Continuously monitoring and managing the subsurface and environment are highly desirable for environmental protection and oil field applications. Using a series of barcoded tracers in hard-to-reach subsurface environments could provide highly desirable real-time and precise responses. However, the accumulation of tracers in the environment increases the background signal in analytical detection methods and challenges the precise detection of the tracers over time. Here we present the development of a family of transient markers that performs their functions temporarily before degrading to undetectable molecules in the environment. These transient markers are complexes of biodegradable polysaccharides and substituted benzoates (which act as tracers), synthesized via esterification. We have developed pyrolysis-GCMS (Py-GCMS) methods to detect the tracers and the markers simultaneously at two different pyrolyzing temperatures.  Our detection method can differentiate the free tracers in the complex matrix and the tracers bonded to the polysaccharides. Thus, we have not only demonstrated the unambiguous detectability of these markers in a complex matrix of mineral particles, but also studied the degradation kinetics of the markers in basic fluids at various pH. The first order rate constant of the marker’s hydrolysis is derived from the double shot Py-GCMS analysis at 94 °C. The results have demonstrated the potential for the transient application of these markers in subsurface fluids and environmental monitoring.

Detection and degradation kinetics of transient markers for oil field applications

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ACS Fall 2022

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