Drag reduction using maleated fatty acids

Abstract

Non-polymeric drag reducing agents in the form of maleated fatty acids and the esters thereof and the organic, inorganic or amine salts thereof are described herein. These additives are useful to reduce drag in hydrocarbon fluids and multiphase fluids of hydrocarbon(s) and water. No injection probes or other special equipment is expected to be required to introduce the drag reducing agent into the liquid stream, nor is grinding (cryogenic or otherwise) of the additive necessary to form a suitable drag reducing agent. The drag reducing additives of the invention are not subject to shear degradation and do not cause undesirable changes in the emulsion or fluid quality of the fluid being treated, or undesirable foaming.

1 . A reduced drag fluid, comprising: 
 a fluid; and    an amount of an additive effective to reduce the drag of the fluid, the additive being selected from the group consisting of imidazoline salts of; primary, secondary and tertiary salts of; heterocyclic amine salts of maleated fatty acids, and maleated fatty esters; and inorganic salts and organic salts of maleated fatty acids, and maleated fatty esters; and mixtures thereof;    where the amount of additive based on the total amount of fluid ranges from 100 to 725 ppm, where the drag of the fluid is reduced as compared with the drag of an identical fluid absence the additive.    
   
   
       2 . The reduced drag fluid of  claim 1  where the fluid is selected from the group consisting of hydrocarbons, mixtures of hydrocarbons and water, and mixtures of hydrocarbons, water and gas.  
   
   
       3 . The reduced drag fluid of  claim 1  where the additive is selected from the group consisting of:  
     
       
         
         
             
             
         
       
     
     where R is an organic moiety including alkyl, aryl, aralkyl, alkaryl or amine groups; 
 R 1  is a generally linear organic moiety of from about 2 to about 20 carbon atoms;  
 R 2  is hydrogen or a generally linear organic moiety of up to about 20 carbon atoms, where the total number of carbon atoms in R 1  and R 2  are from about 2 to about 20 carbon atoms;  
 R 3  is an alkylene or alkenylene group of from about 2 to about 15 carbons; and  
 R 4  is an alkylene or alkenylene group of from about 2 to about 15 carbons;  
 and inorganic, organic, and amine salts thereof, where the amine salts are selected from the group consisting of imidazoline salts thereof; primary, secondary and tertiary salts thereof; heterocyclic amine salts thereof; and mixtures thereof.  
 
   
   
       4 . The reduced drag fluid of  claim 1  where the amount of additive based on the total amount of fluid ranges from 100 to 600 ppm.  
   
   
       5 . The reduced drag fluid of  claim 1  where the additive contains more than one maleated fatty acid, ester and salt thereof.  
   
   
       6 . A reduced drag fluid, consisting essentially of: 
 a fluid selected from the group consisting of hydrocarbons, mixtures of hydrocarbons and water, and mixtures of hydrocarbons, water and gas; and    from 100 to 725 ppm based on the total amount of fluid of an additive selected from the group consisting of:                          where R is an organic moiety including alkyl, aryl, aralkyl, alkaryl or amine groups;    R 1  is a generally linear organic moiety of from about 2 to about 20 carbon atoms;    R 2  is hydrogen or a generally linear organic moiety of up to about 20 carbon atoms, where the total number of carbon atoms in R 1  and R 2  are from about 2 to about 20 carbon atoms;    R 3  is an alkylene or alkenylene group of from about 2 to about 15 carbons; and    R 4  is an alkylene or alkenylene group of from about 2 to about 15 carbons;    and inorganic, organic, and amine salts thereof, where the amine salts are selected from the group consisting of imidazoline salts thereof; primary, secondary and tertiary salts thereof; heterocyclic amine salts thereof; and mixtures thereof    where the drag of the fluid is reduced as compared with the drag of an identical fluid absence the additive.    
   
   
       7 . The reduced drag fluid of  claim 6  where the additive is selected from the group consisting of imidazoline salts of; primary, secondary, and tertiary amine salts of; alkoxylated amine salts of; heterocyclic amine salt forms of the maleated fatty acids and maleated fatty acid esters and mixtures thereof.  
   
   
       8 . The reduced drag fluid of  claim 6  where the amount of additive based on the total amount of fluid ranges from 100 to 600 ppm.  
   
   
       9 . The reduced drag fluid of  claim 6  where the additive contains more than one maleated fatty acid, ester and salt thereof.  
   
   
       10 . A flowing, reduced drag fluid, comprising: 
 a fluid flowing in a turbulent flow regime; and    from 100 to 725 ppm based on the total amount of fluid of an additive continuously added to the fluid to reduce the drag of the fluid, the additive being selected from the group consisting of imidazoline salts of; primary, secondary and tertiary salts of; heterocyclic amine salts of maleated fatty acids, and maleated fatty esters; and inorganic salts and organic salts of maleated fatty acids, and maleated fatty esters; and mixtures thereof    where the drag of the fluid is reduced as compared with the drag of an identical fluid absence the additive.    
   
   
       11 . The flowing, reduced drag fluid of  claim 10  where the fluid is selected from the group consisting of hydrocarbons, mixtures of hydrocarbons and water, and mixtures of hydrocarbons, water and gas.  
   
   
       12 . The flowing, reduced drag fluid of  claim 10  where the additive is selected from the group consisting of:  
     
       
         
         
             
             
         
       
     
     where R is an organic moiety including alkyl, aryl, aralkyl, alkaryl or amine groups; 
 R 1  is a generally linear organic moiety of from about 2 to about 20 carbon atoms;  
 R 2  is hydrogen or a generally linear organic moiety of up to about 20 carbon atoms, where the total number of carbon atoms in R 1  and R 2  are from about 2 to about 20 carbon atoms;  
 R 3  is an alkylene or alkenylene group of from about 2 to about 15 carbons; and  
 R 4  is an alkylene or alkenylene group of from about 2 to about 15 carbons;  
 and inorganic, organic, and amine salts thereof, where the amine salts are selected from the group consisting of imidazoline salts thereof; primary, secondary and tertiary salts thereof; heterocyclic amine salts thereof; and mixtures thereof.  
 
   
   
       13 . The flowing, reduced drag fluid of  claim 10  where the amount of additive based on the total amount of fluid ranges from 100 to 600 ppm.  
   
   
       14 . The flowing, reduced drag fluid of  claim 10  where the additive contains more than one maleated fatty acid, ester and salt thereof.  
   
   
       15 . The flowing, reduced drag fluid of  claim 10  where the continuously flowing, reduced drag fluid consists essentially of the continuously flowing fluid and the additive.  
   
   
       16 . The flowing, reduced drag fluid of  claim 10  where the continuously flowing, reduced drag fluid consists of the continuously flowing fluid and the additive.