Investigating fluid invasion control by Colloidal Gas Aphron (CGA) based fluids in micromodel systems

Pasdar, M.; Kamari, Ehsan; Kazemzadeh, Ezatallah; Ghazanfari, Mohammad Hossein; Soleymani, Mohammad

doi:10.1016/j.jngse.2019.03.020

Cited by 9 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 6 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Unfortunately, these foams tend to become unstable in high-temperature, high-pressure environments, and this lack of stability is a challenge with regard to EOR applications [7]. Recently, microbubbles (defined as having sizes of 10 to 100 μm) have become of interest as a means of removing contaminants from aqueous solutions [8,9], as components of oil well-drilling fluids [10][11][12][13][14] and also with regard to EOR [15][16][17].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bubble size distribution and stability of CO₂ microbubbles for enhanced oil recovery: effect of polymer, surfactant and salt concentrations

Sugai

Nguele

et al. 2021

Journal of Dispersion Science and Technology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Fluids incorporating carbon dioxide (CO2) microbubbles have been utilized to promote enhanced oil recovery from hydrocarbon reservoirs. The performance of such fluids in porous media is greatly affected by both the bubble size and stability. On this basis, the present study evaluated the effects of varying the concentrations of a xanthan gum (XG) polymer, a surfactant (sodium dodecyl sulfate: SDS) and sodium chloride (NaCl) on both the stability and bubble size distribution (BSD) of CO2 microbubbles. CO2 microbubble dispersions were prepared using a high-speed homogenizer in conjunction with the diffusion of gaseous CO2 through aqueous solutions. The stability of each dispersion was ascertained using a drainage test, while the BSD was determined by optical microscopy and fitted to either normal, log-normal or Weibull functions. The results showed that a Weibull distribution gave the most accurate fit for all experimental data. Increases in either the SDS or XG polymer concentration were found to decrease the microbubble size.However, these same changes increased the microbubble stability as a consequence of structural enhancement. The addition of NaCl up to a concentration of 10 g/L (10g/1000g) decreased the average bubble size by approximately 2.7%. Stability was also reduced as the NaCl concentration was increased because of the gravitational effect and coalescence.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bubble size distribution and stability of CO₂ microbubbles for enhanced oil recovery: effect of polymer, surfactant and salt concentrations

Sugai

Nguele

et al. 2021

Journal of Dispersion Science and Technology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Recently, a colloidal gas aphron (CGA) drilling fluid technology has been globally used in drilling natural fractured reservoirs, depleted oil and gas reservoirs and other low-pressure areas because of its ability to eliminate formation damage, malignant leakage, differential sticking, and other drilling-associated problems [1][2][3]. Aphrons generated by surfactants and polymers are micro-bubbles with particle size of ~100 μm, which are composed of a gas core, two surfactant films and a viscous water film.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Alkyl Glycine Surfactant: An Efficient High-Temperature Resistant and Biodegradable Foaming Agent for Colloidal Gas Aphron (CGA) Drilling Fluid

Zhu

Zheng

2021

Pet. Chem.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Colloidal Gas Aphron (CGA) drilling fluid is one of the most promising techniques in underbalanced drilling with excellent plugging and reservoir protection functions. Due to the limitation of poor thermal stability of commercial foaming agents used in oilfields, the research on high-temperature resistant CGA drilling fluid is still a challenge. In this study, a biodegradable glycine foaming agent AGS-12 was synthesized via a one-step method. The surface activity, foaming performance (25-150°C) of AGS-12 and the high temperature performance of AGS-12 based CGA drilling fluid (120-150°C) were studied. All the results provide a basis for the potential application of AGS-12 as an eco-friendly foaming agent in high-temperature CGA drilling fluids: 1) The product AGS-12 with 87% conversion rate was synthesized successfully by one-step method, which can be verified by FT-IR. TGA analysis suggested that AGS-12 had good thermal stability within 315°C. Moreover, AGS-12 is easily biodegradable and fully meets the first level discharge standard of petrochemical industry pollutants. 2) AGS-12 can reduce the surface tension of solvent water from 72.38 to 28.44 mN/m. Analysis of fundamental surface activity parameters illustrates the higher surface activity of AGS-12, compared with a variety of amino acid surfactants.3) Waring-Blender test showed that foams generated by 3% AGS-12 always have higher half-life, foam quality and lower drainage speed than the foaming agents available on market within 150°C. 4) At 120/140/150°C, aphrons with diameter of 10-150 µm have been successfully generated in CGA drilling fluid by using AGS-12 as foaming agent. Rheological and filtration tests suggested that AGS-12 based CGA drilling fluid is a high-performance drilling fluid with strong shear thinning behavior, high viscosity, and low filtration invasion.

show abstract

“…In one study Bjorndalen et al (2009) and Pasdar et al (2019) looked at the use of the colloidal gas aphron (CGA) for drilling fluid invasion control. 51,52 Microscopic mechanisms such as bubbly flow, trapping of CGAs, aggregations of bubbles within fractures, and configuration of different phases were observed. In some other studies, 53 colloidal gas aphron nanofluids (CGANF) were used to improve the plugging ability of the drilling fluid.…”

Section: ■ Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Specific studies related to the investigation of FD induced by drilling fluid are fairly limited. In one study Bjorndalen et al (2009) and Pasdar et al (2019) looked at the use of the colloidal gas aphron (CGA) for drilling fluid invasion control. , Microscopic mechanisms such as bubbly flow, trapping of CGAs, aggregations of bubbles within fractures, and configuration of different phases were observed. In some other studies, colloidal gas aphron nanofluids (CGANF) were used to improve the plugging ability of the drilling fluid.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Insights into the Pore-Scale Mechanisms of Formation Damage Induced by Drilling Fluid and Its Control by Silica Nanoparticles

Mohammadi

Mahani

2020

Energy Fuels

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The formation damage (FD) caused by the invasion of drilling fluid severely affects reservoir performance during production. Most of the published research studies which address this type of FD have been carried out at the core or field scale. Thus, the main aim of the paper is to investigate the pore-scale mechanisms of FD induced by drilling fluids and their control with silica nanoparticles (NPs) using a microfluidic approach. The proper identification of the mechanisms of FD can lead to the proper selection of NP type and concentration as well as a suitable method to remediate FD. The micromodel was designed in a way to closely simulate the cross-flow at the wellbore surface. A water-based drilling fluid was prepared at low-and high-pH values of 9 and 10.7, respectively. The drilling fluid was augmented with silica NPs at different concentrations to study its impact on FD remediation. The drilling fluid was injected into an initially oil-saturated micromodel. Thereafter hydrochloric acid was injected as a cleanup fluid. Lastly, oil was flowed back into the micromodel from the opposite side to simulate the back production. The study was complemented with cutting transport simulation and measurement of filtration and bulk rheological properties of the drilling fluid. The pore-scale observations reveal three types of FD associated with the drilling fluid invasion: (1) primary, (2) secondary, and (3) tertiary. The type of FD was found to be dependent on the mud pH, necessitating the use of different NP concentrations. Primary FD is caused immediately after drilling fluid invasion into the porous medium and includes the internal mudcake deposition (with both low-and high-pH muds) and water blockage (mainly with high-pH mud). After acid cleaning and oil flow-back, the secondary FD is induced which includes in situ acid-in-oil emulsion formation within the pore structure of the mudcake (with both low-and high-pH muds) as well as on the micromodel surface (mainly with high-pH mud). The tertiary FD originates from the relocation and trapping of mobile emulsions. It was also found that, in the case of primary FD, the NPs reduce the penetration depth of the drilling fluid into the micromodel through external (or face) and internal plugging mechanisms. Moreover, NPs eliminate the water blockage by reducing the mud infiltrate volume as well as reducing the IFT. For the case of secondary FD, NPs do not allow the formation of acid-in-oil emulsions within the internal mudcake due to increased drilling fluid stability. In addition to reducing the infiltrate volume, NPs prevent the formation of emulsions on the pore surface by altering the wettability of the micromodel to a more water-wetting state. By reducing the primary and secondary FD, the tertiary FD is eliminated too. The findings from the micromodel experiments highlight the importance of optimizing the NP concentration based on both attaining an efficient cutting transport in the well and ensuring low mud invasion into the porous medium.

show abstract

Investigating fluid invasion control by Colloidal Gas Aphron (CGA) based fluids in micromodel systems

Cited by 9 publications

References 6 publications

Bubble size distribution and stability of CO₂ microbubbles for enhanced oil recovery: effect of polymer, surfactant and salt concentrations

Bubble size distribution and stability of CO₂ microbubbles for enhanced oil recovery: effect of polymer, surfactant and salt concentrations

Alkyl Glycine Surfactant: An Efficient High-Temperature Resistant and Biodegradable Foaming Agent for Colloidal Gas Aphron (CGA) Drilling Fluid

Insights into the Pore-Scale Mechanisms of Formation Damage Induced by Drilling Fluid and Its Control by Silica Nanoparticles

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About

Investigating fluid invasion control by Colloidal Gas Aphron (CGA) based fluids in micromodel systems

Cited by 9 publications

References 6 publications

Bubble size distribution and stability of CO2 microbubbles for enhanced oil recovery: effect of polymer, surfactant and salt concentrations

Bubble size distribution and stability of CO2 microbubbles for enhanced oil recovery: effect of polymer, surfactant and salt concentrations

Alkyl Glycine Surfactant: An Efficient High-Temperature Resistant and Biodegradable Foaming Agent for Colloidal Gas Aphron (CGA) Drilling Fluid

Insights into the Pore-Scale Mechanisms of Formation Damage Induced by Drilling Fluid and Its Control by Silica Nanoparticles

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About

Bubble size distribution and stability of CO₂ microbubbles for enhanced oil recovery: effect of polymer, surfactant and salt concentrations

Bubble size distribution and stability of CO₂ microbubbles for enhanced oil recovery: effect of polymer, surfactant and salt concentrations