US 11,939,521 B2
Reuse of hypersaline brine with ionic liquids
Adrian Cesar Cavazos Sepulveda, Nuevo Leon (MX); Abdulkareem AlSofi, Dhahran (SA); Subhash C. Ayirala, Dhahran (SA); Ahmed Gmira, Al-Khobar (SA); and Ali Abdallah Al-Yousef, Dhahran (SA)
Assigned to SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY, Dhahran (SA)
Filed by SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY, Dhahran (SA)
Filed on Aug. 19, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/821,049.
Prior Publication US 2024/0059958 A1, Feb. 22, 2024
Int. Cl. E21B 43/16 (2006.01); C09K 8/584 (2006.01)
CPC C09K 8/584 (2013.01) [E21B 43/16 (2013.01)] 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A solution for injection to a formation containing hydrocarbons, comprising:
an ionic liquid; and
a brine having a salinity of at least 60,000 ppm total dissolved solids (TDS),
wherein the ionic liquid is configured to lower an interfacial tension between the solution and the hydrocarbons in the formation, and
wherein the ionic liquid comprises hexadecyl (2-hydroxyethyl) dimethylammonium dihydrogen phosphate, 1-benzyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hydrogen sulfate, or a combination thereof.