Moderation of oil extraction waste environments

摘要

An environment is moderated against microbial buildup, and especially bacterial buildup in an area where residual liquid wastes are collected or retained or added into natural ground formations. Water wastes are created, collected in storage areas or retained in natural land formations after the use of fluids to extract hydrocarbons contained in oil sand or oil shale or other hydrocarbon rich formations. The residual water wastes are of the type that generate or provide or promote in or above the fluid at least one waste selected from the group consisting of bacteria, carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, mercaptans and organic acids. A combination is provided of at least one of i) a friction reducing polymer for oil extraction and/or a polymer capable of absorbing at least ten times its weight in water (preferably a super-absorbing polymer) and ii) a combination of salts that react to liberate I2. At least one liquid waste may flocculated with liberated I2 (and any cations from the reactive salts) to form a flocculent that has reduced odor and reduced microbial content. By injecting the iodine-generating composition into the hydrocarbon-rich or hydrocarbon providing composition (e.g., the oil sand or shale in its natural underground formation), some of the iodine or iodine producing materials will be present in both the residual water pumped from the source and water retained in the underground formation to reduce microbial growth.

主权项

1. A method of moderating an environment in a hydrocarbon extraction process, the method comprising: a) adding liquid in sufficient amount to a natural formation of hydrocarbon-containing volume, the liquid comprising a superabsorbent polymer carrying I2 or a superabsorbent polymer in combination with materials that react in the presence of water or alcohol to generate I2 that is at least in part carried within the superabsorbent polymer; b) withdrawing hydrocarbon from the natural formation; and c) allowing at least some superabsorbent polymer carrying ionically bound I2 to remain within the volume to moderate bacterial growth within the volume, wherein all polymer in the liquid consists essentially of the superabsorbent polymer.