Asphalt-like Plugging Agent for Water-based Drilling Fluids
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional drilling technologies face wellbore wall instability issues in complex formations, particularly in shale with high clay content, due to the invasive nature of water-based drilling fluids, and existing asphalt-like plugging agents contain toxic substances, violating environmental protection standards.
Innovation Solution
An asphalt-like material is developed without aromatic hydrocarbons or sulfonic acid groups, prepared through graft polymerization and amidation of a C5 petroleum resin, a double bond-containing compound, and an organic amine, which is used as a plugging agent in a water-based drilling fluid to enhance stability and reduce filtration volume.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If asphalt-based plugging agent is used, then plugging performance is improved, but environmental toxicity increases due to aromatic hydrocarbons and sulfonic acid groups
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters of the plugging agent by using C5 petroleum resin as base material and introducing specific functional groups (carboxyl, hydroxyl, amino) through controlled polymerization and amidation reactions, thereby modifying the material's properties to eliminate toxicity while maintaining plugging performance
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite plugging agent by combining C5 petroleum resin with double bond-containing compounds and organic amines through graft polymerization and amidation, forming a new material system that integrates the beneficial properties of all components while eliminating harmful substances
2Object-affected harmful factors
If water-based drilling fluid is used, then cost is reduced and environmental friendliness is improved, but wellbore wall stability deteriorates due to filtrate invasion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a plugging agent as an intermediary substance that mediates between the water-based drilling fluid and the formation, preventing direct harmful interactions while maintaining the environmental benefits of water-based fluids
Solution Approach 2:
The plugging agent performs preliminary protection by forming a barrier layer on the wellbore wall and in micro-fractures before filtrate can invade the formation, thereby preventing the harmful effects of water-based drilling fluid while maintaining its environmental advantages
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 asphalt-like material provides desirable plugging performance, reduces filtration volume under high-temperature and high-pressure conditions, and meets environmental protection requirements by being free from toxic substances, thus stabilizing wellbore walls effectively.
Implementation Method 1
mixing a C5 petroleum resin, a double bond-containing compound, and an initiator to obtain a first mixture, and subjecting the first mixture to a graft polymerization to obtain a graft polymer
Implementation Method 2
mixing the graft polymer with an organic amine to obtain a second mixture, and subjecting the second mixture to an amidation to obtain the asphalt-like material
Implementation Method 3
under the action of positive drilling pressure difference and capillary force, the drilling fluid filtrate invades the formation
Implementation Method 4
the asphalt-like material provides desirable plugging performance, reduces filtration volume
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are an asphalt-like material and a method and use thereof as a plugging agent, and a water-based drilling fluid. The asphalt-like material has a structure shown in formula I, wherein, in the formula I, R1 is selected from the group consisting of —H, —COOH, and —CH2—COOH; R2 is selected from the group consisting of —NH—CH2—CH2—OH, —NH—CH2—CH2—NH2, —N—(CH2—CH2—OH)2, and —NH—CH2—CH2—CH2—OH; R3 is selected from the group consisting of —OH, —NH—CH2—CH2—OH, —NH—CH2—CH2—NH2, —N—(CH2—CH2—OH)2, and —NH—CH2—CH2—CH2—OH; R4 is selected from the group consisting of —NH—CH2—CH2—OH, —NH—CH2—CH2—NH2, —N—(CH2—CH2—OH)2, and —NH—CH2—CH2—CH2—OH; and n is 370 to 400.