Produced Water Borate Crosslinking Compositions and Method of Use

Abstract

A composition and method for treating a fracturing fluid comprising produced water with high levels of dissolved solids using a polymer crosslinked with a boron compound and a high pH alkylamine buffer. The composition improves the viscosity stability of the fracturing fluid at elevated bottom-hole temperatures, particularly when the fluid has high levels of calcium and magnesium. The composition is particularly useful with polysaccharides, including galactomannan gums, such as guar gum, locust bean gum, and karaya gum, and allows for the use of the preferred boron compound crosslinkers in high total dissolved solids fracturing fluids without the pH destabilization problems encountered with the prior art.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]1. Field of the Invention[0002]This invention relates to a composition and method for treating fluids having high levels of total dissolved solids, such as produced water, with a boron crosslinked polymer and pH buffer to improve the functionality and stability of the viscosity of the fluid for use in oil and gas operations, particularly in fracturing operations.[0003]2. Description of Related Art[0004]Large amounts of the world's oil and gas reserves are contained in formations where extraction is more difficult. With increasing prices for oil and natural gas and the positive environmental aspects of its use as a fuel source, there is greater demand for technologies to efficiently extract and recover oil and natural gas from these formations. One technique that has been developed to stimulate production in these formations is hydraulic fracturing. Using this technique, a fracturing fluid is pumped into a well under sufficient pressure to fracture th...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

This invention is about a method and composition for treating produced water with high levels of dissolved solids. The composition involves using a polymer crosslinked with a boron compound and a high pH alkylamine buffer. The composition improves pH stability and maintains a stable crosslinked fracturing fluid at high temperatures. This is especially useful with polysaccharides and helps to achieve high viscosity to transport proppants and control leak-off. The composition is particularly useful in high TDS fracturing fluids without pH destabilization problems.

Problems solved by technology

Crosslinking with boron is generally preferred for guar polymers and some guar derivatives, such as HPG; however, it can be difficult to maintain the stable pH needed.

Maintaining an adequate pH level to avoid reversal of the crosslinking is a problem frequently encountered in fracturing operations.

Higher bottom hole temperatures are known to lower pH values and can cause degradation of the crosslinked polymer.

This has the drawback of increasing the costs of the fracturing operation, both in added raw materials and in increased power requirements.

Additionally, increasing the initial loading of polymer alone is not effective in maintaining a stable viscosity in fracturing fluids with high TDS levels.

However, many of these buffers will react with ions in high TDS fracturing fluids, making them ineffective for use in operations where produced waters are used as a source of fracturing fluid.

Although boron crosslink guar fluids are generally preferred, they are not normally used in fracturing fluids comprising high TDS produced water because of the difficulty in elevating and maintaining a stable pH (9.0-12.0) required for crosslink stability at bottom hole temperatures.

These and other precipitates are undesirable because they may adversely affect the permeability of the formation or cause damage to the equipment.

This reaction also depletes the pH buffer and results in the inability to sufficiently stabilize the pH at the necessary elevated level.

Often erratic or unstable crosslink fluids result.

Because of these issues, guar polymers and guar-derivative polymers are not normally considered candidates for crosslinking with boron in high TDS fracturing fluids such as produced waters, and boron crosslinking is often limited to water sources having less than 1,500 ppm total dissolved solids particularly with calcium and magnesium levels less than 500 ppm and 150 ppm respectively (primarily fresh water sources).

The breaker must react with both the stable crosslink and polymer when a zirconium crosslinker is used and it is generally more difficult to break.

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