Patent ID: 9169431
Filing Date: 2015-10-27
Classification: B82Y,C09K

Abstract:
1. A method for inhibiting or preventing the degradation of a viscoelastic surfactant (VES) comprising adding an effective amount of complexation particles to an aqueous treating fluid having metal ions disposed therein, whereby the effective amount of complexation particles complex at least a portion of the metal ions, and wherein the aqueous treating fluid comprises at least one VES and an aqueous base fluid, wherein the metal ions are selected from the group consisting of a transition metal selected from the group consisting of Groups VA, VIA, VIIA, VIIIA, IE, IIB, IIIB, and IVB of the Periodic Table, and combinations thereof and are those present from impurities in salt products from the aqueous base fluids, aqueous treating fluids, or source water, those present from metal surfaces of mixing and handling equipment, piping, valves, and pumps, wellbore tubing or casing, those present from metal-scale particles, those due to the corrosion of metal surfaces from brine mixing systems and/or stocking tanks, and combinations thereof, and wherein the complexation particles are selected from the group consisting of high cation exchange capacity phyllosilicate mineral particles, zeolites, alkaline earth metal oxides and hydroxides, TiO 2 ZnO, Al 2 O 3 , and combinations thereof.