Inflatable Carbon Sealing Element

Abstract

Methods for capturing carbon dioxide in a wellbore may include installing a sealing element in the wellbore. The sealing element swells in the presence of carbon dioxide and may be used to capture carbon. The sealing element may include a carbon-swellable material, such as a carbon-swellable polymer, metal-based materials, or combinations of elastomeric polymers and metal-based materials. The sealing element may also include combinations of different carbon-swellable materials, fillers, or other compounds, and materials that are not carbon-swellable. The sealing element may create a seal, form an anchor, or create a seal and form an anchor in the wellbore after swelling.

Claims

Claims

1. A method of capturing carbon in a subterranean formation (12) comprising: installing a sealing element (21) in a wellbore (11) that penetrates the subterranean formation, wherein the sealing element swells in the presence of carbon dioxide, and wherein the sealing element comprises a metal-based material, wherein the metal-based material is selected from metal silicates, metal zirconates, or metal aluminates; contacting the sealing element with carbon dioxide, and causing or allowing the sealing element to expand in volume by a combination of carbon dioxide adsorption and a chemical reaction between the metal-based material and the carbon dioxide.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the sealing element is part of a packer assembly (20), a downhole tool, or a plug (30), and wherein the sealing element creates a seal, forms an anchor, or creates a seal and forms an anchor within the wellbore after contacting the sealing element with carbon dioxide.

3. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the sealing member swells in a range of 20% to 300% by volume.

4. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the sealing element swells to a sufficient volume such that the sealing element creates the seal by engaging an inside diameter of a production string (15), casing (14) or wellbore wall after the sealing element contacts the carbon dioxide, thereby preventing or substantially restricting fluid from flowing past the sealing element.

5. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the sealing member comprises a carbon-swellable polymer, optionally the carbon-swellable polymer is an elastomer or selected from rubber, an amine-based polymer, or an aliphatic-based polymer, or a non-carbon-based polymer. crosslinked, and optionally the sealing element further comprises a non-carbon swellable polymer, a filler, or combinations thereof.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the carbon swellable polymer is selected from the group consisting of polychloroprene rubber, acrylonitrile butadiene rubber, polyethyleneimine, monoethanolamine, diethanolamine, diisopropylamine, tetraethylenepentamine, dodecylamine, 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane, tris(2-aminoethyl)amine, aziridine, poly(l-lysine) and combinations thereof.

7. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein a metal of the metal-based material is selected from the group consisting of magnesium, iron, calcium, aluminum, tin, zinc, beryllium, barium, manganese, alloys of any of the foregoing, and combinations thereof.

8. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the metal-based material is a metal-organic framework material.

9. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the sealing element further comprises a continuous phase of an elastomeric material and a discrete phase of the metal-based material in particulate form, and optionally wherein the elastomeric material is a carbon-swellable polymer, a non-carbon-swellable polymer, or combinations thereof.

10. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the sealing member withstands pressures in the range of 100 to 15,000 pounds-force per square inch.

11. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein a subterranean formation fluid comprises carbon dioxide or an injection fluid comprises carbon dioxide.

12. A well system (10) comprising: a well (11) that penetrates a subterranean formation (12); a production string (15) located within the wellbore; and a sealing member (21) located proximate the production string, wherein the sealing member swells in the presence of carbon dioxide, and wherein the sealing member comprises a metal-based material, wherein the metal-based material is selected from metal silicates, metal zirconates or metal aluminates, and wherein the sealing element is configured to expand in volume by a combination of carbon dioxide adsorption and a chemical reaction between the metal-based material and the carbon dioxide.

13. The well system of claim 12, wherein the sealing element further comprises a continuous phase of an elastomeric material and a discrete phase of the metal-based material in particulate form, and wherein the elastomeric material is a carbon-swellable polymer, a non-carbon-swellable polymer, or combinations thereof.

14. A downhole tool comprising: a mandrel; and a sealing element (21) located proximate the mandrel, wherein the sealing element swells in the presence of carbon dioxide, and wherein the sealing element comprises a metal-based material, wherein the metal-based material is selected from metal silicates, metal zirconates, or metal aluminates, and wherein the sealing element is configured to expand in volume by a combination of adsorption of carbon dioxide and a chemical reaction between the metal-based material and the carbon dioxide.

15. The downhole tool of claim 14, wherein the sealing element further comprises a continuous phase of an elastomeric material and a discrete phase of the metal-based material in particulate form, and wherein the elastomeric material is a carbon-swellable polymer, a non-carbon-swellable polymer, or combinations thereof.

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