Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces – auxiliary compositions – Cleaning compositions or processes of preparing – For cleaning a specific substrate or removing a specific...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-11
2002-09-24
Ogden, Necholus (Department: 1751)
Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces, auxiliary compositions
Cleaning compositions or processes of preparing
For cleaning a specific substrate or removing a specific...
C510S245000, C510S261000, C510S269000, C510S522000, C166S170000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06455483
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to techniques for cleaning, stimulating, purging and unloading fluids from gas and oil wells and more particularly, to a well stimulation and purging composition for enhancing gas and oil production in gas- and condensate-type wells by dissolving solids such as salt, drilling mud, iron sulfide, iron oxide and other mineral deposits, and chelating the minerals; retarding bacterial growth and dispersing bacteria; and flocculating and foaming the solids, minerals, bacteria and well fluids from the well. This cleansing action of the composition enhances production by reducing or eliminating hydrostatic back pressure in the wells. The composition is a cationic surfactant which is “ambiguous”, or can emulsify both water and hydrocarbons in solution, and is characterized by a homogenous solution of a coco diamine amido benzyl chloride type quaternary compound, isopropanol anhydrous, ammonium bisulfide, phosphate chelator/ester and potassium chloride or a clay stabilizer formulation for use in extracting water and condensate from gas or oil wells. The quantity of solution to be applied to the well typically depends on well conditions such as well production and general well history.
In the oil and gas industry, wells which have been operable for many years in the production of oil and gas frequently decrease in productivity due to a number of factors. One of the most common impediments to well productivity is water coning, which occurs when water, frequently in the form of aqueous brines, flows from the well formation and into the well casing annulus in a process called water coning or water logging. This phenomenon causes a hydrostatic load which subsequently reduces the ability of the well to produce fluids and gas to the well surface. Consequently, the water must be drawn from the well and separated from the oil or gas, and this increases the cost of oil or gas production from the well. The presence of water coning in the well further impedes oil or gas production by forming salt and other mineral deposits in the well. While a variety of techniques have been used for removing fluids from the well the salt and other minerals typically remain in the form of deposits which partially or completely block the well such that deposits of these minerals impede the production of oil and gas from the well after removal of the water and condensate.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various compositions having surfactant, emulsifying or cleansing properties are known in the art. Typical of these compositions is the “Formulated Branched Chain Alcohol Ether Sulfate Compounds” described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,562,866, dated Oct. 8, 1996, dated Oct. 8, 1996, to Patrick C. Hu, et al. The compounds are characterized by double-tailed alcohol ether sulfates of specified chemical structures which are formulated with a hydrotrope or a co-surfactant. The formulations are useful for various surfactant utilities including use in hard water systems. A “Thickened, Highly Aqueous, Cost Effective Liquid Detergent Compositions” is detailed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,587,356, dated Dec. 24, 1996, to Shelley L. Dauderman, et al. The compositions are characterized by low-cost, effective aqueous heavy duty liquid laundry detergent compositions. The compositions contain relatively low levels of an anionic
onionic-based surfactant system with a protease-containing enzyme component, a low-cost viscosity-enhancing agent and relatively large amounts of water. The anionic component of the surfactant system includes a combination of alkyl sulfate and alkyl ether sulfate. The nonionic component of the surfactant system includes fatty alcohol ethoxylates. U.S. Pat. No. 5,679,877, dated Oct. 21, 1997, to Rita Erilli, et al., discloses a “Thickened Liquid Cleaning Composition Containing an Abrasive”. The composition includes a paraffin sulfonate, an ethoxylated alkyl ether sulfate, and optionally, a zwitterionic betaine surfactant, a Laponite day thickener and water. U.S. Pat. No. 5,705,467, dated Jan. 6, 1998, to Clement K. Choy, describes “Thickened Aqueous Cleaning Compositions and Methods of Use”, characterized by a thickening agent including an alkyl ether sulfate surfactant which forms about 0.1 to about 10% by weight of the composition, about 0.1-5.0% by weight of a cothickening surfactant including an alkali metal fatty acid sulfate and/or an alkoxylated alkylphenol sulfate salt, a solvent selected from the class consisting of terpene derivatives including a functional group and tertiary alcohols which form about 0.01 to about 10% by weight of the composition, and an electrolyte component in an amount effective for enhancing thickening effects of the alkyl ether sulfate surfactant and solvent. A “High Foaming Nonionic Surfactant Based Liquid Detergent” is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,707,955, dated Jan. 13, 1998, to Gilbert S. Gomes, et al. The detergent is characterized by a disenfecting agent, four essential surfactants including a water-soluble nonionic surfactant, an ethoxylated alkyl ether sulfate anionic surfactant, two sulfonate surfactants, and water. U.S. Pat. No. 5,728,654, dated Mar. 17, 1998, to James W. Dobson, Jr., et al., discloses “Stabilized Fluids Containing Soluble Zinc”, characterized by low solids, high density fluids which are useful as drilling, workover, and completion fluids and the like in oil and gas well operations. The fluids include a brine having dissolved therein a zinc salt such as zinc bromide, and optionally one or more additional water soluble salts, a viscosifier which is a high surface area silica, a biopolymer viscosifier, a fluid loss control additive which is preferably a starch derivative, zinc carbonate, and optionally, an alkaline buffer, a polar additive and a bridging agent. U.S. Pat. No. 5,767,050, dated Jun. 16, 1998, to Steven Adamy, details “Light Duty Liquid Cleansing Compositions Comprising Partially Esterified Polyhydric Alcohol Solubilizing Agent”. The compositions include a biodegradable solubilizing agent, a water soluble, foaming, ethoxylated alkyl ether sulfate anionic surfactant, and optionally, a nonionic surfactant and a water soluble, foaming zwitterionic betaine surfactant. My application Ser. No. 09/537,897, filed Mar. 28, 2000, describes “Well Stimulation and Formation Purging Compositions”, characterized by two base solutions which are typically used in combination with one another in well cleanup, well stimulation and formation purging compositions. The first base solution is an anionic surfactant characterized by an aqueous solution of ether sulfide, isopropanol anhydrous, ammonium bisulfide, and either potassium chloride or a clay stabilizer formulation. The second base solution is a cationic surfactant characterized by a homogenous aqueous solution of a coco dimine amido benzyl chloride type quaternary compound, isopropanol anhydrous, ammonium bisulfide, and potassium chloride or a clay stabilizer formulation.
An object of this invention is to provide well stimulation and purging/squeezing compositions for enhancing gas or oil production in gas and condensate type wells.
Another object of this invention is to provide well stimulation and purging compositions which are capable of batch treatment or continuous injection of oil and gas wells to facilitate removal of fluids, bacteria and various solids, salt and other mineral deposits from the wells, or purging of fluids from the well formations in order to reduce or eliminate fluid coning in the wells.
Still another object of this invention is to provide a well stimulating and purging composition characterized by a cationic, soluble surfactant foamer which is “ambiguous”, or capable of emulsifying both oil and water, in well fluids, and is characterized by a homogenous solution of a coco diamine amido benzyl chloride type quaternary compound, isopropanol anhydrous, ammonium bisulfide, phosphate chelator/ester and potassium chloride or a clay stabilizer formulation, which composition is used primarily for extracting water and condensate fro
Harrison R. Keith
Ogden Necholus
LandOfFree
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