Siloxane surfactant additives for oil and gas applications

Abstract

A well treatment additive includes a siloxane surfactant, a solvent and an aqueous phase. The solvent, in some embodiments, is a terpene hydrocarbon. Also disclosed is a method for using the well treatment additive to form and enhance the properties of foams useful for the treatment of oil and gas wells. Methods of using the novel well treatment foams include using the additives in a variety of well treatment processes including, but not limited to, acidizing operations, hydraulic fracturing operations, well remediation operations and water removal operations.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A well treatment additive comprising:
 a foam, wherein the foam comprises an emulsion or microemulsion comprising a siloxane surfactant, a solvent, and an aqueous phase; and wherein the solvent is a terpene hydrocarbon.   
     
     
         2 . The well treatment additive of  claim 1  wherein the siloxane surfactant comprises an alkoxylated graft-type siloxane copolymer comprising copolymers with the formula (CH 3 ) 3 SiO(Si(CH 3 ) 2 O) a (Si(CH 3 )(R 1 )O) b Si(CH 3 ) 3  wherein a is 0-200 and b is 1-20;
 and R 1  represents an organic radical with the formula —(CH 2 )(OCH 2 CH 2 ) x (OCH(CH 3 )CH 2 ) y OR 3 , 
 wherein n is 3 to 11, x is 3 to 30, y is 0 to 30, and R 3  may be —H, -Me, or —C(O)CH 3 . 
 
     
     
         3 . The well treatment additive of  claim 1  wherein the siloxane surfactant comprises an alkoxylated graft-type siloxane copolymer comprising copolymers with the formula R 1 (CH 3 ) 2 SiO(Si(CH 3 ) 2 O)(Si(CH 3 )(R 1 )O) b Si(CH 3 ) 2 R 1  wherein a is 0-200 and b is 1-20;
 and R 1  represents an organic radical with the formula —(CH 2 ) n (OCH 2 CH 2 ) x (OCH(CH 3 )CH 2 ) y OR 3 , 
 wherein n is 3 to 11, x is 3 to 30, y is 0 to 30, and R 3  may be —H, -Me, or —C(O)CH 3 . 
 
     
     
         4 . The well treatment additive of  claim 1  wherein the siloxane surfactant comprises an alkoxylated trisiloxane surfactant.