U.S. Patent No. 10,377,942 B2, entitled, “HYDROCARBON FORMATION TREATMENT MICELLAR SOLUTIONS” was issued to Nissan Chemical America Corporation on August 13, 2019. The inventors are John Edmond Southwell from Glen Ellyn, Illinois and Yusra Khan Ahmad from Webster, Texas.
Abstract
A hydrocarbon formation treatment micellar solution fluid and its use in treating underperforming hydrocarbon formations is described and claimed. A hydrocarbon formation treatment micellar solution fluid wherein the micellar solution fluid comprises water, a non-terpene oil-based moiety, a brine resistant aqueous colloidal silica sol; and optionally a terpene or a terpenoid, wherein the brine resistant aqueous colloidal silica sol has silica particles with a surface that is functionalized with at least one moiety selected from the group consisting of a hydrophilic organosilane, a mixture of hydrophilic and hydrophobic organosilanes, or a polysiloxane oligomer, wherein the brine resistant aqueous colloidal silica sol passes at least two of three of these brine resistant tests: API Brine Visual, 24 Hour Seawater Visual and API Turbidity Meter, and wherein, when a terpene or terpenoid is present, the ratio of total water to terpene or terpenoid is at least about 15 to 1.