Abstract: Delivery of a substance to a subterranean location is achieved by suspending the substance as nanoparticles in a carrier fluid in which the substance is insoluble. First a dispersible powder composition, is formed by dissolving the substance in a solvent, emulsifying the resulting solution as the dispersed phase of an emulsion, and freeze-drying the emulsion to a powder. On mixing the powder with a fluid in which the substance is insoluble, the insoluble substance becomes a dispersion of nanoparticles which is pumped to the subterranean location. At the subterranean location a tracer dispersed as nanoparticles may migrate from injected water into hydrocarbon in a hydrocarbon reservoir. Another possibility is that the carrier fluid contains polymer and the dispersed nanoparticles comprise an agent which participates in cross-linking and consequent viscosification of the polymer at the subterranean location.

Abstract: Proppants having added functional properties are provided, as are methods that use the proppants to track and trace the characteristics of a fracture in a geologic formation. Information obtained by the methods can be used to design a fracturing job, to increase conductivity in the fracture, and to enhance oil and gas recovery from the geologic formation. The functionalized proppants can be detected by a variety of methods utilizing, for example, an airborne magnetometer survey, ground penetrating radar, a high resolution accelerometer, a geophone, nuclear magnetic resonance, ultra-sound, impedance measurements, piezoelectric activity, radioactivity, and the like. Methods of mapping a subterranean formation are also provided and use the functionalized proppants to detect characteristics of the formation.

Abstract: A method for monitoring degradation of lubricating oils. The method comprises steps of: (a) adding to a lubricating oil at least one compound having formula (I) wherein R1 and R2 independently are hydrogen, hydroxy, OR11, amino or NR11R12; R3 and R5 independently are alkyl, aryl, aralkyl, heteroalkyl or heterocyclic; R4 and R6 independently are hydrogen or alkyl; R7, R8, R9 and R10 independently are cyano, nitro, amide, carboxyl, ester, alkyl or hydrogen; R11 is alkyl, aryl, aralkyl, heteroalkyl, heterocyclic or alkanoyl; R12 is hydrogen or alkyl; provided that said at least one compound of formula (I) has at least one substituent selected from among cyano, nitro, hydroxy, hydroxyalkyl, amide, carboxyl, ester and unsaturated alkyl; and (b) measuring a spectroscopic property of the oil to determine degradation of said at least one compound.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of determining the extent of recovery of materials injected into oil wells or subsurface formations. The method includes injection of one or more tracers into an oil well or into a formation. Included in the method are the steps of introducing a material of interest into the oil well or into the subsurface formation associated with the bore of the oil well; introducing a tracer into the oil well or into the subsurface formation associated with the bore of the oil well; recovering from the oil well a production fluid, analyzing the production fluid for a concentration of the chemical tracer present in the production fluid; and calculating the amount of material of interest recovered from the oil well using the concentration of the chemical tracer present in the production fluid as a basis for the calculation.

Abstract: Compositions and methods for determining the source of treatment fluids being produced from a production formation having multiple zones by introducing a treatment composition having a tracking material into a zone in the subterranean formation, and detecting the tracking material in treatment composition that flows back from the subterranean formation.

Abstract: Compositions and methods for tracking the transport of particulate solids during the production of hydrocarbons from a subterranean formation.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of determining the extent of recovery of materials injected into a oil well comprising the steps of: a) preparing a material to be injected into an oil well; b) admixing therewith a chemical tracer compound at a predetermined concentration; c) injecting the admixture into an oil well; d) recovering from the oil well a production fluid; e) analyzing the production fluid for the concentration of the chemical tracer present in the production fluid; and f) calculating the amount of admixture recovered from the oil well using the concentration of the chemical tracer present in the production fluid as a basis for the calculation. Fluorinated benzoic acids are disclosed as a preferred tracer.