Crosslinked Gel Treatment Fluid for Water Mitigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for mitigating excess water production in hydrocarbon recovery often reduce hydrocarbon permeability, leading to economic losses and environmental concerns due to water permeability reduction, especially when the produced water contains hazardous substances.
Innovation Solution
A method and composition involving a gelled treatment fluid formed by introducing a base liquid, a gelling agent, and a crosslinking agent into a hydrocarbon-bearing formation, which reduces water permeability while minimizing the impact on hydrocarbon permeability, using a ratio of gelling agent to crosslinking agent from 1:100 to 100:1 by volume, and optionally including additives to enhance viscosity and delay viscosity breaking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-generated harmful factors
If conventional chemical operations (RPMs) are used to reduce water permeability, then water production is mitigated, but hydrocarbon permeability is reduced leading to economic losses
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating distinct zones within the formation: a water-blocking zone using crosslinked gel near the wellbore, and a hydrocarbon-flow zone using conventional RPMs further out. This allows water permeability to be reduced locally without globally reducing hydrocarbon permeability, resolving the contradiction between water mitigation and hydrocarbon recovery
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite materials by combining conventional RPMs with crosslinked gel polymers in a multi-stage treatment. The composite approach leverages the water-blocking properties of crosslinked gels while maintaining the hydrocarbon-permeability characteristics of RPMs, achieving both water reduction and hydrocarbon flow preservation simultaneously
2Object-generated harmful factors
If water permeability is reduced to mitigate excess water production, then water flow is controlled, but hydrocarbon flow is also restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by first injecting and crosslinking the gel polymer to establish water-blocking barriers before injecting the conventional RPMs. This sequence ensures that water flow paths are already blocked when the hydrocarbon-flow zones are created, preventing subsequent water production while preserving hydrocarbon flow pathways
3Object-generated harmful factors
If complex chemical operations are used to alter water permeability, then water production is reduced, but treatment complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the treatment process into distinct stages: first crosslinking the gel polymer in situ to form water-blocking structures, then injecting conventional RPMs to create hydrocarbon-flow zones. This segmentation simplifies the overall complexity by breaking down the complex chemical operation into manageable, sequential steps with clear functional differentiation
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 solution effectively reduces water permeability while maintaining hydrocarbon permeability, thereby enhancing hydrocarbon recovery and reducing environmental impact by forming a crosslinked network that inhibits water penetration from the hydrocarbon-bearing formation.
Implementation Method 1
The gelling agent and the crosslinking agent form a crosslinked network of molecules
Implementation Method 2
maintaining the mixture under formation conditions such that a gelled treatment fluid is formed
Implementation Method 3
the gelled treatment fluid reduces water permeability of the hydrocarbon-bearing formation and inhibits water from permeating from the hydrocarbon-bearing formation
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments provide methods and compositions for mitigating water production for hydrocarbon recovery. According to an embodiment, the method involves a treatment fluid composition. The treatment fluid composition includes a base liquid, a gelling agent, and a crosslinking agent. The treatment fluid composition is introduced downhole where it is positioned in a high permeability streak adjacent to a wellbore. After crosslinking, the treatment fluid composition blocks water in the high permeability streak from penetrating into the wellbore.