An Overview of Polymer Resin Systems Deployed for Remedial Operations in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Gas migration through cement columns has been an industry challenge for many years. Formation gas/influx can migrate through the cement column resulting in gas being present at the surface. To overcome gas migration on existing wells, remedial jobs are executed, which requires detailed engineering and testing prior field deployment. The objective of this paper is to detail the effort and experimental work that took place to use different polymer resin systems in Saudi Arabia gas wells. The two polymer resin systems are differentiated by their main component, either epoxy resin or polyester resin. The epoxy resin system is prepared by mixing an epoxy resin with an aromatic amine curing agent while the polyester resin system is prepared by mixing polyester resin with norpol peroxide curing agent, filler, and silicon dioxide. This study is the first to assess the performance of two different types of polymer resin systems and evaluate their remedial operations according to the authors’ best knowledge. In addition, this paper discusses operational challenges that may occur when using each type of polymer resin system. Lab tests were conducted to measure the thickening time, the rheological properties, compressive strength, and limitations for each polymer resin system. The tests suggest that a maximum temperature of 225°F and 275°F should be maintained when using the epoxy and polyester polymer resin systems, respectively. Based on the study, the epoxy resin system is easier to control as it is composed of only two components unlike the polyester resin system, which is comprised of several components. The lab study suggests operational recommendations to increase the probability of success of the polymer resin systems.