Classifications

• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C09—DYES; PAINTS; POLISHES; NATURAL RESINS; ADHESIVES; COMPOSITIONS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; APPLICATIONS OF MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • C09K—MATERIALS FOR MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS, NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE
  • C09K8/00—Compositions for drilling of boreholes or wells; Compositions for treating boreholes or wells, e.g. for completion or for remedial operations
  • C09K8/50—Compositions for plastering borehole walls, i.e. compositions for temporary consolidation of borehole walls
  • C09K8/504—Compositions based on water or polar solvents
  • C09K8/506—Compositions based on water or polar solvents containing organic compounds
  • C09K8/508—Compositions based on water or polar solvents containing organic compounds macromolecular compounds
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C09—DYES; PAINTS; POLISHES; NATURAL RESINS; ADHESIVES; COMPOSITIONS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; APPLICATIONS OF MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • C09K—MATERIALS FOR MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS, NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE
  • C09K8/00—Compositions for drilling of boreholes or wells; Compositions for treating boreholes or wells, e.g. for completion or for remedial operations
  • C09K8/56—Compositions for consolidating loose sand or the like around wells without excessively decreasing the permeability thereof
  • C09K8/57—Compositions based on water or polar solvents
  • C09K8/575—Compositions based on water or polar solvents containing organic compounds
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C09—DYES; PAINTS; POLISHES; NATURAL RESINS; ADHESIVES; COMPOSITIONS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; APPLICATIONS OF MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • C09K—MATERIALS FOR MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS, NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE
  • C09K8/00—Compositions for drilling of boreholes or wells; Compositions for treating boreholes or wells, e.g. for completion or for remedial operations
  • C09K8/56—Compositions for consolidating loose sand or the like around wells without excessively decreasing the permeability thereof
  • C09K8/57—Compositions based on water or polar solvents
  • C09K8/575—Compositions based on water or polar solvents containing organic compounds
  • C09K8/5751—Macromolecular compounds
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C09—DYES; PAINTS; POLISHES; NATURAL RESINS; ADHESIVES; COMPOSITIONS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; APPLICATIONS OF MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • C09K—MATERIALS FOR MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS, NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE
  • C09K8/00—Compositions for drilling of boreholes or wells; Compositions for treating boreholes or wells, e.g. for completion or for remedial operations
  • C09K8/60—Compositions for stimulating production by acting on the underground formation
  • C09K8/62—Compositions for forming crevices or fractures
  • C09K8/66—Compositions based on water or polar solvents
  • C09K8/68—Compositions based on water or polar solvents containing organic compounds
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C09—DYES; PAINTS; POLISHES; NATURAL RESINS; ADHESIVES; COMPOSITIONS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; APPLICATIONS OF MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • C09K—MATERIALS FOR MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS, NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE
  • C09K8/00—Compositions for drilling of boreholes or wells; Compositions for treating boreholes or wells, e.g. for completion or for remedial operations
  • C09K8/60—Compositions for stimulating production by acting on the underground formation
  • C09K8/62—Compositions for forming crevices or fractures
  • C09K8/66—Compositions based on water or polar solvents
  • C09K8/68—Compositions based on water or polar solvents containing organic compounds
  • C09K8/685—Compositions based on water or polar solvents containing organic compounds containing cross-linking agents
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
  • E21B—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
  • E21B43/00—Methods or apparatus for obtaining oil, gas, water, soluble or meltable materials or a slurry of minerals from wells
  • E21B43/02—Subsoil filtering
  • E21B43/025—Consolidation of loose sand or the like round the wells without excessively decreasing the permeability thereof

Definitions

• the present invention relates to the stabilization of subterranean formations. More particularly, the present invention relates to methods for stabilizing unconsolidated portions of a subterranean formation and controlling the production of water from those portions.
• Another method of controlling particulates in unconsolidated formations involves placing a filtration bed containing gravel near the well bore to present a physical barrier to the transport of unconsolidated formation fines with the production of hydrocarbons.
• Such "gravel-packing operations” involve the pumping and placement of a quantity of a desired particulate into the unconsolidated formation in an area adjacent to a well bore.
• One common type of gravel-packing operation involves placing a gravel-pack screen in the well bore and packing the surrounding annulus between the screen and the well bore with gravel of a specific size designed to prevent the passage of formation sand.
• the gravel-pack screen is generally a filter assembly used to retain the gravel placed during the gravel -pack operation.
• a wide range of sizes and screen configurations are available to suit the characteristics of the gravel-pack sand used.
• a wide range of sizes of gravel is available to suit the characteristics of the unconsolidated particulates in the subterranean formation.
• the resulting structure presents a barrier to migrating sand from the formation while still permitting fluid flow.
• Figure 1 shows a cross-sectional view of a subterranean formation penetrated by a well bore after treatment with a consolidating agent and a relative permeability modifier fluid, in which the consolidating agent has been introduced at a rate and pressure below the fracture pressure of the subterranean formation.
• One embodiment of the present invention describes a method of stabilizing an unconsolidated subterranean formation that is penetrated by a well bore comprising introducing a fluid comprising a consolidating agent into at least a portion of the subterranean formation so as to transform a portion of the subterranean formation surrounding the well bore into a consolidated region; and introducing a relative permeability modifier fluid into the subterranean formation through the well bore so as to penetrate at least a portion of the consolidated region.
• the relative permeability modifier fluid in some embodiments, may penetrate beyond the consolidated region.
• the after-flush fluid may be placed into the formation at a matrix flow rate such that a sufficient portion of the consolidating agent may be displaced from the pore channels to restore the formation to a desired permeability.
• a substantial amount of the consolidating agent should not be displaced therein.
• sufficient amounts of the consolidating agent should remain in the treated portion to provide effective stabilization of the unconsolidated portions of the subterranean formation therein.
• a relative permeability modifier fluid may be placed into a portion of a subterranean formation before a consolidating agent is placed into the subterranean formation.
• the relative permeability modifier fluid is placed into the subterranean formation at a rate and pressure sufficient to create or an enhance at least one fracture in that portion of the subterranean formation.
• the relative permeability modifier fluid may be used as a component in a fracturing fluid.
• the surfactant or surfactants used are included in the preflush fluid in an amount sufficient to prepare the subterranean formation to receive a treatment of a consolidating agent.
• the surfactant is present in the preflush fluid in an amount in the range of from about 0.1% to about 3% by weight of the aqueous fluid.
• Selection of a suitable resin may be affected by the temperature of the subterranean formation to which the fluid will be introduced.
• a bottom hole static temperature BHST
• two-component epoxy-based resins comprising a hardenable resin component and a hardening agent component containing specific hardening agents may be preferred.
• a furan-based resin may be preferred.
• Silyl-modified polyamide compounds suitable for use in the tackifying agents in the methods of the present invention may be described as substantially self-hardening compositions that are capable of at least partially adhering to particulates in the unhardened state, and that are further capable of self-hardening themselves to a substantially non-tacky state to which individual particulates such as formation fines will not adhere to, for example, in formation or proppant pack pore throats.
• Such silyl-modified polyamides may be based, for example, on the reaction product of a silating compound with a polyamide or a mixture of polyamides.
• Certain embodiments of the gelable liquid compositions of the present invention comprise curable resin compositions.
• Curable resin compositions are well known to those skilled in the art and have been used to consolidate portions of unconsolidated formations and to consolidate proppant materials into hard, permeable masses. While the curable resin compositions used in accordance with the present invention may be similar to those previously used to consolidate sand and proppant into hard, permeable masses, they are distinct in that resins suitable for use with the present invention do not cure into hard, permeable masses; rather they cure into flexible, gelled substances. That is, suitable curable resin compositions form resilient gelled substances between the particulates of the treated zone of the unconsolidated formation and thus allow that portion of the formation to remain flexible and to resist breakdown.
• any diluent that is compatible with the curable resin and achieves the desired viscosity effect is suitable for use in the present invention.
• diluents that may be used in the curable resin compositions of the present invention include, but are not limited to, phenols; formaldehydes; furfuryl alcohols; furfurals; alcohols; ethers such as butyl glycidyl ether and cresyl glycidyl etherphenyl glycidyl ether; and mixtures thereof.
• the diluent comprises butyl lactate.
• the aqueous solvent may be any aqueous solvent in which the crosslinkable composition and the crosslinking agent may be dissolved, mixed, suspended, or dispersed therein to facilitate gel formation.
• the aqueous solvent used may be fresh water, salt water, brine, seawater, or any other aqueous liquid that does not adversely react with the other components used in accordance with this invention or with the subterranean formation.
• the relative permeability modifiers useful in the present invention may be any relative permeability modifier that is suitable for use in subterranean operations. After introducing the relative permeability modifier fluid into a portion of the subterranean formation, the relative permeability modifier preferably attaches to surfaces within the porosity of the subterranean formation, so as to reduce the permeability of the portion of the subterranean formation to aqueous fluids without substantially changing its permeability to hydrocarbons.
• suitable relative permeability modifiers include water-soluble polymers with or without hydrophobic or liydrophilic modification. As used herein, "water- soluble" refers to at least 0.01 weight percent soluble in distilled water.
• a water-soluble polymer with hydrophobic modification is referred to herein as a "hydrophobically modified polymer.”
• hydrophobic modification or “hydrophobically modified” refers to the incorporation into the hydrophilic polymer structure of hydrophobic groups, wherein the alkyl chain length is from about 4 to about 22 carbons.
• a water-soluble polymer with hydrophilic modification is referred to herein as a “hydrophilically modified polymer.”
• the term “hydrophilic modification,” or “hydrophilically modified” refers to the incorporation into the hydrophilic polymer structure of hydrophilic groups, such as to introduce branching or to increase the degree of branching in the hydrophilic polymer.
• a suitable dimethlyaminoethyl methacrylate/alkyl- dimethylammoniumethyl methacrylate copolymer is a dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate/hexadecyl-dimethylammoniumethyl methacrylate copolymer.
• these copolymers may be formed by reactions with a variety of alkyl halides.
• the hydrophobically modified polymer may be a dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate/hexadecyl-dimethylammoniumethyl methacrylate bromide copolymer.
• the hydrophilically modified polymers may be synthesized using any suitable method.
• the hydrophilically modified polymers may be a reaction product of a hydrophilic polymer and a hydrophilic compound.
• Those of ordinary skill in the art, with the benefit of this disclosure, will be able to determine other suitable methods for the preparation of suitable hydrophilically modified polymers.
• the selected consolidating agent was an epoxy-based resin system capable of acting as a consolidating agent at temperatures between 170-325°F.
• An epoxy based resin with a volume of 30 niL, (i.e., 15 mL of hardenable resin component and 15 mL of internal activator component) was prepared to form a single mixture just before the consolidation treatment. This resin mixture has a viscosity of about 15 cP at 72°F.

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• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• General Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Organic Chemistry (AREA)
• Materials Engineering (AREA)
• Geology (AREA)
• Mining & Mineral Resources (AREA)
• Geochemistry & Mineralogy (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Fluid Mechanics (AREA)
• Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
• Compositions Of Macromolecular Compounds (AREA)
• Soil Conditioners And Soil-Stabilizing Materials (AREA)
• Financial Or Insurance-Related Operations Such As Payment And Settlement (AREA)
• Processing Of Solid Wastes (AREA)
• Curing Cements, Concrete, And Artificial Stone (AREA)
• Organic Low-Molecular-Weight Compounds And Preparation Thereof (AREA)
• Railway Tracks (AREA)

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• 2008
  • 2008-01-08 US US12/008,063 patent/US20080110624A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2008-12-15 AU AU2008346283A patent/AU2008346283A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2008-12-15 MX MX2010007509A patent/MX2010007509A/es not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2008-12-15 CA CA2710449A patent/CA2710449A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2008-12-15 BR BRPI0822021-2A patent/BRPI0822021A2/pt not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2008-12-15 WO PCT/GB2008/004151 patent/WO2009087349A1/en active Application Filing
• 2009
  • 2009-01-06 AR ARP090100028A patent/AR070111A1/es not_active Application Discontinuation
• 2010
  • 2010-04-05 US US12/754,438 patent/US20100186954A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2010-06-29 CO CO10078464A patent/CO6231045A2/es not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2010-07-12 EC EC2010010340A patent/ECSP10010340A/es unknown

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