Geopolymers as an Alternative for Oil Well Cementing Applications: A Review of Advantages and Concerns

Abstract

Geopolymers, being inorganic polymers created from rock sources, were evaluated as an alternative to Portland cement. To evaluate their usability, some properties of a selected geopolymer were measured and compared with those from a neat class G Portland cement. The geopolymeric slurries showed a non-Newtonian viscosity behavior with a measurable, albeit low, yield stress. The pumpability measurements using atmospheric and pressurized consistometer showed an adequate set profile for both the geopolymer and cement sample. Static fluid loss test shows that the geopolymeric slurries experienced a lower fluid loss compared to that of the Portland cement. The shrinkage factor for the geopolymers was reduced (expanded) as the downhole temperature was ramped up. The shrinkage of the Portland cement sample proceeded only with a lower rate. Tensile strength of the geopolymers was approximately 5% of their compressive strength; however, this value for Portland cement was approximately 10% of its compressive strength. Finally, shear bond strength of geopolymers would benefit from improvement.

Effect of Zn2+ and K+ as Retarding Agents on Rock-Based Geopolymers for Downhole Cementing Operations

“…These materials were first introduced by Joseph Davidovits in the 1970s as a material with potential properties to replace OPC [5][6][7][8][9][10]. Multiple studies presented some plausible shortcomings of OPC, which are related to the short-and long-term performance of OPC at operational conditions [11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19]. Thus, geopolymers have attracted the petroleum industry specifically due to the lower environmental impact during production, outstanding short-and long-term performance, and lower production cost by lowering taxable carbon emissions [20,21].…”

Cement Slurry Design for High-Pressure, High-Temperature Wellbores Using Polymer Nanocomposite: A Laboratory Scale Study Based on the Compressive Strength and Fluid Loss

“…The changes in temperature and pressure conditions induce brittleness and volumetric expansion in the structure of cement, and this causes the cement to crack and form microannular spaces in its structure. Researchers are developing different additives such as polymers in various forms like latexes, liquid resins, water-soluble polymers and copolymers, fibers, redispersible powders, geopolymers, and different types of nanoparticles to augment and improve the properties of the cement slurry in an economical manner. − Polymers have a tendency to amplify the viscosity of the solution because of their large interlinked structure. , However, these additives become unsustainable under high-temperature and high-pressure conditions in deeper wells, so a more stable additive is needed that can operate without failure under these conditions.…”

Experimental Study of Hydraulic Sealability and Shear Bond Strength of Cementitious Barrier Materials

“…The OPC-based system is brittle in nature and may show a weak performance at downhole condition by forming radial cracks when it is subjected to an excessive load [3][4][5]. Therefore, researchers and technology providers continuously attempt to improve the quality of set cement and the cementing operation by either new cementing techniques or introducing alternative cementitious materials for the situations that OPC has limitations [6,7].…”