Semi-permeable Membrane Gas Control Additive for Wellbore Integrity

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Cement sheath integrity is compromised due to gas migration through the cement slurry, leading to pressure buildup and potential hazardous blowouts, as existing latex additives fail to prevent gas influx at high temperatures.

Innovation Solution

A gas control additive is introduced, comprising a semi-permeable membrane encapsulating a scrubbing agent, which reacts with antagonistic gases to produce a helper byproduct that remains within the membrane, preventing further gas migration and maintaining cement integrity at elevated temperatures.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If latex additives are used to make cement paste resistant to gas influx, then gas migration control is improved, but the solution fails at temperatures greater than 82°C or 100°C

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvegas migration controlVSAvoidtemperature resistance

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the chemical composition parameters by replacing latex additives with amine-based scrubbing agents that have high temperature stability. The amine compounds maintain their gas-reacting properties at elevated temperatures where latex fails, thus resolving the temperature resistance issue while maintaining gas migration control.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The invention creates a composite system combining amine-based scrubbing agents with cement slurry, forming a new material composition that exhibits both gas migration control capabilities and high-temperature resistance. This composite approach overcomes the limitations of pure latex additives.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Reliability

If cement slurry is used to form cement sheath, then zonal isolation is achieved, but gas migration through the slurry causes pressure buildup and loses isolation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvezonal isolationVSAvoidgas migration

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent converts the harmful effect of gas migration into a beneficial process by introducing amine-based scrubbing agents that react with migrating gases (CO2, H2S) to form solid carbonates. This transforms the harmful gas influx that causes pressure buildup into a beneficial reaction that consumes the gases and forms space-filling solid products that seal micro-annuli.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

Solution Approach 2:

The amine-based scrubbing agents act as intermediary substances between the migrating gases and the cement sheath. These intermediaries react with the gases to form solid products, preventing direct gas migration through the cement and eliminating pressure buildup while maintaining zonal isolation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Reliability

If gas control additive with semi-permeable membrane is used, then gas migration is controlled, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvegas migration controlVSAvoidadditive structure

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs semi-permeable membranes as flexible thin film barriers within the gas control additive. These membranes allow selective passage of gases while containing the amine-based scrubbing agents, providing an elegant solution that controls gas migration without requiring complex mechanical structures.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Solution Approach 2:

The gas control additive utilizes a nested structure where amine-based scrubbing agents are enclosed within semi-permeable membranes, which are then incorporated into the cement slurry matrix. This nested arrangement allows the complex functional components to be organized in a compact, manageable form that integrates smoothly into the overall cement system.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

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 gas control additive effectively mitigates gas migration and pressure buildup, enhancing cement sheath integrity and preventing blowouts by converting antagonistic gases into less corrosive byproducts that remain within the membrane, thus ensuring long-term wellbore stability.

Implementation Method 1

The semi-permeable membrane is operable to allow an antagonistic gas to permeate through the membrane into the core

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPermeation: Permeation

Implementation Method 2

The scrubbing agent is operable to react with the antagonistic gas that permeates into the core to produce a helper byproduct

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectChemical reaction: Chemical Bonding

Data Source

PatentUS10995254B2Capsule design for the capture of reagents

Publication Date: 2021.05.04 SAUDI ARABIAN OIL CO

AI summary

A method of using a gas control additive to provide gas migration control in a wellbore includes the steps of mixing the gas control additive with a cement to form a cement slurry, where the gas control additive includes a semi-permeable membrane and a scrubbing agent, such that the semi-permeable membrane forms a shell around a core such that the scrubbing agent is in the core, introducing the cement slurry to the wellbore, and reacting the scrubbing agent with an antagonistic gas to produce a helper byproduct, where the antagonistic gas migrates from a hydrocarbon-bearing formation into the wellbore and permeates through the semi-permeable membrane to the core of the gas control additive.