Huntsman eor
- 1. Technical Bulletin Products for Enhanced Oil Recovery High Interfacial Tension Capillary Forces prevent oil from crossing through pore throats Ultra-Low Interfacial Tension Capillary Forces are reduced to near zero, allowing oil to move through pore throats High Interfacial Tension Capillary Forces prevent oil from crossing through pore throats High Interfacial Tension Capillary Forces prevent oil from crossing through pore throats Ultra-Low Interfacial Tension Capillary Forces are reduced to near zero, allowing oil to move through pore throats Huntsman is a global supplier of surfactants and other chemicals widely used in oilfield operations. Included are Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) products designed to meet the challenges of varying reservoir, injection water, and crude oil properties. The key to a successful EOR formulation is to carefully select the components that provide ultra-low interfacial tension (IFT) under reservoir conditions. Achieving ultra-low IFT greatly reduces capillary forces that trap oil. Huntsman’s leadership position comes from its mix of technologies, world scale manufacturing capabilities, and global distribution network. Important Technologies • Alkylation: Production of C14 – C30 alkylaryl compounds for use as hydrophobes that interact favorably with crude oil. Whe sulfonated, these long chain alkylaryl compounds are used as primary surfactants. n • Alkoxylation: Reaction of propylene oxide (PO) and ethylene oxide (EO) with active alcohols to produce nonionic surfactants and intermediates for further reaction. • Sulfation / Sulfonation: Addition of a sulfate group to an alkoxylated molecule or a sulfonate group to an alkylaryl molecule. Using these technologies, Huntsman manufactures a variety of products for use as primary surfactants, co-surfactants and co-solvents. Primary Surfactants These workhorse surfactant molecules must be chosen carefully to match the hydrophobe to the crude oil. The primary surfactant should also be able to withstand reservoir conditions and be compatible with the injection water. Huntsman offers three types of primary surfactants: alkylaryl sulfonates, extended chain surfactants and nonionic surfactants. Alkylaryl Sulfonates R SO3Na Alkylaryl Sulfonates R SO3Na Alkylaryl sulfonates are well known for their durability and thermal stability. With the help of co-surfactants, they can tolerate moderate salinities. These materials are supplied in concentrates or custom- formulated solutions that require only dilution in the field.
- 2. Extended chain surfactants are very tolerant of salt and water hardness and are capable of producing ultra-low IFTs by themselves. The ether links "extend" the distance between the hydrophobe and the hydrophile. Extended Chain Surfactants POR EO SO4Na x y Extended Chain Surfactants POR EO SO4Na x y As ether sulfates, these surfactants are limited to use in reservoirs with moderate temperatures. Combining extended chain surfactants with alkylaryl sulfonates produces a very robust surfactant system that interacts well with crude oils and achieves ultra-low IFTs. Nonionic surfactants are usually used as co-surfactants and co-solvents to enhance the properties of the primary surfactants. However, in reservoirs with very active oils, application of a nonionic surfactant may be all that is needed to mobilize the oil. Active crude oils will produce their own surfactants in the presence of alkali. Primary Surfactants Application Alkylaryl Sulfonates High temperature stability. Variety of crude oils. Low salinity conditions. (Higher salinity requires more co-solvent and maybe a co-surfactant.) XOF-25S Sulfonic acid of Alkylate H250 (C14 – C30) XOF-26S Sulfonic acid of Alkylate A268 (85% C16-C18) XOF-30S Sulfonic acid of Alkylate 300 (C20-C24) Extended Chain Surfactants Temperature limit ~60°C. Light to medium crude oils. Optimal IFT at 2-3% salinity. Can be used as co-surfactants to reduce need for co-solvent. XOF-202S Linear alcohol propoxylate ethoxylate, sulfated, Sodium salt. Other Other compositions are under development. Nonionic Surfactants Temperature limited by cloud point. Light to medium crude oils. Very tolerant of salt and water hardness. Can be used as co- surfactants or co-solvents. Used when crude oil has plenty of surfactant character. SURFONIC ® L-series surfactants Linear alcohol ethoxylates. SURFONIC ® L24-5 and L24-12 surfactants have been used as primary surfactants in EOR. SURFONIC ® N-series surfactants Nonylphenol ethoxylates with up to 40 EO SURFONIC ® DDP-series surfactants Dodecylphenol ethoxylates with up to 14 EO Co-Surfactants Co-surfactants are used to tailor the performance of the primary surfactant to the unique characteristics of the reservoir. They increase salt tolerance of the primary surfactant and allow ultra-low interfacial tensions to be achieved. The choice of co-surfactant will depend on the reservoir temperature, crude API gravity, crude composition, and the total dissolved solids (TDS) of the injection water. One particular product that works well in a majority of situations is XOF-200. This product is considered a “universal co-surfactant” and will help generate a very robust formulation.
- 3. Co-Surfactants Application Sulfosuccinates Excellent wettability. Salt and water hardness tolerance. Act to compatibilize packages. Temperature limited to ~ 80°C (break down into useful alcohols). XOF-200 Sodium salt of dimethylamyl sulfosuccinate SURFONIC ® DOS-series surfactants Sodium salt of dioctyl sulfosuccinate. More hydrophobic than XOF- 200. Available in different solvent systems. Nonionic Surfactants Temperature limited by cloud point. Act to increase salt and water hardness tolerance. SURFONIC ® L-series surfactants Linear alcohol ethoxylates. SURFONIC ® N-series surfactants Nonylphenol ethoxylates with up to 40 EO SURFONIC ® DDP-series surfactants Dodecylphenol ethoxylates with up to 14 EO Co-Solvents One of the more recent discoveries in EOR is the need to have a homogeneous EOR package. Successful EOR depends on the presence of the surfactants at the interface between the injection water and the crude oil. A non-homogeneous EOR package indicates that some of the components (or their combinations) are insoluble. Insoluble materials may have a hard time flowing through the formation and might plug pore throats. Co-Solvents Application Short Carbon Chain Alcohol Ethoxylates Act to compatiblize packages containing surfactants that have large hydrophobes and reduce viscosity of microemulsions. SURFONIC ® L4 series solvents have an oligomer distribution that mimics the distribution of crude oil composition. SURFONIC® L4-1 solvent n-butanol + 1 EO SURFONIC ® L4-2 solvent n-butanol + 2 EO. Offers best balance of hydrophobe and hydrophile. Widely tested. SURFONIC ® L4-3 solvent n-butanol + 3 EO. More hydrophilic than L4-1 and L4-2. SURFONIC ® L6-6 solvent n-hexanol + 6 EO. Co-solvent with co-surfactant credit. SURFONIC ® EH-2 solvent 2-ethylhexanol + 2 EO. Large branched alcohol. Dialkyl Sulfosuccinates O R O R O SO3Na O Dialkyl Sulfosuccinates O R O R O SO3Na O Alkylaryl Ethoxylates EOR x Alkylaryl Ethoxylates EOR x Alcohol Ethoxylates EOR x Alcohol Ethoxylates EOR x Short Chain Alcohol Ethoxylates O EO x Short Chain Alcohol Ethoxylates O EO x
- 4. Carbon Dioxide (CO2) EOR Work is underway to develop surfactants for CO2 EOR for use in a variety of situations: • Water-soluble surfactants for producing foam • CO2-soluble surfactants for producing foam • CO2-soluble surfactants that mobilize oil. (WTO Pat. App. No. WO2009/094285 A1) As more anthropogenic CO2 is captured, these types of surfactants will allow CO2 EOR to be used in more fields and with more difficult oils. Other Resources • Surfactant Screening for EOR: Huntsman can test surfactants for injection water compatibility and perform IFT testing on a Dataphysics SVT 20N Spinning Drop Tensiometer. • Custom Surfactants: As an independent company, Huntsman is free to enter into joint Development Partnerships to develop and produce unique molecules. • Other Oilfield Chemicals: Huntsman offers an extensive line of production chemicals for oilfield use. • Local Sourcing: Huntsman has a global distribution network and, in some cases, can provide regionally manufactured materials. 3903-0910 Copyright © 2010 Huntsman Corporation or an affiliate thereof. All rights reserved. SURFONIC is a registered trademark of Huntsman Corporation or an affiliate thereof in one or more, but not all, countries. Huntsman Petrochemical LLC warrants only that its products meet the specifications stated herein. Typical properties, where stated, are to be considered as representative of current production and should not be treated as specifications. While all the information presented in this document is believed to be reliable and to represent the best available data on these products, HUNTSMAN MAKES NO WARRANTY OR GUARANTEE OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, NON-INFRINGEMENT OF ANY INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHT OF ANY THIRD PARTY, OR WARRANTIES AS TO QUALITY OR CORRESPONDENCE WITH PRIOR DESCRIPTION OR SAMPLE, AND ANY USER OF PRODUCTS DESCRIBED HEREIN SHOULD CONDUCT A SUFFICIENT INVESTIGATION TO ESTABLISH THE SUITABILITY OF ANY PRODUCT FOR ITS INTENDED USE AND ASSUMES ALL RISK AND LIABILITY WHATSOEVER RESULTING FROM THE USE OF SUCH PRODUCT, WHETHER USED SINGLY OR IN COMBINATION WITH OTHER SUBSTANCES. Product(s) described in this publication may be hazardous and/or toxic and require special precautions in handling. For all product(s) described herein, the user should obtain from Huntsman detailed information on hazards and/or toxicity, together with proper shipping, handling, and storage procedures, and should comply with all applicable safety and environmental standards. The behavior, hazards and/or toxicity of the product(s) referred to in this publication in manufacturing processes and their suitability in any given end-use environment are dependent upon various conditions such as chemical compatibility, temperature, and other variables, which may not be known to Huntsman. It is the sole responsibility of the user of such product(s) to evaluate the manufacturing circumstances and the final product(s) under actual end-use requirements and to adequately advise and warn future purchasers and users thereof. Main Offices US Huntsman Corporation 10003 Woodloch Forest Dr The Woodlands, TX 77380 (281) 719-6000 Technical Service US 8600 Gosling Rd. The Woodlands, TX 77381 (281) 719-7780 Main Offices Europe Huntsman Belgium BVBA Everslaan 45 B-3078 Everberg, Belgium 32 2 758 9289 Technical Service Europe Everberg Office 32 2 758 9494 Main Offices Asia Pacific Huntsman Singapore PTE 150 Beach Road, #37-00 Gateway West Singapore 189720 65 6297 3363 Technical Service Asia Pacific Huntsman Chemistry R&D Center 455 Wen Jing Road Shanghai 200245 P. R. China 86 21 2403 7088