A Novel Surfactant for Oilfield Applications

Abstract Previously, esters of alcohol ethoxycaiboxylates have been developed for use in surfactant flooding, micellar polymer flooding, and foam flooding enhanced oil recovery. With the increased availability and improved economics of alcohol ethoxycarboxylate surfactants due to commercialization of a more cost-effective synthesis, additional applications of AEC's are being developed. Among these are various oilfield applications. Foaming data at neutral and basic pH suggest that AEC surfactants could have applications as foaming agents for hydraulic fracturing, acidizing, drilling, and completion fluids. AEC surfactants foam more readily in basic media than in acidic media. However, AEC surfactants form stable foams in acidic media, foams even more stable than basic media foams. So while AEC surfactants could be useful foaming agents in hydraulic fracturing, normally carried out in basic media, they could also be useful as foaming agents in acidizing and acid fracturing. Taken together, dynamic surface tension values, contact angle measurements, and interfacial tension values suggest that AEC surfactants could have applications in acidizing whether or not they are used as foaming agents