Disrupting Admicelle Formation and Preventing Surfactant Adsorption on Metal Oxide Surfaces Using Sacrificial Polyelectrolytes

Weston, Javen; Harwell, Jeffrey H.; Shiau, Benjamin; Kabir, Mahfuz

doi:10.1021/la501074x

Cited by 31 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…The paper [17] also indicated that the effect of added SDS and showed that SDS was preferentially adsorbed from both simultaneous and sequential adsorptions so that in all cases SDS displaces preadsorbed PSS from the solid surface. Very recent study demonstrated that the presence of PSS and PDADMAC (polydiallyldimethylammonium chloride) effectively prevented different surfactants adsorption on high surface area alumina and silica by blocking charged adsorption sites [18]. Only PSS appears to irreversibly adsorb onto metal oxides surface because of multisite adsorption and kinetic limitations while the adsorption of surfactant is almost completely prevented at concentration higher than critical micelle concentration (CMC).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Adsorption of Polyanion onto Large Alpha Alumina Beads with Variably Charged Surface

Pham

Kobayashi

Adachi

2014

Advances in Physical Chemistry

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Adsorption of strong polyelectrolyte, poly(styrenesulfonate), PSS, of different molecular weights onto large α-Al2O3 beads was systematically investigated as functions of pH and NaCl concentrations. The ultraviolet (UV) absorption spectra of PSS at different pH and salt concentrations confirmed that the structure of PSS is independent of pH. With the change of molecular weight from 70 kg/mol (PSS 70) to 1000 kg/mol (PSS 1000), adsorption amount of PSS increases and proton coadsorption on the surface of α-Al2O3 decreases at given pH and salt concentration. It suggests that higher molecular weight of PSS was less flat conformation than lower one. The adsorption density of PSS 70 and PSS 1000 decreases with decreasing salt concentrations, indicating that both electrostatic and nonelectrostatic interactions are involved. Experimental results of both PSS 70 and PSS 1000 adsorption isotherms onto α-Al2O3 at different pH and salt concentrations can be represented well by two-step adsorption model. The effects of molecular weight and salt concentration are explained by structure of adsorbed PSS onto α-Al2O3. The influence of added SDS on the isotherms is evaluated from the sequential adsorption. The SDS uptake onto α-Al2O3 in the presence of hemimicelles can prevent the adsorption of PSS at low concentration so that adsorption of PSS reduces with preadsorbed SDS.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Adsorption of Polyanion onto Large Alpha Alumina Beads with Variably Charged Surface

Pham

Kobayashi

Adachi

2014

Advances in Physical Chemistry

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“…The second problem is the surfactant adsorption, which could make the surfactant process economically unfeasible. This issue can also be alleviated by using well-documented alkaline solutions (Hirasaki et al 2011) or a recently developed polyelectrolyte based sacrificial agent (ShamsiJazeyi et al 2014a and2014b;Weston et al 2014). The third issue is the dilution effect attributed to the mixing with connate water, which also results in the change in ionic strength.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Addressing Operator Concerns: Will Surfactant's Performance be Compromised Under Harsh Conditions?

2015

Europec 2015

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Surfactant is typically pumped during hydraulic fracturing to enhance production from unconventional reservoirs. The primary function of surfactant is believed to generate a short-lived oil-in-water (OIW) emulsion, thereby aiding oil solubilization and mobilization. Ideally, the OIW emulsion should be maintained throughout the entire liquid flow path. However, a temperature gradient typically exists from topside to the interior of the matrix, and the matrix temperature can be high. This temperature gradient is compounded by the fact that, upon dilution by the reservoir connate water, anionic surfactants typically used during fracturing, become more lipophilic at the oil-water interface because of its selective partitioning into the aqueous phase upon dilution or at high reservoir temperature. Therefore, the optimum surfactant formulation cannot be well maintained when the fracturing fluids invade the matrix and reservoir fluids begin to produce. Some nonionic surfactants, on the other hand, typically partition into the oil phase at high temperature or upon dilution. By taking those phenomena into account, an optimum surfactant-oil-water system was created by mixing both anionic and nonionic surfactants to help eliminate the effect of dilution and high reservoir temperature. The new system has been widely used in hundreds of wells in the Eagle Ford (EF) and Mississippi Lime (ML) shale, with favorable production results.

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“…SAs are thought to be a new additive that can adsorb onto the rock and reduce surfactant adsorption. Application of SAs for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) and hydraulic fracturing operations have been documented in previous studies (Weston et al 2014;ShamsiJazeyi et al 2014a;ShamsiJazeyi et al 2014b;He et al 2015b). Such laboratory tests have reviewed the reduction of surfactant adsorption onto a variety of outcrop minerals, metal oxides, and tight shale formations using the PET-based SAs.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Research Model for Using Sacrificial Agents to Enhance Surfactant Performance in Liquids Rich Shale Reservoirs

2016

SPE Improved Oil Recovery Conference

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Post-fracturing production data analysis indicates stimulation of some west Texas wells with surfactant additives did not enhance production as high as expected. Analysis of flowback and produced water for surfactant residues revealed 99% of surfactant was retained inside wells (Rane and Xu 2015). This indicates surfactant plating out on rock in the near-wellbore (NWB) region, restricting travel deeper into the reservoir, which compromises well performance. This study presents a sacrificial agent (SA) to cover rock surface near the wellbore, allowing surfactant to penetrate the formation.Literature precedent exists that polyelectrolyte (PET)-based SAs could significantly reduce surfactant adsorption not only onto a variety of outcrop minerals (Carlpool dolomite, calcite, kaolinite, Berea sandstone, Indiana limestone, etc.) and metal oxide nanoparticles, but also unconventional shale formulations in which surface area can be up to 700 m 2 /g. In this study, the adsorptions of surfactant and SA to proppants were first examined. Results indicate no adsorption was observed to proppant for both surfactants and PET-based SAs. SAs (0.5 to 1 gal/1,000 gal (gpt)) were then injected with surfactant (1 to 3 gpt) at an appropriate ratio into column-packed shale formulations (primarily composed of calcite, dolomite, quartz, illite, pyrite, and plagioclase feldspar) to investigate its effectiveness in controlling surfactant retention caused by adsorption. Laboratory testing revealed injection of 3 gpt mixture of surfactant and SA has a similar adsorption profile (surface tension as a function of time) as 3 gpt surfactant alone based on the dynamic surface tension measurement. Notably, the addition of SAs resulted in lower surface tension and enhanced hydrocarbon solubility; and thus, an improved oil recovery by surfactant was achieved as evidenced by the oil recovery tests. Additionally, 68% friction reduction of the fracturing fluid with surfactant and SA was sufficient for the field operation compared to the guar-based fluid used in the hydraulic fracturing applications.As a result of the laboratory findings, field trials were executed on a three well pad in the Permian basin (PB). For the first 30 days oil and gas production appeared to be significantly higher than the average production from offset wells in the same area that were previously fractured with the same surfactant.

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Disrupting Admicelle Formation and Preventing Surfactant Adsorption on Metal Oxide Surfaces Using Sacrificial Polyelectrolytes

Cited by 31 publications

References 27 publications

Adsorption of Polyanion onto Large Alpha Alumina Beads with Variably Charged Surface

Adsorption of Polyanion onto Large Alpha Alumina Beads with Variably Charged Surface

Addressing Operator Concerns: Will Surfactant's Performance be Compromised Under Harsh Conditions?

A Research Model for Using Sacrificial Agents to Enhance Surfactant Performance in Liquids Rich Shale Reservoirs

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