US 12,312,534 B2
Treating fluid comprising hydrocarbons, water, and polymer
Sumitra Subrahmanyan, San Ramon, CA (US); Gayani W. Pinnawala, San Ramon, CA (US); Sophany Thach, San Ramon, CA (US); Gregory A. Winslow, San Ramon, CA (US); Dennis A. Alexis, San Ramon, CA (US); Harold C. Linnemeyer, San Ramon, CA (US); Timothy P. Theriot, San Ramon, CA (US); Les Leszek Jackowski, San Ramon, CA (US); and Francesca Cibotti, San Ramon, CA (US)
Assigned to CHEVRON U.S.A. INC., San Ramon, CA (US)
Filed by CHEVRON U.S.A. INC., San Ramon, CA (US)
Filed on Oct. 27, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/496,600.
Application 18/496,600 is a continuation of application No. 17/581,392, filed on Jan. 21, 2022, granted, now 11,834,606.
Application 17/581,392 is a continuation of application No. 16/660,497, filed on Oct. 22, 2019, granted, now 11,242,739, issued on Feb. 8, 2022.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/748,897, filed on Oct. 22, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2024/0067865 A1, Feb. 29, 2024
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. C09K 8/588 (2006.01); C09K 8/03 (2006.01); E21B 21/06 (2006.01); E21B 43/38 (2006.01)
CPC C09K 8/588 (2013.01) [C09K 8/032 (2013.01); E21B 21/068 (2013.01); E21B 43/385 (2013.01); C09K 2208/26 (2013.01); C09K 2208/28 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of treating fluid comprising hydrocarbons, water, and polymer being produced from a hydrocarbon-bearing formation via a wellbore, the method comprising:
adding a concentration of a viscosity reducer to the fluid to degrade the polymer present in the fluid; and
adding a concentration of a neutralizer to the fluid to neutralize the viscosity reducer in the fluid; wherein:
the addition of the concentration of the viscosity reducer is in a sufficient quantity to allow for complete chemical degradation of the polymer prior to the addition of the concentration of the neutralizer in the fluid such that excess viscosity reducer is present in the fluid; and
the addition of the concentration of the neutralizer is sufficiently upstream of any surface fluid processing equipment to allow for complete neutralization of the excess viscosity reducer such that excess neutralizer is present in the fluid prior to the fluid reaching any of the surface fluid processing equipment;
wherein the hydrocarbon-bearing formation comprises a rock matrix with an average pore size of less than 1 micrometer.