Patent ID: 7915202

Claim:
A clay stabilizer for use in a formation having a mixture of two or more clay types comprising: two or more amine salts capable of cation exchange with the two or more clay types within the formation, each of the two or more amine salts having a different molecular weight and charge density relative to each of the other of the two or more amine salts so as to permit transport into different sized pore spaces within the formation for reducing clay swelling therein. wherein one of the two or more amine salts is a protonated amine in a range of C 1 to about C 18 having from one to about seven available amine groups; and wherein one of the two or more amine salts is a long chain poly quaternary amine having a molecular weight less than about 5000 atomic mass units and having greater than about 200 quaternized nitrogen atoms; and the balance being water.