Epoxy Proppant Binder Resin for Water Injection Sand Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional resin-coated proppants used in water injection wells for hydrocarbon extraction face challenges such as premature curing, inability to bond under low stress conditions, and susceptibility to being flushed away by high-rate water injection, leading to reduced sand control effectiveness and increased operational costs.
Innovation Solution
The use of epoxy resin-coated proppants that react with amine, amide, imidazole, hydroxyl, thiol, or carboxyl moieties to form a cross-linked, porous network without requiring external stress, allowing for delayed curing and improved bonding at down-hole temperatures, thereby preventing flow-back and maintaining sand control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If conventional phenol-formaldehyde Novolak resins are used to coat proppants, then the proppants gain crush resistance, but they require external stress of 1000-2000 psi to bond adequately between particles and cannot cure under atmospheric pressure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical parameters of the resin coating by using epoxy resins instead of phenol-formaldehyde Novolak resins. This parameter change allows the resin to cure and bond particles together at atmospheric pressure without requiring external stress, while still providing adequate crush resistance for sand control operations
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite material system consisting of proppant particles coated with epoxy resin. This composite structure combines the mechanical strength of the proppant with the bonding capabilities of the epoxy resin, enabling the material to both resist crushing and bond particles together under atmospheric pressure conditions
2Stability of the object's composition
If resins with high melt viscosity are used to coat proppants, then the coating provides structural integrity, but the resin reacts with adjacent particles before placement and cannot be flushed out by high rate water injection
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the resin system into two separate components: the epoxy resin coating applied to the proppant particles, and the curing agent remaining in the injection fluid. This segmentation prevents premature reaction during placement while allowing controlled curing after the proppant is positioned in the formation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses an intermediary approach by introducing a water-soluble curing agent that remains dormant during injection and only activates after the proppant is in place. This intermediary mechanism allows the resin coating to maintain its integrity during transport while enabling bonding after placement
3Productivity
If the proppant filter-pack is injected and equipment is removed, then the well can proceed to water injection, but the proppant may be flushed away by high rate water injection, losing sand control capability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by coating the proppant particles with epoxy resin before injection, so that the particles are pre-prepared to bond together once in place. This preliminary preparation ensures that the proppant will form a stable filter-pack that resists being flushed away, maintaining sand control effectiveness throughout the water injection operation
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 enables a stable, porous proppant network that remains effective for the life of the well, resisting degradation and maintaining permeability, even under high water injection pressures, while allowing for easy removal of proppants from well components.
Implementation Method 1
contacting a first resin coated proppant with a second resin coated proppant in an underground formation at a temperature sufficient to cause a resin coating on the first resin coated proppant to react with a resin coating on the second resin coated proppant
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and materials for sand control in water injection sites are disclosed. Proppant particles may be coated with some particles coated with a solid epoxy and other proppant particles coated with a solid epoxy curative (such as amine, hydroxyl, carboxyl, anhydride) that would bind the particles through an epoxy reaction. The invention may be advantageous for forming underground structures useful in the extraction of hydrocarbons.