Evaluating a Novel Fly Ash Resin-Reinforced Cement’s Interactions under Acidic, Basic, High-Salinity, and High-Temperature Conditions

Abstract

The ability of cement to withstand harsh conditions is one of its most vital properties, especially in hydrocarbon wells, due to their association with high temperatures, high pressures, acidic components, and erosion. Conventional cement is prone to failure under extreme conditions and is also a costly component in oil and gas wells. This research evaluated the ability of a newly developed cement composed of fly ash reinforced with epoxy resin to withstand the harsh conditions of oil and gas wells. The novel cement was tested for its ability to resist high concentrations of hydrochloric acid (HCl) and sodium hydroxide (NaOH), high salinity, high temperatures, high pressures, gaseous and supercritical carbon dioxide (CO2), and crude oil. Results showed that the novel cement had an overall excellent ability to perform under extreme conditions. The performance of the cement was a strong function of the fly ash concentration, with an increase in the fly ash concentration resulting in improvement in the cement. For all tests, the highest degradation for the novel cement that occurred was 0.62% after 7 continuous days of exposure, which is considered an extremely low value. This shows that the novel cement has a strong ability to maintain its integrity under extreme conditions.