Accelerated swelling of oil-swellable elastomers in a well

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10100244-B2
Application number	US-201314771065-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 29, 2013
Priority date	Mar 29, 2013
Publication date	Oct 16, 2018
Grant date	Oct 16, 2018

Abstract

A method of swelling an oil-swellable elastomer in a well comprising the step of: contacting the oil-swellable elastomer in the well with a treatment fluid, wherein the treatment fluid comprises: (A) an oil selected from the group consisting of alkanes and naphtha, wherein the oil comprises hydrocarbons having anywhere in the range of 5 to 21 carbons; (B) an α-olefin having anywhere in the range of 18 to 26 carbons; and (C) an activator for oil-swelling, the activator selected from the group consisting of: ketones, dodecane, terpenes, terpenoids, haloalkanes having from 9 to 20 carbons, and any combination thereof. An oil-swelled elastomer as produced by the method is also contemplated.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of swelling an oil-swellable elastomer in a well, the well comprising a borehole and a tubular, the method comprising the steps of:
placing an oil-swellable elastomer in an annulus, the annulus located between a portion of the borehole and a portion of the tubular;
after placing the oil-swellable elastomer in the annulus, introducing a treatment fluid into the well; and
contacting the oil-swellable elastomer in the annulus with the treatment fluid for at least 72 hours with at least a sufficient amount of the treatment fluid to fill the annulus or to swell the oil-swellable elastomer at least 300% by weight;
wherein contacting the oil-swellable elastomer with the treatment fluid swells the oil-swellable elastomer over at least a portion of the tubular and creates a seal between the portion of tubular and the borehole;
wherein the treatment fluid comprises:
(A) an oil selected from alkanes and naphtha, wherein the oil comprises hydrocarbons having from 5 to 21 carbons;
(B) an α-olefin having from 18 to 26 carbons; and
(C) an activator for oil-swelling, the activator selected from: ketones, dodecane, terpenes, terpenoids, haloalkanes having from 9 to 20 carbons, and any combination thereof; and
wherein the treatment fluid is substantially free of the oil-swellable elastomer.

2. The method according to claim 1 further comprising, after the step of contacting, flowing a different fluid from the well or injecting a different treatment fluid into the well.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of contacting further comprises a design temperature anywhere in the range of from 100° F. to 400° F.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of contacting further comprises contacting for less than 50 days.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the oil-swellable elastomer is selected from:
natural rubber,
acrylate butadiene rubber,
polyacrylate rubber,
isoprene rubber,
choloroprene rubber,
butyl rubber,
brominated butyl rubber,
chlorinated butyl rubber,
chlorinated polyethylene rubber,
neoprene rubber,
styrene butadiene copolymer rubber, styrene butadiene block copolymer rubber,
sulphonated polyethylene,
ethylene acrylate rubber,
epichlorohydrin ethylene oxide copolymer,
ethylene-propylene copolymer rubber,
ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymer rubber,
ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer,
fluorosilicone rubber,
silicone rubber,
poly 2,2,1-bicyclo heptene (polynorborneane),
alkylstyrene,
crosslinked vinyl acrylate copolymer,
crosslinked substituted vinyl acrylate copolymer,
and any combination thereof.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the activator is selected from camphor, methylisobutylketone, dodecane, terpenes, terpenoids, 1- bromohexadecane, and any combination thereof.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the activator is selected from a haloalkane having from 9 to 20 carbons, a monohaloalkane having from 9 to 20 carbons, a 1- haloalkane having from 9 to 20 carbons, a 1-haloalkane having from 14 to 18 carbons, or 1- bromohexadecane.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the treatment fluid is nonaqueous and has a viscosity of less than 10 mPa·s (10 cP).

9. An apparatus comprising:
a borehole;
a tubular;
an annulus located between a portion of the borehole and a portion of the tubular;
a mesh filtration media placed in the annulus; and
an oil-swellable elastomer placed in the annulus, wherein the elastomer has absorbed therein:
(A) an oil selected from alkanes and naphtha, wherein the oil comprises hydrocarbons having from 5 to 21 carbons;
(B) an α-olefin having from 18 to 26 carbons; and
(C) an activator for oil-swelling, the activator selected from:
ketones, dodecane, terpenes, terpenoids, haloalkanes having from 9 to 20 carbons, and any combination thereof; and
wherein the elastomer has formed a sheath over the mesh filtration media and the elastomer and mesh filtration media are configured for use as a swell screen for sand control.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the oil-swellable elastomer is selected from:
natural rubber,
acrylate butadiene rubber,
polyacrylate rubber,
isoprene rubber,
choloroprene rubber,
butyl rubber,
brominated butyl rubber,
chlorinated butyl rubber,
chlorinated polyethylene,
neoprene rubber,
styrene butadiene copolymer rubber,
styrene butadiene block copolymer rubber,
sulphonated polyethylene,
ethylene acrylate rubber,
ethylene-propylene rubber,
ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymer rubber,
ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer,
fluorosilicone rubber,
silicone rubber,
poly 2,2,1-bicyclo heptene (polynorbomeane),
alkylstyrene,
crosslinked vinyl acrylate copolymer,
crosslinked substituted vinyl acrylate copolymer,
and any combination thereof.

11. The well apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the activator is selected from camphor, methylisobutylketone, dodecane, terpenes, terpenoids, 1- bromohexadecane, and any combination thereof.

12. The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the activator is selected from a haloalkane having from 9 to 20 carbons, a monohaloalkane having from 9 to 20 carbons, a 1- haloalkane having from 9 to 20 carbons, a 1-haloalkane having from 14 to 18 carbons, and 1- bromohexadecane.

13. A method of swelling an oil-swellable elastomer in a well, the method comprising the steps of:
placing an oil-swellable elastomer and a mesh filtration media in the well;
after placing the oil-swellable elastomer, introducing a treatment fluid into the well;
contacting the oil-swellable elastomer with the treatment fluid to swell to the oil-swellable elastomer over or within a portion of the mesh filtration media;
wherein the treatment fluid comprises:
(A) an oil selected from alkanes and naphtha, wherein the oil comprises hydrocarbons having from 5 to 21 carbons;
(B) an α-olefin having from 18 to 26 carbons; and
(C) an activator for oil-swelling, the activator selected from: ketones, dodecane, terpenes, terpenoids, haloalkanes having from 9 to 20 carbons, and any combination thereof;

wherein the treatment fluid is substantially free of the oil-swellable elastomer; and
wherein after the step of contacting the elastomer and mesh filtration media are operable for use as a swell screen for sand control.

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Patil Prajakta Ratnakar
• Agashe Snehalata Sachin
• Sarda Anjali Ramesh
• Das Prasanta

Classifications

• E21B43/16

  Enhanced recovery methods for obtaining hydrocarbons · CPC title

• E21B33/12

  Packers; Plugs (used for cementing E21B33/134, E21B33/16) · CPC title

• E21B33/1208

  characterised by the construction of the sealing or packing means (E21B33/1277 takes precedence) · CPC title

• C09K8/64 Primary

  Oil-based compositions · CPC title

• C09K8/565

  Oil-based compositions · CPC title