In situ transformation of hydraulic fracturing surfactants from well injection to produced water
Abstract
Chemical changes to hydraulic fracturing fluids (HFFs) within fractured unconventional reservoirs may affect hydrocarbon recovery and, in turn, the environmental impact of unconventional oil and gas development. Ethoxylated alcohol surfactants, which include alkyl ethoxylates (AEOs) and polyethylene glycols (PEGs), are often present in HFF as solvents, non-emulsifiers, and corrosion inhibitors. We present detailed analysis of polyethoxylates in HFF at the time of injection into three hydraulically fractured Marcellus Shale wells and in the produced water returning to the surface. Despite the addition of AEOs to the injection fluid during almost all stages, they were rarely detected in the produced water. Conversely, while PEGs were nearly absent in the injection fluid, they were the dominant constituents in the produced water. Similar numbers of ethoxylate units support downhole transformation of AEOs to PEGs through central cleavage of the ethoxylate chain from the alkyl group. We also observed a decrease in the average ethoxylate (EO) number of the PEG–EOs in the produced water over time, consistent with biodegradation during production. Our results elucidate an overlooked surfactant transformation pathway that may affect the efficacy of HFF to maximize oil and gas recovery from unconventional shale reservoirs.
- Authors:
-
[1];
[2];
[3];
[3];
[4]
- National Energy Technology Lab. (NETL), Pittsburgh, PA (United States); Oak Ridge Inst. for Science and Education (ORISE), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
- National Energy Technology Lab. (NETL), Pittsburgh, PA (United States); Oak Ridge Inst. for Science and Education (ORISE), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States)
- Colorado State Univ., Fort Collins, CO (United States)
- National Energy Technology Lab. (NETL), Pittsburgh, PA (United States)
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), Pittsburgh, PA, Morgantown, WV, and Albany, OR (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM), Office of Resource Sustainability (FE-30)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1607773
- Alternate Identifier(s):
- OSTI ID: 1569496
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 21; Journal Issue: 10; Journal ID: ISSN 2050-7887
- Publisher:
- Royal Society of Chemistry
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; hydraulic fracturing fluid; produced water; surfactant transformation; Marcellus shale
Citation Formats
McAdams, Brandon C., Carter, Kimberly E., Blotevogel, Jens, Borch, Thomas, and Hakala, J. Alexandra. In situ transformation of hydraulic fracturing surfactants from well injection to produced water. United States: N. p., 2019.
Web. doi:10.1039/c9em00153k.
McAdams, Brandon C., Carter, Kimberly E., Blotevogel, Jens, Borch, Thomas, & Hakala, J. Alexandra. In situ transformation of hydraulic fracturing surfactants from well injection to produced water. United States. https://doi.org/10.1039/c9em00153k
McAdams, Brandon C., Carter, Kimberly E., Blotevogel, Jens, Borch, Thomas, and Hakala, J. Alexandra. Wed .
"In situ transformation of hydraulic fracturing surfactants from well injection to produced water". United States. https://doi.org/10.1039/c9em00153k. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1607773.
@article{osti_1607773,
title = {In situ transformation of hydraulic fracturing surfactants from well injection to produced water},
author = {McAdams, Brandon C. and Carter, Kimberly E. and Blotevogel, Jens and Borch, Thomas and Hakala, J. Alexandra},
abstractNote = {Chemical changes to hydraulic fracturing fluids (HFFs) within fractured unconventional reservoirs may affect hydrocarbon recovery and, in turn, the environmental impact of unconventional oil and gas development. Ethoxylated alcohol surfactants, which include alkyl ethoxylates (AEOs) and polyethylene glycols (PEGs), are often present in HFF as solvents, non-emulsifiers, and corrosion inhibitors. We present detailed analysis of polyethoxylates in HFF at the time of injection into three hydraulically fractured Marcellus Shale wells and in the produced water returning to the surface. Despite the addition of AEOs to the injection fluid during almost all stages, they were rarely detected in the produced water. Conversely, while PEGs were nearly absent in the injection fluid, they were the dominant constituents in the produced water. Similar numbers of ethoxylate units support downhole transformation of AEOs to PEGs through central cleavage of the ethoxylate chain from the alkyl group. We also observed a decrease in the average ethoxylate (EO) number of the PEG–EOs in the produced water over time, consistent with biodegradation during production. Our results elucidate an overlooked surfactant transformation pathway that may affect the efficacy of HFF to maximize oil and gas recovery from unconventional shale reservoirs.},
doi = {10.1039/c9em00153k},
journal = {Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts},
number = 10,
volume = 21,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Oct 02 00:00:00 EDT 2019},
month = {Wed Oct 02 00:00:00 EDT 2019}
}
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