Abstract: Functionalized alpha-hydroxy alkyl ethers have been found to perform as non (or anti-) scaling hydrogen sulfide scavengers. A method of scavenging hydrogen sulfide includes contacting a fluid containing hydrogen sulfide with a treatment fluid including a functionalized alpha-hydroxy alkyl ether. Accordingly, the alpha-hydroxy alkyl ether reacts with the hydrogen sulfide to reduce the amount of hydrogen sulfide in the fluid. The functionalized alpha-hydroxy alkyl ether is functionalized with a phosphate group, phosphonate group, sulfate group, or sulfonate group. A broad range of alpha-hydroxy alkyl ethers are disclosed.

Abstract: Alpha-hydroxy alkyl esters have been found to perform as hydrogen sulfide scavengers. A method of scavenging hydrogen sulfide includes contacting a fluid containing hydrogen sulfide with a treatment fluid including an alpha-hydroxy alkyl ester. Accordingly, the alpha-hydroxy alkyl ester reacts with the hydrogen sulfide to reduce the amount of hydrogen sulfide in the fluid. A broad range of alpha-hydroxy alkyl esters are disclosed.

Abstract: A method of performing a squeeze treatment comprises pumping a treatment fluid under pressure through a wellbore into a subterranean formation, wherein the treatment fluid includes a hydrogen sulfide scavenging compound that adsorbs onto the subterranean formation in a region around the wellbore. Production fluids are then allowed to flow from the subterranean formation into the wellbore, wherein the production fluids contact the adsorbed hydrogen sulfide scavenging compound as the production fluids flow through the region around the wellbore, and wherein the production fluids contain hydrogen sulfide that reacts with the hydrogen sulfide scavenging compound to reduce an amount of hydrogen sulfide in the production fluids before the production fluids flow into the wellbore.

Abstract: An emulsion breaker composition, a method of making the emulsion breaker, and method of breaking an emulsion are disclosed. In one method, an emulsion is contacted with an effective amount of an emulsion breaker composition. The emulsion breaker is a linear or branched polymer having at least one branch, wherein each branch has a first polymer block having a backbone including a plurality of ester groups and a second polymer block including an alkoxylate, and wherein at least two of the ester groups are connected by a —CR1R2 group. The emulsion breakers are preferably formed by reacting a polyol with a cyclic ester monomer in the presence of a first catalyst to form an intermediate polymer having a plurality of branches, wherein each branch has a backbone including a plurality of ester groups, and then reacting the intermediate polymer with at least one alkylene oxide species in the presence of a second catalyst to form an alkoxylate block on each branch.

Abstract: Polymeric naphthenate inhibitors are delivered into production fluids to contact mixtures of oil and water, such as in a hydrocarbon producing formation, production equipment, or processing systems. These polymeric naphthenate inhibitors exhibit surface-active properties causing the inhibitors to self-associate at oil-water interfaces and inhibit interactions between organic acids in the oil and cations or cation complexes in water. The large surface area makes these polymers persistent and effective at low concentrations. These compounds also inhibit aggregation of organic acid carboxylate salts that form when pH and pressure conditions are amenable to organic acid ionization. Preferred inhibitors do not form emulsions due to the formation of unstable mixed interface structures that result in coalescence of dispersed droplets.

Abstract: A thermal phase separation simulator and method for testing chemicals is disclosed. The simulator comprises a circular block heater carousel mounted for rotation on a stage. The carousel includes a circular array of test wells for receiving a plurality of test bottles, a plurality of heating elements and thermocouples disposed between the wells. Each well has an illumination port and a vertical slit to the outside to allow visual observation or imaging of a vertical swatch of the bottle. An illumination source aligns with the illumination port of each well in response to rotation of the carousel. The method includes adding a mixed phase fluid to a plurality of bottles, adding a chemical agent to each bottle, and simulating a thermal phase separation. Images of the fluid in each bottle are captured and analyzed to determine the performance of the one or more chemical agents.

Abstract: An asphaltene and resin precipitation inhibiting solution formed of an asphaltene and resin precipitation inhibiting compound and a solvent miscible in a carbon dioxide liquid or supercritical fluid. The inhibiting compound includes a head region with an affinity for asphaltene and resin components of a hydrocarbon mixture that is greater than its affinity for water, carbon dioxide, and aliphatic components of the hydrocarbon mixture. The head region includes one or more unsaturated hydrocarbon groups or one or more nonionic dipolar groups. The inhibiting compound also includes a tail region with an affinity for carbon dioxide that is greater than its affinity for substantially all components of the hydrocarbon mixture and water. The tail region includes one or more nonionic quadrupolar groups. An effective amount of solution is added to a hydrocarbon mixture in an underground reservoir when employing a carbon dioxide fluid to flush the hydrocarbon mixture from the reservoir.

Abstract: An effective stress corrosion cracking (SCC) inhibiting amount of a corrosion inhibitor is added into a blend of fuel and ethanol that contacts a metal, wherein the corrosion inhibitor is an organic acid selected from citric acid, ascorbic acid, succinic acid, pyruvic acid, maleic acid, oxaloacetic acid, oxalosuccinic acid, ketoglutaric acid, isocitric acid, malic acid, aconitic acid, fumaric acid, isomers of these organic acids, and a combination thereof. For example, the corrosion inhibitors inhibit stress corrosion cracking of pipeline grade metal pipe at ethanol concentrations greater than fifteen percent. In one embodiment, the corrosion inhibitor is added into a blend of fuel and ethanol flowing through a pipeline at a plurality of injection points spaced apart along the length of the pipeline. In one option, the corrosion inhibitor is ammoniated to form the ammonium salt of the organic acid.

Abstract: This invention discloses, compositions of aqueous fluids comprising one or more dispersion polymer(s), wherein the dispersion polymer comprises 96 to 100 mole percent of one or more nonionic monomer units and 0 to 4 mole percent of one or more cationic or anionic monomer units; and has a molecular weight of at least 100,000. The invention also discloses the method(s) of using one or more such dispersion polymer(s), comprising adding to or mixing with the aqueous fluid a friction-reducing amount of the polymer(s), before, during or after a turbulent flow is induced. Nonionic dispersion polymers consistently render substantially greater extents of friction reduction than their ionic counterparts. A dispersion polymer (formed by dispersion polymerization) provides up to four times as much friction reduction as the same polymer in solution when used at the same dosage.

Abstract: This invention relates to dispersions and powders of micro gel particles, and more specifically, at least in some instances, dispersions of micro gel particles formed from crosslinked water-soluble or swellable polymers, and methods of preparing such micro gel particle dispersions. In one aspect, the invention provides a method of preparing synthetic micro gel particles, comprising forming a reaction mixture by dissolving or swelling a water-soluble or water-swellable unsaturated monomer, unsaturated crosslinking agent, and radical initiator in a common solvent that is substantially inert toward chain transfer reactions, wherein the monomer and the crosslinking agent polymerize to form crosslinked polymer micro gel particles that are insoluble or at most swellable in the common solvent.

Abstract: Inhibiting naphthenate salts that can form precipitates or emulsions during crude oil production or processing. An effective amount of a naphthenate inhibitor, such as a hydrotrope, is provided into the production fluids for contact with mixtures of oil and water in the formation, the production equipment, or processing systems. It is believed that the naphthenate inhibitors, such as monophosphate ester or diphosphate ester, exhibit surface-active properties that cause the inhibitors to align and concentrate in a layer at the oil-water interface and thereby prevent interactions between organic acids in the oil phase with cations or cation complexes in the water. It is believed that the physical positioning and geometry of the naphthenate inhibitor blocks the growth of naphthenate salt crystals. However, it is preferred that the naphthenate inhibitors also avoid the formation of oil-in-water and water-in-oil emulsions.

Abstract: Low dosage naphthenate inhibitors, such as a surfactant or hydrotrope, delivered into production fluids for contact with mixtures of oil and water, such as in a hydrocarbon producing formation, production equipment, or processing systems. Inhibitor compounds such as monophosphate esters and diphosphate esters exhibit surface-active properties that cause the inhibitors to self-associate at oil-water interfaces and inhibit interactions between organic acids in the oil with cations or cation complexes in the water. These compounds also inhibit aggregation of organic acid carboxylate salts that form when pH and pressure conditions are amenable to organic acid ionization. Preferred inhibitors do not form emulsions due to the formation of unstable mixed interface structures that result in coalescence of dispersed droplets.

Abstract: Alkyl phosphonates prepared from amino acids suitable for use in inhibiting scale. The phosphonates are obtained as reaction mixtures where the level of alkyl phosphonation is deliberately controlled to provide only partial alkyl phosphonation of the amino acid. The resulting alkyl phosphonates exhibit improved environmental properties compared to the fully substituted species, while still exhibiting acceptable efficacy in the control of scale. The compositions possess advantages over existing phosphonates in that they exhibit higher biodegradation by method OECD 306. They also offer lower toxicity to marine life compared to the fully substituted species and are not expected to bioaccumulate.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for removing deposits formed within a capillary tube that has been used to deliver treatment chemicals into a well. The method includes pumping a cleaning solution through the capillary tube coil, preferably after the capillary tube has been removed from the well and formed as a coil. The cleaning solution comprises at least 20 weight percent of a surfactant or dispersant, at least 5 weight percent of a coupling agent, and at least 10 weight percent solvent. A preferred surfactant or dispersant is selected from the group consisting of an alkyl-aryl sulphonate and a phosphate ester. An example of a cleaning solution includes dodecylbenzeneylsulphonic (DDBSA) acid, ethylene glycol monobutyl ether and toluene.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for hierarchical data warehousing in a context-variable data framework. The method includes building a context-variable data framework. The context-variable data framework comprises 1) a data point of interest 2) one or more contextual hierarchies based on a type for the data point of interest, and 3) an organizational hierarchy. The method further includes populating the context-variable data framework with information relating to the data point of interest. The method also includes storing the context-variable data framework and the information in a centrally accessible data store.

Abstract: A method and an amide composition used therein for inhibiting, retarding, mitigating, reducing, controlling and/or delaying formation of hydrocarbon hydrates or agglomerates of hydrates. The method may be applied to prevent or reduce or mitigate plugging of conduits, pipes, transfer lines, valves, and other places or equipment where hydrocarbon hydrate solids may form under the conditions. At least one amide compound is added into the process stream, where the compound may be mixed with another compound selected from amino alcohols, esters, quaternary ammonium, phosphonium or sulphonium salts, betaines, amine oxides, other amides, simple amine salts, and combinations thereof.

Abstract: A method for quantitative evaluation of emulsion stability using Critical Electric Field (CEF) determinations over a range of conditions, such as a range of temperatures, demulsifier compositions, or demulsifier concentrations. The method includes determining the CEF for a series of emulsions that differ substantially only in their internal phase volume ratio. A plot of CEF values as a function of the inverse of the internal phase volume ratio is characterized by a linear slope. Using the slope, a theoretical CEF value can be determined by extrapolating to where the inverse of the internal phase volume ratio is about one. The slope for a given emulsion series is associated with the relative energy barrier to flocculation and the theoretical critical electric field for a given emulsion series is associated with the relative energy barrier to coalescence. Comparative studies are performed using this method.

Abstract: A method and a quaternary ammonium or phosphonium composition used therein for inhibiting retarding, mitigating, reducing, controlling and/or delaying formation of hydrocarbon hydrates or agglomerates of hydrates. The method may be applied to prevent or reduce or mitigate plugging of conduits, pipes, transfer lines, valves, and other places or equipment where hydrocarbon hydrate solids may form under the conditions. At least one quaternary ammonium or phosphonium compound is added into the process stream, where the compound may be mixed with another compound selected from other amino alcohols, esters, quaternary ammonium, phosphonium or sulphonium salts, betaines, amine oxides, amides, simple amine salts, and combinations thereof.

Abstract: A method of reducing hydrolysis in a hydrocarbon stream comprising adding to a hydrocarbon stream containing a chloride compound which undergoes hydrolysis at elevated temperatures in the presence of water to form hydrochloric acid, an effective amount of a treating agent that is at least one overbased complex of a metal salt and an organic acid complexing agent, the treating agent being added to hydrocarbon stream when the stream is at a temperature below which any substantial hydrolysis of the chloride containing compound occurs.

Abstract: A method of treating hydrotest water to inhibits oxygen corrosion, microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) and to allow safe discharge of water. The combination treatment plan reduces biocide usage in a high pH brine. The reduced overall chemical usage facilitates meeting environmental guidelines while also minimizing chemical cost. The method includes: adding an oxygen scavenger to remove oxygen and prevent or minimize oxygen corrosion; raising the hydrotest water pH, typically in excess of pH 9.5; adding a biocide in reduced amount; and adding a scale inhibitor to inhibit scale.