A Novel Viscoelastic Surfactant Fluid System Incorporating Nanochemistry for High-Temperature Gravel Packing Applications

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nirupama Vaidya ◽  
Valerie Lafitte ◽  
Sergey Makarychev-Mikhailov ◽  
Mohan Kanaka Raju Panga ◽  
Chidi Nwafor ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Temperature ◽  
Fluid System ◽  
Gravel Packing ◽  
Viscoelastic Surfactant

Nanomaterials Improve Polymer-Based Gravel-Packing Fluids at High Temperature

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rasika Prabhu ◽  
Juan-Carlos Santamaria ◽  
Nirupama Vaidya ◽  
Patrice Abivin ◽  
Valerie Lafitte ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Temperature ◽  
Laboratory Evaluation ◽  
Fluid System ◽  
Specific Viscosity ◽  
Application Range ◽  
Track Record ◽  
Industry Standard ◽  
Minimal Damage ◽  
Gravel Packing ◽  
Nanosized Material

Abstract A gravel packing fluid system was developed for elevated temperature applications above 290°F comprised of xanthan gum and a high-temperature gravel suspension additive. This fluid system has been successfully pumped in four openhole gravel packing operations so far, validating its suitability for Alternate Path gravel packing technology involving shunt tubes. Laboratory qualification testing for this fluid showed excellent gravel suspension, rheology, and breaking profiles for cleanup and minimal damage during production. Xanthan gels have been used in gravel packing applications for many years. However, by itself, xanthan was unable to suspend gravel at temperatures above 290°F possibly due to onset of thermally activated polymer degradation. This paper demonstrates that gravel suspension ability can be vastly improved with the addition of a recently developed nano-additive. This additive is a specially designed versatile nanosized material that has a proven track record with visco-elastic surfactant fluids in the past. In the present study, we show the successful application of this additive with polymer-based carrier fluids such as xanthan, effectively increasing their application range to 325°F. With the inclusion of this suspension additive, xanthan concentration in the fluid system can also be reduced, which has other potential benefits such as better cleanup after gel break. Extensive laboratory evaluation for fluid qualification was performed prior to the job. High-pressure/high-temperature (HP/HT) rheology measurements were performed using industry-standard rheometers at various shear rates to match specific viscosity requirements for shunt tube applications. Gravel suspension tests performed using special pressurized cells immersed in oil bath at the required bottomhole static temperature showed improved gravel suspension with the nano-additive. Fluid breaking with conventional oxidative breaker was also demonstrated with viscosity measurements. Formation response tests showed very good fluid cleanup with 90% regained permeability. Laboratory testing and successful field applications have proven the effectiveness of this new fluid system.

A Novel Gemini Cationic Viscoelastic Surfactant-Based Fluid for High Temperature Well Stimulation Applications

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dawn Friesen ◽  
Brian Seymour ◽  
Aaron Sanders
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Stability ◽  
High Temperature ◽  
Chain Length ◽  
Surfactant Concentration ◽  
Gemini Surfactant ◽  
Alkyl Chain ◽  
Friction Reduction ◽  
Fluid Viscosity ◽  
Viscoelastic Surfactant ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Viscoelastic surfactant (VES)-based fracturing fluids can reduce the risk of formation damage when compared with conventional polymer-based fracturing systems. However, many VES systems lose viscoelasticity rapidly under high-temperature conditions, leading to high fluid leakoff and problems in proppant placement. A gemini cationic VES-based system offering thermal stability above 250°F and its efficiency in friction reduction is presented in this paper. Rheology measurements were conducted on viscoelastic cationic gemini surfactant fluids as a function of temperature (70 – 300°F) and surfactant concentration. The length of surfactant alkyl chain was varied to investigate the impact of surfactant chain length on VES fluid viscosity at elevated temperatures. The effect of flow rate on friction reduction capability of the surfactant fluid was measured on a friction flow loop. Foam rheology measurements were conducted to evaluate the VES fluid's ability to maintain high temperature viscosity with reduced surfactant concentration. A gemini cationic surfactant was used to prepare a viscoelastic surfactant system that could maintain viscosity over 50 cP at a shear rate of 100 s−1up to at least 250°F. With this system, viscoelastic gel viscosity was maintained without degradation for over 18 hours at 250°F, and the fluid showed rapid shear recovery throughout. Decreasing the average alkyl chain length on the surfactant reduced the maximum working temperature of the resulting viscoelastic gel and showed the critical influence of surfactant structure on the resulting fluid performance. The presence of elongated, worm-like micelles in the fluid provided polymer-like friction reduction even at low surfactant concentrations, with friction reduction of over 70% observed during pumping (relative to fresh water) up to a critical Reynolds number. Energized fluids could also be formulated with the gemini surfactant to give foam fluids suitable for hydraulic fracturing or wellbore cleanouts. The resulting viscoelastic surfactant foams had viscosities over 50 cP up to at least 300°F with both nitrogen and carbon dioxide as the gas phase. The information presented in this paper is important for various field applications where thermal stability of the treatment fluid is essential. This will hopefully expand the use of VES-based systems as an alternative to conventional polymer systems in oilfield applications where a less damaging viscosified fluid system is required.

Rheological Characteristics of Viscoelastic Surfactant Fluid Mixed With Silica Nanoparticles

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yueqiong Wu ◽  
Zhongyang Luo ◽  
Hong Yin ◽  
Tao Wang
Keyword(s):  
High Temperature ◽  
Shear Rate ◽  
Volume Fraction ◽  
Sio2 Nanoparticles ◽  
Fluid Loss ◽  
Rheological Characteristics ◽  
High Shear ◽  
Fracturing Process ◽  
Viscoelastic Surfactant ◽  
Rheological Performance

Since the surfactant can form rod-like micelles or even cross-link structures, viscoelastic surfactant (VES) fluid has unique rheological characteristics. The demerits of VES fluids have been proven after being applied as the fracturing fluid for several years. However, the fluid has high fluid loss and a low viscosity at high temperature, which limits the application to hydraulic fracturing. This paper focuses on the VES fluid mixed with nanoparticles which should be an effective way to maintain the viscosity at high temperature and high shear rate. The experiments were based on preparation of uniform and stable nanocolloids, which utilize Microfluidizer high shear fluid processor. Dynamic light scattering and microscopic methods are employed to investigate the stability and micro-structure of the VES fluid. The effects of temperature, shear rate and volume fraction of the nanoparticles on rheology of VES were studied. The SiO2 nanoparticles could significantly improve the rheological performance of VES fluid, although the rheological performance at the temperature over 90 °C needs to be enhanced. The mechanisms of interactions between nanoparticles and micelles are also discussed later in the paper. At the end, the potential of VES fluid mixed with nanoparticles during application in fracturing process was discussed.

Reduced-Polymer-Loading, High-Temperature Fracturing Fluids by Use of Nanocrosslinkers

SPE Journal ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 22 (02) ◽  
pp. 622-631 ◽  
Author(s):  
Feng Liang ◽  
Ghaithan Al-Muntasheri ◽  
Hooisweng Ow ◽  
Jason Cox
Keyword(s):  
High Temperature ◽  
Gas Flow ◽  
Laboratory Data ◽  
Gelling Agent ◽  
Formation Damage ◽  
Fluid System ◽  
Temperature Range ◽  
Enhanced Production ◽  
Fracturing Fluids ◽  
Polymer Loading

Summary In the quest to discover more natural-gas resources, considerable attention has been devoted to finding and extracting gas locked within tight formations with permeability in the nano- to microdarcy range. The main challenges associated with working in such formations are the intrinsically high-temperature and high-pressure bottom conditions. For formations with bottomhole temperatures at approximately 350–400°F, traditional hydraulic-fracturing fluids that use crosslinked polysaccharide gels, such as guar and its derivatives, are not suitable because of significant polymer breakdown in this temperature range. Fracturing fluids that can work at these temperatures require thermally stable synthetic polymers such as acrylamide-based polymers. However, such polymers have to be used at very-high concentrations to suspend proppants. The high-polymer concentrations make it very difficult to completely degrade at the end of a fracturing operation. As a consequence, formation damage by polymer residue can reduce formation conductivity to gas flow. This paper addresses the shortcomings of the current state-of-the-art high-temperature fracturing fluids and focuses on developing a less-damaging, high-temperature-stable fluid that can be used at temperatures up to 400°F. A laboratory study was conducted with this novel system, which comprises a synthetic acrylamide-based copolymer gelling agent and is capable of being crosslinked with an amine-containing polymer-coated nanosized particulate crosslinker (nanocrosslinker). The laboratory data have demonstrated that the temperature stability of the crosslinked fluid is much better than that of a similar fluid lacking the nanocrosslinker. The nanocrosslinker allows the novel fluid system to operate at significantly lower polymer concentrations (25–45 lbm/1,000 gal) compared with current commercial fluid systems (50–87 lbm/1,000 gal) designed for temperatures from 350 to 400°F. This paper presents results from rheological studies that demonstrate superior crosslinking performance and thermal stability in this temperature range. This fracturing-fluid system has sufficient proppant-carrying viscosity, and allows for efficient cleanup by use of an oxidizer-type breaker. Low polymer loading and little or no polymer residue are anticipated to facilitate efficient cleanup, reduced formation damage, better fluid conductivity, and enhanced production rates. Laboratory results from proppant-pack regained-conductivity tests are also presented.

Novel CO2-Emulsified Viscoelastic Surfactant Fracturing Fluid System Enables Commercial Production From Bypassed Pay in the Olmos Formation of South Texas

2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark E. Semmelbeck ◽  
William Earl Deupree ◽  
John Kurt Von Plonski ◽  
Fred A. Mueller ◽  
Yiyan Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Commercial Production ◽  
South Texas ◽  
Fracturing Fluid ◽  
Fluid System ◽  
Viscoelastic Surfactant
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