Nanoparticles for Formation Fines Fixation and Improving Performance of Surfactant Structure Fluids

Author:

Huang Tianping1,Crews James B.1,Willingham John Robert1

Affiliation:

1. Baker Oil Tools

Abstract

Abstract The migration of formation fines during hydrocarbon production has been a major problem to resolve in our industry. In many reservoirs fines migrate to the near wellbore region where they concentrate and choke hydrocarbon production. To prevent this problem, migratable fines should be kept or fixated as far away from near wellbore region as possible. This paper will introduce the use of nanoparticle treated fracture proppant as a mechanism to fixate and distribute migrated formation fines. The nanoparticles employed in this method have significantly high surface forces, including van der Waals force and electrostatic force, and readily attach to the surface of proppant particles during the proppant stages of fracturing treatments. During production when formation fines move through the nanoparticle-treated proppant bed, the surface forces of the nanoparticles capture and prevent the fines from moving to the near wellbore region. Laboratory testing of proppant beds and sand packs treated with low concentrations of nanoparticles demonstrates that the nanoparticles are capable of fixating formation fines such as colloidal silica, charged and non-charged particles, expandable and non-expandable clays. Previous studies have shown that select nanoparticles significantly increase the thermal stability and fluid loss control properties for viscoelastic surfactant fluids in fracturing and frac-packing applications. Recent research with advanced rheological methods was shown that with less than 0.1% of nanoparticle weight concentration, the viscosity of viscoelastic surfactant fluid was tremendously increased at low shear rates. The improved fluid rheology is based on the nanoparticle's ability to pseudo-crosslink the elongated surfactant micelles into unique network structures. Lab tests demonstrate how the nanoparticle induced network structures dramatically increase the capacity of the surfactant fluid to suspend and transport well treatment solids like ceramic proppants. Introduction From literature, formation fines are defined as loose or unconfined solid particles present in the pore spaces of sandstone formations, and the particles are smaller than 37 microns, which means the particles are small enough to pass through a 400 U.S. mesh screen.1~3 Formation fines include clay and non-clay particles, and charged and non-charged particles. These particles are easy to migrate along with any fluids that flow in the sandstone formations. As a well produces, hydrocarbons (oil and/or gas) and/or formation water carrying those fines in the porous media move to the small near wellbore region from far away regions of the reservoir in all directions. As well production continues a large quantity of the formation fines may concentrate in the near wellbore region. These small particles in high concentrations can interact to form larger particles that plug pores in the near wellbore region or plug sand control screens or proppant packs, which result in rapid production decline. When formation fines pass through a sand control screen, local erosion of the screen can be another concern, and production pumps are also susceptible to damage by the formation fines. Many studies have been conducted in the industry to find ways to control migration of formation fines and to remove the concentrated formation fines in the near wellbore region. Several organic and inorganic clay control agents had been used to minimize fines migration in high-water-cut oil wells.4 Different acid systems were developed to remove the formation fines that plugged pores in the near wellbore region, gravel packs, and sand control screens for different downhole conditions.5~8Some completion methods like sand-exclusion method have been used to reduce fine producing from sandface in high fines content gas zones.9

Publisher

IPTC

同舟云学术

1.学者识别学者识别

2.学术分析学术分析

3.人才评估人才评估

"同舟云学术"是以全球学者为主线,采集、加工和组织学术论文而形成的新型学术文献查询和分析系统,可以对全球学者进行文献检索和人才价值评估。用户可以通过关注某些学科领域的顶尖人物而持续追踪该领域的学科进展和研究前沿。经过近期的数据扩容,当前同舟云学术共收录了国内外主流学术期刊6万余种,收集的期刊论文及会议论文总量共计约1.5亿篇,并以每天添加12000余篇中外论文的速度递增。我们也可以为用户提供个性化、定制化的学者数据。欢迎来电咨询!咨询电话:010-8811{复制后删除}0370

www.globalauthorid.com

TOP

Copyright © 2019-2024 北京同舟云网络信息技术有限公司
京公网安备11010802033243号  京ICP备18003416号-3