2024 Vol. 41, No. 6

FORUM
Progress in Studying on Improving Mechanical Property of Set Cement in Well Cementing
TIAN Leiju, ZHU Haijin, LU Haichuan, HOU Wei, BU Yuhuan
2024, 41(6): 695-708. doi: 10.12358/j.issn.1001-5620.2024.06.001
Abstract:

Good mechanical properties of a set cement are of significance to the sealing integrity of the cement sheath. In recent years, with unconventional oil and gas resources becoming the main contributor to the production of oil and gas, and with more gas storage facilities being developed and constructed, set cement in well cementing with better mechanical properties is required to satisfy the needs of sealing integrity in complex oil and gas wells. In this paper, the investigation and survey done on set cement mechanical property improvement both at home and abroad are described, the methods and materials, as well as the mechanisms for the methods and the materials to work in improving the mechanical properties of set cement are systematically elaborated, the way in which the ultra-high performance concreate improves the mechanical properties of the oil well cement is introduced with emphasis, and the newest progresses made in the study of nanofibers, nanotubes and whiskers are expounded. The information and the thoughts of this article will hopefully be helpful in future studying on the improvement the mechanical properties of oil well set cement.

DRILLING FLUID
Mechanisms of and Technical Measures for Solving Borehole Wall Instability in Ten-Thousand-Meter Scientific Exploration Wells in Tarim Basin
LIU Fengbao, SUN Jinsheng, YIN Da, LUO Xuwu
2024, 41(6): 709-718. doi: 10.12358/j.issn.1001-5620.2024.06.002
Abstract(282) HTML (97) PDF (4933KB)(100)
Abstract:
In Tarim Basin, borehole wall instability has been an issue encountered in deep and ultra-deep well drilling in the Taipen block, the studies of which are insufficient and the understanding of the mechanisms of which is not clear. In laboratory studies, cores taken from the outcrop rocks of the Silurian, Ordovician and Cambrian strata buried at depths between 5,595 m and 10,900 m in the Taipen block were analyzed, and it was found that fractures with opening sizes between 300 nm and 800 nm are good passages for the invasion of a drilling fluid; borehole pressure is easy to transfer across these fractures and the collapse pressure of the formation is hence increased. The contact angles of water and oil on the surfaces of the mudstone are 5.8° and 5.3° respectively, the contact angles of water and oil on the surfaces of the limestone are 42.5° and 15.6°, respectively. The percent water adsorption and the percent oil adsorption of the mudstones are 2.74% and 3.63%, respectively, and those of the limestones are 1.42% and 2.14%, respectively. The percentages of the recovery of the Silurian system rocks, the Sangtamu mudstone and the Awatage argillaceous dolomite on hot rolling test are 86.3%, 92.9% and 98.2%, respectively, and those of the limestone and the dolomite are both basically 100%. Part of the formations, because of the hydration effect and dispersion in water, have the rock cohesion reduced. These are the main mechanisms that cause borehole wall instability. Based on the mechanisms of borehole wall instability understood, a water based drilling fluid was formulated with a high efficiency nanometer plugging agent, a salt-resistant polymer filter loss reducer and other additives for ultra-deep well drilling. The nanometer plugging agent and the filter loss reducer are all ultra-high temperature resistant. By enhancing the plugging capacity, reducing the filtration rate of the drilling fluid and minimizing the amount of the drilling fluid lost into the formations, the collapse pressures of the formations are reduced. By improving the inhibitive capacity of the drilling fluid, the hydration and dispersion of the formations are inhibited, and the cohesion of the rocks is increased. With these measures, the borehole wall instability issue encountered in drilling the deep complex formations in the Tarim Basin is successfully solved.
Mechanisms of Formation Damage by Lost Drilling Fluids in Fractured Tight Metamorphic Rock Gas Reservoirs
YOU Lijun, ZOU Jun, KANG Yili, BAI Ruiting, LIU Yuming, TAN Weixiong, LI Xinlei
2024, 41(6): 719-727. doi: 10.12358/j.issn.1001-5620.2024.06.003
Abstract:
When drilling into a naturally fractured tight reservoir, mud losses into the fractures can easily induce reservoir damage, block the pore throats and fractures in the reservoir formation, thereby reducing the permeability of the reservoir and hindering the stable production of oil and gas. In this study, the buried hill fractured tight metamorphic rock reservoir in a block in the Bohai Bay Basin was taken as the object of study, experiments such as fluid sensitivity, dynamic damage by drilling fluid and pressure bearing capacity of mud cakes were conducted. With these experiments, the degree of drilling fluid dynamic damage to the reservoir and the pressure bearing capacity of mud cakes were understood and the mechanisms of reservoir damage by fluid sensitivity were analyzed. The study results show that the matrices of the reservoir rocks have strong salt sensitivity, moderate to weak alkali sensitivity and weak water sensitivity. The incompatibility between the drilled solids particle sizes and the opening widths of the fractures in the reservoir causes the solids particles to invade into the deep fractures, plugging them and damaging the permeability of reservoir rocks. The drilling fluid used has good ability to plug fractures with opening widths ≤ 150 μm, but is unable to effectively plug fractures with opening widths ≥ 300 μm. The fractured tight metamorphic rock reservoir contains plenty of clay minerals and heavy minerals, mud losses cause the clay minerals to become hydrated and swollen, and migration of particles takes place, reacting with the heavy minerals to produce iron hydroxide precipitates which in turn exacerbate reservoir damage. When drilling metamorphic rock reservoirs, the protection of fractures with opening widths greater than 300 μm should be strengthened, and special attention paid to the reservoir damage induced by the interaction between the metamorphic rocks and the work fluids. Also presented in this paper are the measures to be taken in protecting reservoirs from being damaged.
Key Suspension Materials and Ultra-High Temperature Long-term Stable Oil-Based Drilling and Completion Fluids
XIE Tao, ZHANG Lei, DU Mingliang, LI Wenlong, LI Zhiheng, LIU Hailong
2024, 41(6): 728-735. doi: 10.12358/j.issn.1001-5620.2024.06.004
Abstract:
To address the challenge of inadequate structural strength in the spatial framework of oil-based drilling and completion fluids under ultra-high temperatures and extended durations, which leads to poor solid phase carrying and suspension capabilities, two key materials were developed: an amphiphilic multiblock polymer viscosifier (HT-TQ) and an oil-soluble small molecule gelling agent (HT-CB). HT-TQ effectively enhances the yield point and low shear rate viscosity of the base emulsion, while HT-CB significantly improves the static yield point. Sepiolite fibers were selected as suspension enhancers, which, in synergy with HT-TQ and HT-CB, further improve the rheological properties of the emulsion after ultra-high temperature rolling and strengthen the spatial framework structure. Using these three suspension stabilizing materials as the core, optimal additives were selected to construct a highly stable oil-based drilling fluid system suitable for ultra-high temperatures. This system withstands temperatures up to 240 ℃, maintains a viscosity retention rate greater than 78% after five days of continuous ultra-high temperature rolling, with a yield point greater than 5 Pa and LSYP greater than 3 Pa, and exhibits excellent rheological properties under high temperature and high pressure. Additionally, by using compounded barite as a weighting material, a stable oil-based completion fluid system was developed, which withstands temperatures up to 240 ℃ and remains homogeneous without hard settling after ten days of static exposure to ultra-high temperatures, with a settlement degree less than 1.2 N. These research findings provide technical support for efficient drilling and completion fluids in deep and ultra-deep oil and gas reservoirs.
Preparation and Performance Evaluation of Polymer Nanocomposite Viscosifier
SONG Xiangxian, WANG Benli, QIU Hengbin, MU Xirong, XIE Binqiang
2024, 41(6): 736-741. doi: 10.12358/j.issn.1001-5620.2024.06.005
Abstract:
In response to conventional viscosifiers exhibiting poor performance under high temperature and high salt conditions rendering them ineffective for high-temperature deep reservoirs, this study prepared a novel nanocomposite (E-APNC) via in situ polymerization using 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid, N, N diethylacrylamide, N, N methylenebisacrylamide and nano-SiO2 particles (E-np) as raw materials. E-APNC synthetic condition was optimized by orthogonal experimentation, and the molecular structure of E-APNC was evidenced by FT-IR, E-APNC polymer fluid displayed good thickening performance at high temperatures with excellent rheological parameter such as viscosity increase, shear resistance, thermal stability, and salt tolerance. Through the 24 h static experiment, E-np has better dispersibility compared with nps and N-np. At 1%E-APNC, the apparent viscosity at room temperature reached 66 mPa·s, whereas the viscosity shear rate reached 60 mPa·s at high shear rate of 1021 s−1, showcasing the excellent viscosity increasing ability and good anti-shear performance of E-APNC. The apparent viscosity retention rate of the drilling fluid was 65% after aging at 200 ℃ for 16 h under 20% NaCl concentration probing its good temperature and salt resistance performance. Compared with polymer APNC and N-APNC, E-APNC showed strong shear resistance and good temperature resistance, salt resistance.
Development of Self-adaptive Plugging Material for Drilling Fluid
XIA Haiying, YANG Li, CHEN Zhihui
2024, 41(6): 742-746. doi: 10.12358/j.issn.1001-5620.2024.06.006
Abstract(269) HTML (104) PDF (5214KB)(58)
Abstract:
In view of the fact that the characteristics of the easy-to-leak formation are not accurately grasped during the plugging process, the self-adaptive ability of the field plugging material is poor, and it is easy to cause the bad plugging effect and the repeated leakage after plugging. Through the optimization of the deformable material and the use of the characteristics of the rigid plugging material, a screw extruder is used to coat the deformable material on the surface of the rigid plugging material to achieve the effective combination of the two, an adaptive plugging material with good compression resistance and elasticity has been developed. The temperature resistance reaches 170 ℃, it can deform without breaking under 69 MPa pressure and the springback rate reaches 80% after the pressure is removed. The self-adaptive plugging formula can effectively plug the changing seam width of 1mm-6mm with less leakage and pressure bearing capacity of 6 MPa.
A Method of Early Gas Kick Monitoring Based on DDMP-GWO Fusion Algorithm
WANG Jianlong, YU Zhiqiang, GUO Yunpeng, DENG Bing, YANG Yangyang, YANG Jianyong, ZHENG Feng
2024, 41(6): 747-754. doi: 10.12358/j.issn.1001-5620.2024.06.007
Abstract:
Measurement of mud gains in mud pits is a conventional method of detecting downhole gas kick and is still in use in present. Using this method, the detection of a gas kick sometimes remarkably lags the occurrence of the gas kick. Another gas kick detecting method is the monitoring-while-drilling method with which gas kick can be timely detected, but the functions of this method are very limited. In this study a new method with which a gas kick can be qualitatively detected in an early time and quantitatively explained is presented, the changes of the flowrates of the fluids in the annular space while a gas kick is encountered are analyzed, a gas kick risk index (KRI) is designed, and the mapping relationship between the KRI and the volume fraction of the kicked gas is derived. Based on the difference between downhole dual measurement points pressure (DDMP), using the grey wolf optimization (GWO) algorithm, a real-time method for calculating the flow velocities of the fluids in the annular space is constructed. Using a simulated gas kick scenario, the stability and effectiveness of the method for early detection of gas kick are analyzed. The study shows that when a gas kick occurs, the flowrates of the fluids in the annular space are increasing, and this can be used as a key characteristic parameter for gas kick detection. The volume fraction of the gas in the annular space has a linear relationship with KRI. Errors made in calculating the flowrate of the fluids in the annular space first decrease and then increase as the distance between the two measurement points increases, and are less affected by the errors made in pressure and temperature measurement. Using this new method, the lag time for detecting a gas kick is 13.8 min, and the inversion error of the gas volume fraction in the annular space is less than 10%. This method is not only able to detect gas kick earlier, it also provides key parameters for well control design such as the gas fraction of the fluids in the annular space at a mud gain in the mud pits of only 0.017 m3, a volume that does not cause the fluid levels in the mud pits to change significantly.
A Micro-CT Based Study of Evolution of Fracture Expansion in Fuxing Continental Facies Shales Soaked in Drilling Fluid
LIN Deju, HE Miao, ZHOU Shengxuan, XU Mingbiao, ZHOU Changcheng
2024, 41(6): 755-763. doi: 10.12358/j.issn.1001-5620.2024.06.008
Abstract:
Using micro-CT scanning technology, the characterization and evolution of the fractures in the Fuxing continental shales before and after high-temperature soaking are quantitatively analyzed. The continental shales are soaked in bentonite slurry, Nanodrill water based drilling fluid and white oil based drilling fluid, and are scanned with micro-CT at different soaking times. The effects of the different drilling fluids on the evolution of the fractures are analyzed. The study results show that the rock samples taken from the Liangshan Formation have more fractures than other rock samples, and different drilling fluids have different inhibitive capacities for the extension of the fractures. After soaking for 10 d in bentonite slurry, the percent layered fractures with the maximum width found in the rock samples is 12%, significantly higher than that of the rock samples in the white oil based drilling fluid, which is 6.13%, and the percent layered fractures with the maximum width of the rock samples in the water based drilling fluid lies in between the two. Using microscope, the distribution of the fracture widths of the rock samples before soaking is studied, and the percent increase of the fracture widths of the rock samples after soaking for 10 d is analyzed; the rock samples in the bentonite slurry have the highest percent increase in fracture width, which is 61.6%, the rock samples in the Nanodrill water based drilling fluid have the intermediate percent increase in fracture width, which is 52.1%, and the rock samples in the white oil based drilling fluid have the lowest percent increase in fracture width, which is 39.8%. Quantitative study on the distribution of the lengths of the fractures shows that the rock samples soaked in the bentonite slurry have the most fractures with lengths between 50 μm and 100 μm, and the numbers of the fractures with the same length distribution in the rock samples soaked in the Nanodrill water based drilling fluid and in the white oil based drilling fluid are basically remained unchanged. These data indicate that the white oil based drilling fluid has the best inhibitive capacity in inhibiting fracture extension in shales, with the Nanodrill water based drilling fluid inferior in inhibiting fracture extension to the oil based drilling fluid, and the bentonite slurry performs the poorest in this aspect. The results of this study can be used as a technical reference for efficient and safe drilling of the continental shale formations in the Fuxing area.
The Physical-Chemical Properties of the Formations in Bayan Hetao Block and Drilling Fluid Optimization Strategies
LI Gaofeng, WANG Jianning, WANG Xiuying, LUO Pingya, LIU Lu, BAI Yang, FU Zhiyong
2024, 41(6): 764-771. doi: 10.12358/j.issn.1001-5620.2024.06.009
Abstract:
The formations in the Bayan block are complex in nature, mud losses, borehole wall collapse and pipe sticking etc. have long been problems hindering the drilling efficiency. Using laboratory methods such as X-Ray, electron microscopy and particle size analysis etc., the lithology, micromorphology and particle size distribution of the rock samples taken from the unstable section of the formations were studied. The primary cause of wellbore instability is identified as the inadequate sealing capability of the drilling fluid concerning the micro-nano fractures within the formation, which leads to fluid invasion and results in the dissolution and detachment of salt and gypsum from the Linhe Formation. To deal with these problems, a powdered rigid micrometer and nanometer resin plugging agent XNZD and a flexible high molecular weight modified paraffin XNEP were introduced into the drilling fluid to improve its plugging capacity. The self-developed XNZD plugging agent has a particle size distribution that is compatible with the fractures’ sizes of the unstable formations encountered in the Bayan block. Also introduced into the drilling fluid was a self-developed amine-based compound shale inhibitor XNYZ which was used in combination with potassium formate or other organic salts to improve the inhibitive capacity of the drilling fluid. In laboratory experiment with the optimized drilling fluid on a mud loss tester with fracture size of 0.03 mm, the amount of the drilling fluid lost was reduced by 98% because of the good plugging capacity of the drilling fluid. In core expansion test, the percent linear expansion of shale cores tested with the drilling fluid was reduced by 89.2%. These experimental results indicate that the drilling fluid has good plugging capacity and inhibitive capacity, and has provided an important technical support for the high efficiency drilling in the complex formations in the Bayan Hetao block.
CEMENTING FLUID
Method of Evaluating Flushing Efficiency of Cementing Ahead Fluids
HE Binbin, LIU Huajie, ZHANG Rutao, ZHANG Junyi, ZHANG Hongxu, YIN Hui, WU Tong
2024, 41(6): 772-777. doi: 10.12358/j.issn.1001-5620.2024.06.010
Abstract:
The flushing efficiency of a cementing ahead fluid is one of the key factors affecting the job quality of well cementing. A reasonable method for evaluating the flushing efficiency of an ahead fluid and a reasonable experimental object are key factors for selecting ahead fluid formulation and volume. The evaluation results obtained with the methods presently in use for evaluating the flushing efficiency of ahead fluids cannot objectively and truthfully reflect the flushing effect of an ahead fluid. To solve this problem, cores made with pores of different depths are used as the experimental object to simulate the actual rough borehole walls, and a magnetic agitator is used to simulate the whole process of flushing action of the ahead fluid on the borehole wall. The cores with pores and the magnetic agitator composed of the new evaluation method and the feasibility of this method is verified. The experimental results obtained show that this new method can simulate the real situation of the uneven borehole walls and takes into account the effects of several factors, such as the detention and adsorption of the barite particles in the drilling fluid and the spacers in the pores and on the surface of the borehole walls. The evaluation results are regarded as being more objective and are able to truthfully reflect the flushing effect of an ahead fluid, and they can be used as the technical reference and the bases for optimization of ahead fluid formulation and for volume design of an ahead fluid. Using this method, the flushing efficiencies of several ahead fluids of different densities and contact time lengths are evaluated. The evaluation test gives results that are repeatable, and objectively and truthfully reflect the performance of the flushing additives. With this method, the composition and volume of an ahead fluid for cementing a well drilled in a gas field in East China Sea is optimized and modified. The flushing efficiency of the ahead fluid after optimization is 97%, and the job quality of the well cementing operation is improved by 10.3%.
A Full Temperature Range Polymer Retarder
TIAN Ye, WANG Yixin, ZHAO Jun, SONG Weikai, YU Tianshuai, WANG Hening
2024, 41(6): 778-783. doi: 10.12358/j.issn.1001-5620.2024.06.011
Abstract:
A new quaternary polymer retarder C-R45L has been developed through molecular design to overcome the shortcomings of the conventional chain polymer retarders such as poor regularity, easy to cause overtime retardation at medium-low temperatures and slow development of strength etc. The raw materials for the synthesis of C-R45L include 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid (AMPS), itaconic acid (IA), sodium styrene sulfonate (SSS) and a long-chain hydrophobic associative monomer TAS-24. Study on C-R45L with IR spectroscopy and laboratory evaluation of C-R45L’s effects on the performance of cement slurries show that C-R45L has good retarding effect; a cement slurry treated with 4% C-R45L has thickening time of 347 min at 210 ℃. At high and medium-low temperatures, C-R45L has good retarding regularity. C-R45L can be used at high-temperature, medium-temperature and low-temperature operations. It has no adverse effect on the compressive strength of set cement, the medium/low temperature strengths and the top strength of set cement develop very fast. Good wide-temperature-range performance makes C-R45L suitable for use in cementing long open holes. C-R45L has been successfully used in cementing the exploration well Gutan-1, and excellent cementing job quality was obtained.
Preparation and Performance Evaluation of Well cementing Fluid Loss Additive by Dispersion Polymerization Method
ZOU Yiwei, WANG Yixin, ZHU Sijia, SONG Weikai, LUO Yuwei, TANG Yulin
2024, 41(6): 784-791. doi: 10.12358/j.issn.1001-5620.2024.06.012
Abstract:
In view of the disadvantages of aqueous solution polymerization and inverse emulsion polymerization, herein we report for the first time preparation of a cementing fluid loss additive C-FL72L through dispersion polymerization, in which acrylamide (AM), 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid (AMPS), fumaric acid (FA), N,N-dimethylacrylamide (DMA) are used as monomers, pentaerythritoltriallyl ether is used as crosslinker, and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP-K30) is used as stabilizer. The reaction kinetics of dispersed polymerization were investigated, and the conversion rate reached 98.9% after 4 hours of reaction. By means of infrared spectrum test, thermogravimetric analysis, high-performance liquid chromatography, gel permeation chromatography and other characterization methods, it is shown that all monomers are fully and completely polymerized, the temperature resistance of the fluid loss additive exceeds 300 ℃, and the molecular weight can reach 772,000. In the performance evaluation of cement slurry, fluid loss can be controlled within 40 mL at 150 ℃, and the engineering properties of cement slurry, such as rheological properties, thickening properties, and compressive strength, are excellent. The mechanism of the fluid loss additive is also discussed. The fluid loss additive C-FL72L has excellent application performance in functional cement slurry systems such as high-density, low-density, resin, latex, saline water, and has broad application prospects.
Mechanisms of Cement Slurry Contamination by Drilling Fluid Filtration Agents and Measures of Preventing the Contamination
YANG Zhaoliang, LIU Sen, SHEN Xinyu, LUO Yueyao, ZHANG Yuting
2024, 41(6): 792-799. doi: 10.12358/j.issn.1001-5620.2024.06.013
Abstract:
The understanding of the effects of drilling fluid additives on the microstructure and agglomeration stability of cement slurries is necessary to combat the contamination of low-density cement slurries by drilling fluids. Using single-factor analysis, the effects of LS-2A, a drilling fluid filtration reducer, on the properties of a cement slurry are studied. Experimental results show that the functional groups in the molecules of LS-2A, such as the carboxyl, the hydroxyl and the sulfonic group, can react with the Ca2+ ions in the cement slurry through crosslinking to form flocs, resulting in the formation of a gel network structure in the set cement. The gel structure wraps up and absorbs the free water in the cement slurry, reducing the fluidity of the cement slurry, inhibiting the speed of the early stage hydration of the cement slurry, and reducing the compressive strength of the set cement. To deal with the contamination of LS-2A to the cement slurry, a contamination inhibitor is developed by mixing bis (hexamethylene triamine penta (methylene phosphonic acid)) (BHMTPMPA) and zinc oxide (ZnO) in a mass ratio of 3∶1. By adding 5% of the contamination inhibitor into the cement slurry, the fluidity of the cement slurry is increased from 14 cm to 24 cm. At conditions of 205 ℃ × 130 MPa × 110 min, the thickening time of the mixture of the cement slurry and the drilling fluid (7∶3) is only 51 min, unable to satisfy the needs of well cementing. After using the contamination inhibitor, the thickening time of the mixture of the cement slurry, the drilling fluid and a spacer (7∶2∶1) is longer than 300 min. The contamination inhibitor BHMTPMPA and ZnO, by reacting with the Ca2+ ions in the cement slurry, generate a protective film on the surfaces of the cement particles and produce an electric repulsion, thereby successfully prohibiting the contamination to the cement slurry by LS-2A. The contamination inhibitor has been successfully used in running cement plug and cementing the well Pengshen-6.
FRACTUREING FLUID & ACIDIZING FLUID
Study on an All-in-One Solid-Free Suspension as Flow-Back Fluid for Deep Coal-Bed Methane Development
ZHANG Han, LI Xiaojiang, ZHU Weiping, XU Dong, MENG Lingpeng, JIA Zhenfu
2024, 41(6): 800-805. doi: 10.12358/j.issn.1001-5620.2024.06.014
Abstract:
The flowback fluid of a fracturing fluid for fracturing formations containing deep buried coalbed methane (CBM) has high salinity and complex components, and is therefore hard to be reused. The suspension based fracturing fluids widely used in present have high solids contents which can cause serious damage to tight coal beds. To deal with these problems, a solids-free integrated suspension has been developed with an oil-soluble polymer ZL-1 as the stabilizer, white oil as the solvent, and into the solvent add the following additives one by one: a polyacrylamide drag-reducer AE, an isopropanol initiator and OPE-10 as the phase change material (PCM). The single-factor control variable method is used in determining the type of each of the components for the reaction; using the orthogonal experiment method, the optimum composition of the suspension is determined as: 65% white oil, 1.3% stabilizer, 3.25% PCM, 0.455%initiator, 30% drag reducer. Results of the evaluation of the general performance of the suspension show that at a salinity of 200 g/L, the apparent viscosity of a fracturing fluid made from the solids-free suspension is 40% higher than the apparent viscosity of a fracturing fluid made from the conventional suspensions containing bentonite stabilizers. SEM analysis, Zeta potential measurement and nanometer particle size analysis prove that the dense layered structure formed in the solids-free suspension fracturing fluid has better salt-resistant shielding effect. Moreover, after gel breaking, the solids-free suspension fracturing fluid has no residue remained, the average permeability damage of the solids-free suspension fracturing fluid to the coal samples is less than 15%, and is therefore reusable in deep coalbed methane fracturing.
An Integrated Bio-Compounded Emulsion and Its Use in SRV Fracturing of Carbonate Rocks with Sand-Carrying Fracturing Fluids
HU Aiguo, LIN Bo, YAN Xiangyang, LI Kezhi, DU Liangjun, WU Yang, CHEN Heng
2024, 41(6): 806-815. doi: 10.12358/j.issn.1001-5620.2024.06.015
Abstract:
Using low-molecular-weight modified bio-monomers, acrylamide monomers, hydrolysis control monomers, micro-electric-charged monomers as well as other functional additives, an integrated bio-compounded emulsion is developed through grafting polymerization to deal with the problems encountered in the stimulated-reservoir-volume (SRV) fracturing of carbonate reservoirs with sand-carrying fracturing fluids. In developing the integrated bio-compounded emulsion, focuses are placed on the fast dissolution of the drag reducers used and fast online viscosifying of the fracturing fluid. The integrated bio-compound emulsion developed has high rate of production and multiple functions. Using this integrated bio-compound emulsion, a sand-carrying fracturing fluid of high lubricating capacity high suspending capacity is developed. An optimized specific fracturing program is designed for carbonate reservoir stimulation, aimed at controlling the height of the fractures, producing complex fracture network, controlling viscosity and increasing sand content as well as stimulating the reservoir to the full. The effective concentration, degree of hydrolysis and molecular weight of the emulsion are ±30%, 40%-50% and (1,200-1,300) × 104, respectively. At micro-electric-charged monomers concentration of 2.0% and low- molecular-weight modified bio-monomers concentration of 0.6%, the emulsion produced has the optimum properties; the dissolution time is less then 20 s, the 3-min viscosifying rate is more than 90%, and the CAC1 and CAC2 are 1.79 g/L and 3.89 g/L, respectively. Evaluation of the general performance of the fracturing fluid formulated with the emulsion showed that the percent drag reductions of the low-viscosity fracturing fluid, the medium-viscosity fracturing fluid and the high-viscosity fracturing fluid are at least 75%, 70% and 60%, respectively. The sustained drag reduction can be maintained at 96% or higher. The viscosities of the high-viscosity and the medium-viscosity fracturing fluids which are sheared 90 min at 110 ℃ and 170 s−1 are 45-50 mPa·s and 20-25 mPa·s, respectively. A medium-viscosity fracturing fluid (0.4%) having Tanδ (a parameter characterizing viscoelasticity of a system) of less than 0.4 possesses good sand carrying capacity, the settling rate of the proppants in it can be as low as 0.1 cm/s. The fracturing fluid formulated with the emulsion, after gel breaking, has viscosity of less than 3 mm2/s, surface tension of less than 27 mN/m, and residue content of less than 20 mg/L. This technology has been used in fracturing the carbonate reservoirs in the Ordos Basin on 30 wells, including pilot test and large scale application of SRV fracturing with increased sand content in the fracturing fluid. The fracturing fluids used in the fracturing jobs have stable properties, with 95% of the sanding activity successfully performed and satisfied stimulation effect achieved. This new technology has provided a strong technical support to the development of tight carbonate rock reservoirs.
An Excellent Calcium- and Salt-Resistant Adsorptive Retarder for Acid Job
JIANG Qi, WANG Pengxiang, QUAN Hongping
2024, 41(6): 816-823. doi: 10.12358/j.issn.1001-5620.2024.06.016
Abstract:
An adsorptive retarder for acid job has been developed aimed at enhancing the stimulation effect of acid job. The retarder is synthesized using monomers such as monomeric sulfonate (MS), acrylamide (AM), allyl polyoxyethylene glycol (APEG-2400) and octadecyl dimethyl allyl ammonium chloride (DMAAC-18) in a concentration ratio of n(AM)∶n(MS)∶n(DMAAC-18)∶n(APEG-2400) = 90∶5∶1∶4. The concentration of the monomers is 35%, the concentration of the initiator is 1.0%, the reaction temperature is 50 ℃ and the reaction time is 5 h. These reaction conditions were determined through single-factor experiment. The characterization of the molecular structure of the retarder with FT-IR shows that the reaction product is what was expected. The retarding efficiency of the retarder at a concentration of 1.3% is 81.56%, and the system has its apparent viscosity stabilized at 3 mPa∙s, an excellent low viscosity property. At 110 ℃, the retarding efficiency of the retarder exceeds 83%, indicating that the retarder has good high temperature performance. This retarder has good compatibility with cleanup additives, iron ion stabilizers and corrosion inhibitors; no flocculation and precipitation exist when the retarder is used with other additives. This retarder is able to resist the contamination by 70,000 mg/L CaCl2. It also has good thermal stability; at 350 ℃, the rate of mass loss of the retarder is only 17.59%. Observation of the retarder under SEM shows that the retarder is adsorbed on the surfaces of the rocks and forms a dense layer of adsorption membrane.
COMPLETION FLUID
Study on and Application of a Blocking Removal System for Reservoir Damage by Water Invasion in Low Pressure Gas Wells
LIAO Yunhu, LIN Kexiong, JIA Hui, LUO Gang, ZHENG Huaan, REN Kunfeng
2024, 41(6): 824-832. doi: 10.12358/j.issn.1001-5620.2024.06.017
Abstract:
Low pressure gas wells drilled in the gas field D in South China Sea have experienced serious formation damage by water invasion. The formation damage by water invasion was studied through laboratory experiments such as drilled cuttings swelling, core damage by water sensitivity, water block, core flooding with water invasion, as well as three dimensional CT scanning etc. With these experiments, the degree of formation damage by water invasion is understood. To deal with the formation damage by water invasion, a blocking removal fluid suitable for disposal of formation damage by water invasion encountered in offshore low pressure gas wells was developed with a selected water invasion control agent, a new compounded organic acid HWCP, a corrosion inhibitor, a water blocking removal agent and a clay inhibitor. Laboratory studies show that condensate water causes more serious water sensitive damage to cores with low permeability, while the water blocking damage by the condensate water is weak to medium. Cores taken from the reservoirs are easy to damage by water invasion; when displacing at 0.5 MPa for 180 min, two pieces of cores, one saturated with formation water and another with condensate water, have water invasion damage of 59.76% and 69.67%, respectively. The blocking removal fluid has low surface tension, good swelling inhibitive capacity, good corrosion inhibitive capacity and strong ability to relieve formation damage by water invasion. A natural core injected with the water invasion control agent and the blocking removal fluid has permeability recovery of 100% or higher after displacing for 180 min. The blocking removal fluid has been used on the well A9hSa drilled in the gas field D in South China Sea, and water invasion damage was successfully removed, the gas production of this well was increased from 3.3 × 104 m3/d to more than 9.0 × 104 m3/d, a good result of using the blocking removal fluid.