxane, sold by United Chemicals Technologies as PS130, is an example of a suitable siloxane-based surfactant.
- FLUORAD FC-740 trademark by 3 Industrial Chemical Products
- PS130 is an example of a suitable siloxane-based surfactant.
- the core sample was placed in a cell m order to perform core flooding experiments at a pressure of 115 bar (absolute) .
- the core sample was first flooded with water, in order to measure the absolute permeability. Thereafter the core sample was flooded with a light crude oil to obtain a core sample with a connate water saturation filled with the crude oil. In all experiments nitrogen was used to simulate the hydrocarbon gas . In a first experiment (not according to the invention) the oil was displaced by nitrogen, wherein the core sample was kept at a temperature of 63 °C. After injecting at the conditions of the experiment a volume of nitrogen equal to 800 pore volumes, the measured relative gas permeability of the core sample was 0.27. The relative permeability is the ratio of the measured permeability to the absolute permeability.
- the experiments are representative for underground conditions where oil is produced from a hydrocarbon- bearing zone in the presence of free gas . From the experiments can be concluded that the present invention provides a simple method of treating the formation so as to reduce the permeability of the formation to gas and in this way to reduce the amount of gas that is produced
Landscapes
- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mining & Mineral Resources (AREA)
- General Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Geology (AREA)
- Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Organic Chemistry (AREA)
- Fluid Mechanics (AREA)
- Materials Engineering (AREA)
- Oil, Petroleum & Natural Gas (AREA)
- Geochemistry & Mineralogy (AREA)
- Production Of Liquid Hydrocarbon Mixture For Refining Petroleum (AREA)
- Organic Low-Molecular-Weight Compounds And Preparation Thereof (AREA)
- Manufacture Of Porous Articles, And Recovery And Treatment Of Waste Products (AREA)
- Application Of Or Painting With Fluid Materials (AREA)
- Lubricants (AREA)
- Solid-Sorbent Or Filter-Aiding Compositions (AREA)
Abstract
A method of treating a formation around a wellbore extending from a hydrocarbon-bearing zone comprising the steps of interrupting production from the hydrocarbon-bearing zone; introducing into the hydrocarbon-bearing zone a foam forming composition comprising a surfactant-in-oil solution; and resuming production from the hydrocarbon-bearing zone.
Description
TREATING A FORMATION USING A FOAM FORMING COMPOSITION
The present invention relates to production of crude oil from a hydrocarbon-beanng underground zone, wherein the crude oil is produced through a wellbore extending from the hydrocarbon-beanng zone to a well head at surface. Here, the phrase 'extending from the hydrocarbon-beanng zone' is intended to cover extending through the hydrocarbon-bearing zone as well. Such a well is a wellbore that is for at least the larger part of its length lined with a casing, wherein the casing can be absent at the hydrocarbon-beanng zone, or wherein the casing can extend along the entire length of the wellbore. In the latter case, perforations have to be made m the casing to allow production.
In the specification and in the claims the word 'oil' will be used to refer to crude oil.
In many hydrocarbon-bearing zones, there is not only oil present, but also associated natural gas. It will be understood that this associated natural gas is produced together with the oil. At surface, this gas has to be separated from the oil. Since it is not always possible to make use of the natural gas, it has to be flared. It is well known that with time the amount of natural gas that is produced with the oil increases, and more gas will have to be flared. It is an object of the present invention to treat the formation around the wellbore so as to reduce the amount of gas produced with the oil .
To this end the method of treating a formation around a wellbore extending from a hydrocarbon-beanng zone comprises the steps of interrupting production from the hydrocarbon-beanng zone; introducing into the hydro-
carbon-bearing zone a foam forming composition comprising a surfactant-in-oil solution; and resuming production from the hydrocarbon-beanng zone.
In the method according to the present invention, the gas and the foam forming composition will create a foam and maintain the foam. This foam will reduce the gas permeability. Therefore in those parts of the hydrocarbon-beanng zone where the gas permeability is initially high, the foam will reduce it. And in parts of the zone where oil is produced, the foam cannot be formed.
An advantage of the present invention is that the foam forming composition does not contain water, because water would increase the water saturation of the formation which will have an adverse effect on the initial oil production.
A further advantage is that since the foam-forming composition does not contain gas, the pumping effort is low. In the method of the invention, the oil used in the foam forming composition can be any hydrocarbon oil, however, suitably the crude oil that is produced is used.
The surfactant concentration in the solution s suitably between 0.5 and 5 per cent by volume. The surfactant used is suitably a polymeric compound having good solubility in oil, but low (e.g., less than 1 %w, preferably less than 0.1 %w) or preferably no solubility in water (less than 0.01 %w) . Suitably the molecular weight of the surfactant varies m the range of 5,000 to 20,000. Non-ionic surfactants are preferred. For instance, suitable surfactants include polyesters prepared from acrylates, methacrylates and other vinyl ethers, or siloxanes . Examples of the first class of surfactants include fluoroaliphatic polyesters that contain fluoroacrylate derivates, such as FLUORAD FC-740
(trademark by 3 Industrial Chemical Products), or similar products from e.g. ATOFINA. Polymethyloctadecyl- siloxane, sold by United Chemicals Technologies as PS130, is an example of a suitable siloxane-based surfactant. The invention will now be described by way of example n more detail with reference to a laboratory experiment. In the experiment a core sample (model for the hydrocarbon-beanng formation) was used having a diameter of 2.54 cm and a length of 50 cm, and an absolute permeability of 2.3 Darcy (corresponds to
2.3 x 10-8 cm^ ) . The core sample was placed in a cell m order to perform core flooding experiments at a pressure of 115 bar (absolute) .
The core sample was first flooded with water, in order to measure the absolute permeability. Thereafter the core sample was flooded with a light crude oil to obtain a core sample with a connate water saturation filled with the crude oil. In all experiments nitrogen was used to simulate the hydrocarbon gas . In a first experiment (not according to the invention) the oil was displaced by nitrogen, wherein the core sample was kept at a temperature of 63 °C. After injecting at the conditions of the experiment a volume of nitrogen equal to 800 pore volumes, the measured relative gas permeability of the core sample was 0.27. The relative permeability is the ratio of the measured permeability to the absolute permeability.
In a second experiment (according to the invention) , the oil was replaced by an oil containing 1 per cent by volume of FLUORAD FC-740. And the oil was displaced by nitrogen at a temperature of 63 °C. The nitrogen now caused the formation of a foam and the relative gas permeability after injecting at the conditions of the experiment a volume of nitrogen equal to 800 pore volumes was 0.02. This is a considerable reduction of the gas
permeability. Moreover, it was found that most of the movable oil was displaced after injecting the first pore volumes of nitrogen, which can be expected because of the strong reduced gas mobility. After having injected about 800 pore volumes of nitrogen the core sample was filled with foam formed by the nitrogen injection. In order to find out whether the foam would impair the production of oil a further experiment was carried out. In this experiment oil with no surfactant was injected into the foam-filled core sample. After injecting about 7 pore volumes of oil, the relative oil permeability was about 1.
The experiments are representative for underground conditions where oil is produced from a hydrocarbon- bearing zone in the presence of free gas . From the experiments can be concluded that the present invention provides a simple method of treating the formation so as to reduce the permeability of the formation to gas and in this way to reduce the amount of gas that is produced
Claims
1. A method of treating a formation around a wellbore extending from a hydrocarbon-beanng zone comprising the steps of interrupting production from the hydrocarbon- beanng zone; introducing into the hydrocarbon-beanng zone a foam forming composition comprising a surfactant- m-oil solution; and resuming production from the hydrocarbon-beanng zone.
2. Method according to claim 1, wherein the surfactant concentration m the solution is between 0.5 and 5 per cent by volume.
3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the surfactant used is a polymeric compound having good solubility m oil, but low solubility in water.
4. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the surfactant is a non-ionic surfactant.
5. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein the molecular weight of the surfactant varies in the range of 5,000 to 20,000.
6. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the surfactant is selected from polyesters prepared from acrylates, methacrylates and other vinyl ethers, or siloxanes .
7. Method according to claim 6, wherein the surfactant is a fluoroaliphatic polyester that contains fluoroacrylate derivates .
8. Method according to claim 7, wherein the surfactant is FLUORAD FC-740.
Priority Applications (6)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB0207248A GB2372525B (en) | 1999-10-14 | 2000-10-12 | Treating a formation using a foam forming composition |
| MXPA02003562A MXPA02003562A (en) | 1999-10-14 | 2000-10-12 | Treating a formation using a foam forming composition. |
| EA200200444A EA003955B1 (en) | 1999-10-14 | 2000-10-12 | Method of treating a formation around a wellbore using a foam forming composition |
| NZ517932A NZ517932A (en) | 1999-10-14 | 2000-10-12 | Treating a formation using a foam forming composition |
| AU11376/01A AU768666B2 (en) | 1999-10-14 | 2000-10-12 | Treating a formation using a foam forming composition |
| NO20021735A NO20021735D0 (en) | 1999-10-14 | 2002-04-12 | Method of treating a formation with a foam-forming composition |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| EP99308118.1 | 1999-10-14 | ||
| EP99308118 | 1999-10-14 |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| WO2001027218A1 true WO2001027218A1 (en) | 2001-04-19 |
Family
ID=8241672
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2000/010082 Ceased WO2001027218A1 (en) | 1999-10-14 | 2000-10-12 | Treating a formation using a foam forming composition |
Country Status (8)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| AU (1) | AU768666B2 (en) |
| EA (1) | EA003955B1 (en) |
| GB (1) | GB2372525B (en) |
| MX (1) | MXPA02003562A (en) |
| NO (1) | NO20021735D0 (en) |
| NZ (1) | NZ517932A (en) |
| OA (1) | OA12064A (en) |
| WO (1) | WO2001027218A1 (en) |
Cited By (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP1945907A4 (en) * | 2005-10-06 | 2012-01-04 | Baker Hughes Inc | A process for foaming a wet hydrocarbon composition |
Citations (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US4502538A (en) * | 1984-01-09 | 1985-03-05 | Shell Oil Company | Polyalkoxy sulfonate, CO2 and brine drive process for oil recovery |
| WO1998044071A1 (en) * | 1997-04-03 | 1998-10-08 | Institut Français Du Petrole | Drilling method and system using foam - foaming composition |
-
2000
- 2000-10-12 WO PCT/EP2000/010082 patent/WO2001027218A1/en not_active Ceased
- 2000-10-12 GB GB0207248A patent/GB2372525B/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
- 2000-10-12 EA EA200200444A patent/EA003955B1/en not_active IP Right Cessation
- 2000-10-12 OA OA1200200108A patent/OA12064A/en unknown
- 2000-10-12 MX MXPA02003562A patent/MXPA02003562A/en unknown
- 2000-10-12 NZ NZ517932A patent/NZ517932A/en unknown
- 2000-10-12 AU AU11376/01A patent/AU768666B2/en not_active Ceased
-
2002
- 2002-04-12 NO NO20021735A patent/NO20021735D0/en not_active Application Discontinuation
Patent Citations (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US4502538A (en) * | 1984-01-09 | 1985-03-05 | Shell Oil Company | Polyalkoxy sulfonate, CO2 and brine drive process for oil recovery |
| WO1998044071A1 (en) * | 1997-04-03 | 1998-10-08 | Institut Français Du Petrole | Drilling method and system using foam - foaming composition |
Non-Patent Citations (2)
| Title |
|---|
| F. FRIEDMAN AT AL.: "Some Parameters Influencing the Formation and Propagation of Foams in Porous Media.", ANNUAL SPE CALIFORNIA REGIONAL MEETING (N. 15087), vol. 56, no. V1, 1986, pages 441 - 454, XP002126201 * |
| F.M. LLAVE ET AL.: "Laboratory study of nitrogen miscible displacement of light oil", 1989, NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR PETROLEUM AND ENERGY RESEARCH, BARTLESVILLE, OK, USA, XP002126202 * |
Cited By (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP1945907A4 (en) * | 2005-10-06 | 2012-01-04 | Baker Hughes Inc | A process for foaming a wet hydrocarbon composition |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| AU768666B2 (en) | 2003-12-18 |
| EA200200444A1 (en) | 2002-10-31 |
| GB2372525A (en) | 2002-08-28 |
| GB0207248D0 (en) | 2002-05-08 |
| OA12064A (en) | 2006-05-03 |
| MXPA02003562A (en) | 2002-10-23 |
| NZ517932A (en) | 2003-08-29 |
| EA003955B1 (en) | 2003-10-30 |
| GB2372525B (en) | 2003-12-10 |
| AU1137601A (en) | 2001-04-23 |
| NO20021735L (en) | 2002-04-12 |
| NO20021735D0 (en) | 2002-04-12 |
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