Bicomponent Polymerizable System for Oil Well Permeability Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for controlling oil well permeability during drilling, production, and abandonment phases are inefficient, leading to temporary plugging effects, safety risks, and high costs due to inaccurate material selection and prolonged intervention times, especially when dealing with severe circulation losses and thief zones.
Innovation Solution
A bicomponent polymerizable system is injected separately into the oil well, with one component in the tubular element and the other in the annulus, allowing precise activation of a polymerization reaction at the thief zone to form a blocking polymer, reducing permeability and preventing fluid loss.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If plugging fluids with fibrous materials or cement mortars are injected into the well to recover circulation loss, then the permeability of the thief zone is modified to restore circulation, but the blocking effect is only temporary and the intervention requires extracting the drill string which lengthens the time and increases costs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical state of the plugging material by using polymerizable compounds that transform from liquid to solid through polymerization. This parameter change (chemical reaction) creates a permanent blocking effect rather than temporary mechanical plugging, resolving the contradiction between durability and intervention time
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the plugging fluid into two separate injectable components: a polymerizable compound and a catalyst. This segmentation allows the components to be injected separately and mix only at the thief zone, enabling the blocking effect to occur in-situ without requiring drill string extraction, thus reducing intervention time while maintaining reliability
2Reliability
If plugging fluids are injected to control circulation loss, then the permeability of the thief zone is modified, but the plugging material is often not the one best suited for the purpose due to inability to precisely know the geological nature of the thief zone
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the drilling mud itself as an intermediary carrier for the polymerizable compound. The mud acts as a delivery vehicle that transports the plugging agents directly to the thief zone through the existing circulation system, eliminating the need for precise prior geological characterization while ensuring the material reaches the correct location
3Reliability
If cement mortars or polymerizable compounds are used to plug severe circulation losses, then the plugging material forms through chemical reaction, but the reaction starts only after complete flow out of the rod string which requires special additives to delay curing and lengthens the time needed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the chemical system into two separate injectable components that remain stable independently but react rapidly when mixed. This allows the plugging material to form only after reaching the thief zone through separate injection paths, eliminating the need for delay additives and reducing curing time while ensuring reliable plugging material formation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs periodic or sequential injection of the two components rather than continuous mixing. The polymerizable compound and catalyst are injected in sequence through separate pathways, allowing controlled timing of the chemical reaction that occurs only when both components meet at the target zone, thus reducing unnecessary curing time
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
This method enables rapid and precise control of oil well permeability, reducing intervention times, minimizing safety risks, and lowering costs by forming a stable blocking polymer only when needed, thus allowing for efficient resumption of drilling or production operations.
Implementation Method 1
a bicomponent polymerizable system is injected separately into the oil well, with one component in the tubular element and the other in the annulus, allowing precise activation of a polymerization reaction at the thief zone to form a blocking polymer
Data Source
AI summary
A method for controlling the permeability of an oil well includes the steps ofpreparing a polymerizable bicomponent system having at leasta fluid with at least an olefinically unsaturated first polymerizable compound; optionally, at least one radical polymerization initiator IA, the initiator IA being activated thermally or in the presence of an accelerating compound anda fluid with a radical polymerization activator, the activator being selected from: a radical polymerization initiator IB for polymerizing the polymerizable compound, the initiator IB having an activation temperature equal to or lower than the temperature of the thief zone, an accelerator of the initiator IA,The method further includes injecting one of the fluids into the well annulus until the thief zone is reached, andinjecting the remainder into the tubular element, until it comes into contact with the fluid injected through the annulus to form a blocking polymer at the thief zone.