Moisture-Curable Elastomer Curing Delay via Drying Agents
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current polymer gel treatments in wellbores face challenges with premature curing and inadequate control over the curing process, leading to issues like lost circulation, formation destabilization, and inefficient fluid production in weakly consolidated formations.
Innovation Solution
Injecting moisture-curable gelling components and using drying agents, such as silanes or desiccants, to delay the onset of curing by capturing available moisture, allowing for greater control over the curing process and enhancing wellbore stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If moisture-curable gelling components are injected into the formation, then gel treatment effectiveness is improved, but premature curing occurs leading to lost circulation and formation destabilization
Solution Approach 1:
A moisture barrier agent is introduced as an intermediary substance between the moisture-curable gelling components and the ambient moisture in the wellbore. This barrier agent prevents premature contact between moisture and the gelling components during injection and placement, allowing the gel to be positioned correctly before curing begins, thereby preventing lost circulation and formation destabilization while maintaining gel treatment effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The wellbore environment is prepared in advance by introducing a moisture barrier agent before injecting the moisture-curable gelling components. This preliminary action creates a protected environment that delays moisture contact until the gel reaches the desired location, preventing premature curing and enabling controlled gel placement
2Reliability
If polymeric gel treatments are used to plug lost circulation, then circulation control is improved, but formation destabilization and blowout risk increase
Solution Approach 1:
The moisture barrier agent serves as a mediator that controls the timing of gel curing. By preventing premature curing through the barrier, the gel remains pumpable and placeable into the correct formation zones without causing destabilization from premature solidification, while still achieving effective circulation control when properly positioned
Solution Approach 2:
The moisture barrier agent enables local control over gel curing by protecting the gel in specific wellbore regions during injection and placement. This allows the gel to cure only at the desired location within the formation, providing localized circulation control without the harmful effects of premature curing in other areas
3Strength
If gel curing is accelerated to quickly strengthen formation, then wellbore stability is improved, but control over gel placement and timing is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The moisture barrier agent acts as a controllable intermediary that regulates the curing process. It allows the gel to be injected and positioned with full operational control while preventing premature curing, and then can be removed or degraded to allow controlled curing at the desired location and time, achieving both formation strength and placement control
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from a static gel formulation to a dynamic system where the moisture barrier agent can be introduced, maintained during injection, and then removed or degraded to initiate curing. This dynamic approach provides operational control over the timing and location of gel strength development while maintaining ease of injection and placement
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 approach effectively delays the curing of gelling components, improving wellbore stability, reducing lost circulation, and optimizing fluid production by allowing for more precise placement and timing of gel formation in wellbores.
Implementation Method 1
contacting the wellbore fluid with a drying agent to capture at least a portion of moisture available in the wellbore fluid to delay onset of curing of the gelling components
Data Source
AI summary
A method of treating a formation that includes injecting gelling components curable by a moisture cure into a selected region of the formation; and controlling the onset of curing of the gelling components by contacting the gelling components with a drying agent is disclosed.