Amidic Polymers for Shale Swelling Inhibition
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional shale swelling inhibitors used in subterranean drilling operations have limited biodegradability, leading to environmental concerns and inefficiencies in maintaining drilling fluid integrity, which can result in increased drilling time and costs due to shale degradation and instability in well bores.
Innovation Solution
Development of amidic polymers and polymeric blends that incorporate a polymer with a hydroxyl group reacted with a compound having an epoxy group and an unsaturated moiety, further reacted with a vinyl amide, or directly with a vinyl amide, to create reactive unsaturated intermediates, enhancing shale swelling inhibition and biodegradability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional shale swelling inhibitors are used, then shale swelling inhibition is achieved, but biodegradability is poor leading to environmental concerns
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs composite polymer structures combining hydroxyl-containing polymers with epoxy-unsaturated compounds and vinyl amides to create amidic polymers that integrate both swelling inhibition capability and improved biodegradability. The composite nature allows synergistic performance of different functional groups.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention modifies the chemical structure parameters of traditional inhibitors by introducing reactive unsaturated intermediates and amidic functional groups, changing the molecular composition to achieve both effective shale inhibition and enhanced biodegradation properties.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If water-based drilling fluids are used to improve environmental performance, then environmental friendliness is improved, but shale degradation occurs leading to well bore instability
Solution Approach 1:
The amidic polymers are designed to preemptively counteract shale degradation by forming protective complexes with shale minerals before water-induced swelling can occur. The inhibitors are pre-positioned in the drilling fluid to act immediately upon contact with reactive shales.
Solution Approach 2:
The amidic polymers serve as intermediary substances between water-based drilling fluids and reactive shales, mediating the interaction to prevent harmful shale degradation while maintaining the environmental benefits of water-based systems.
3Productivity
If shale degradation is allowed to occur, then drilling fluid circulation continues, but drilling time and costs increase due to prolonged operations
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies shale swelling inhibitors in advance before degradation problems manifest, preventing the formation of problematic fine particles that would require extended circulation times and solids control processing.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The amidic polymers and blends effectively inhibit shale swelling and improve biodegradability, reducing drilling time and costs by maintaining well bore stability and fluid integrity while minimizing environmental impact.
Implementation Method 1
a polymer having a hydroxyl group reacted with a compound having an epoxy group and an unsaturated moiety to provide a reactive unsaturated intermediate polymer
Implementation Method 2
the reactive unsaturated intermediate polymer is further reacted with a vinyl amide to provide the amidic polymer
Implementation Method 3
These smaller particles increasingly expose new surface area of the shale to the drilling fluid, which leads to still further absorption of water and further degradation
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides amidic polymers, which exhibit shale swelling inhibitor activity having improved biodegradability. The amidic polymers of the invention may be employed in a wide variety of compositions, particularly in subterranean drilling operations. Non-limiting generic structures of the amidic polymers are set out below: formula (1) wherein R1-R3 and integers m and n are defined herein.