Volcanic Ash Geopolymer Slurry for Lost Circulation Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional lost circulation materials are inefficient and costly, leading to well control issues, borehole instability, and formation damage during drilling due to excessive fluid loss in naturally fractured, cavernous, and highly permeable formations.
Innovation Solution
A composition comprising volcanic ash, an activator, and a resinous composition, such as an epoxy resin, is introduced to form a geopolymer slurry that solidifies to control fluid loss in subterranean formations, reducing the need for ordinary Portland cement and minimizing setting time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional lost circulation materials (fibrous, lamellated, or granular) are used, then fluid loss can be controlled to some extent, but the materials are inefficient and costly, and fail to provide adequate well control and borehole stability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite material system consisting of volcanic ash particles combined with a resinous composition (epoxy resin and curing agent). This composite approach replaces conventional single-material lost circulation materials with a multi-component system that achieves both reliability and efficiency through the synergistic interaction of inert volcanic ash particles and reactive resinous binder.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the chemical and physical parameters of the lost circulation material by using volcanic ash with specific particle size distributions (0.001 to 0.5 inches) and combining it with resinous compositions that undergo chemical transformation. This parameter change enables the material to transition from a simple physical barrier to a chemically active system that solidifies in-situ, providing superior well control with reduced costs.
2Reliability
If conventional lost circulation materials are used, then some fluid loss control is achieved, but they cause formation damage due to plugging of pores and pore throats by mud particles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs porous volcanic ash particles as the solid phase in the lost circulation material. The porous structure allows the material to interact with formation fluids while maintaining permeability, preventing the plugging of pores and pore throats that occurs with conventional dense mud particles. The volcanic ash particles provide a framework that maintains formation integrity while still effectively controlling fluid loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses inexpensive volcanic ash particles as the primary solid phase, replacing expensive conventional lost circulation materials. The volcanic ash serves its purpose by providing the necessary structural framework and fluid loss control, then naturally degrades or becomes integrated into the formation, avoiding the need for complex removal operations and minimizing formation damage.
3Reliability
If lost circulation materials are placed into the formation to control fluid loss, then well control is improved, but the process is costly and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates the curing agent and resinous composition into the lost circulation material formulation before delivery to the formation. This preliminary preparation ensures that the chemical reaction is already activated and ready to proceed immediately upon contact with formation fluids, eliminating delays associated with on-site mixing and accelerating the setting process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical mixing and prolonged setting processes with a chemically activated system. The resinous composition and curing agent initiate a chemical reaction that automatically progresses once the material is in the formation, eliminating the need for mechanical mixing operations and reducing the overall setting time through chemical transformation rather than purely mechanical processes.
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 composition effectively blocks fluid loss with increased efficiency and reduced costs, enhancing wellbore stability and preventing formation damage.
Implementation Method 1
The lost circulation material comprises: volcanic ash, an activator, and a resinous composition; and solidifying, at least partially, the lost circulation material
Data Source
AI summary
Materials may be used for mitigation of lost circulation in a subterranean formation. Example methods of lost circulation mitigation may include: introducing a lost circulation material to a zone of interest in a subterranean formation via a wellbore, the zone of interest including depleted zones, zones of low pressure, lost circulation zones, fractured zones, or any combination thereof; wherein the lost circulation material includes: volcanic ash, an activator, and a resinous composition; and solidifying, at least partially, the lost circulation material such that the solidified material at least partially blocks the wellbore from the zone of interest.