High-Temperature-Resistant Epoxy Resin Gel Behavior and Profile Control in Heavy Oil Steam Drive

Abstract

In recent years, the prominence of conformance control technology in heavy oil steam flooding has significantly increased in oilfield development. However, the high-temperature demands of heavy oil steam flooding require more resilient plugging agents. Resin-based plugging agents, known for their exceptional temperature resistance and strength, have emerged as a viable solution within this domain. Yet, they face issues like rapid curing at high temperatures and limited sealing reach. Thus, we introduce a novel approach: epoxy resin gel (EHRB), consisting of epoxy resin (ER) as the curing agent, urotropine (HMTA) and pyrocatechol (RO) as cross-linking agents, and n-butyl glycidyl ether (BGE) as a diluent. EHRB gels at 130 °C in 5.4 h, with curing commencing at 160 °C, extending resin curing time and expanding the sealing radius. This study assessed EHRB’s performance and high-temperature stability through displacement experiments, TGA, and DSC analysis. The results indicate that the EHRB has low viscosity, high compressive strength, and minimal mass loss at high temperatures. At 260 °C, the mass loss is less than 15%. The plugging rate exceeds 90%, and it can withstand steam flushing for over 6 PV. Additionally, it demonstrates a 17% improvement in EOR. EHRB demonstrates outstanding capabilities in proficient channel control for heavy oil steam flooding, offering vital technical support for conformance control in this challenging environment.