Compositions and methods for cementing a wellbore using microbes or enzymes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10125303-B2
Application number	US-201514814925-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 31, 2015
Priority date	Jul 31, 2015
Publication date	Nov 13, 2018
Grant date	Nov 13, 2018

Abstract

A method of cementing a wellbore penetrating a subterranean formation comprises injecting into the wellbore a settable slurry comprising: an aqueous carrier; an aggregate; urea; a calcium source; and a calcium carbonate producing agent comprising a microbe, an enzyme, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing; and allowing the slurry to set.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of cementing a wellbore penetrating a subterranean formation, the method comprising:
injecting into the wellbore a settable slurry comprising: an aqueous carrier; an aggregate; urea; a calcium ion source; and a calcium carbonate producing agent comprising a microbe, an enzyme, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing;
wherein the settable slurry further comprises an enzyme stabilizer, the enzyme stabilizer comprising casein, albumin, powdered milk, whey protein, or bovine serum albumin, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing;
and allowing the settable slurry to set.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising forming the settable slurry by mixing the aqueous carrier; the aggregate; urea; the calcium ion source; and the calcium carbonate producing agent.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein injecting the settable slurry comprises pumping the settable slurry via a tubular in the wellbore.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein injecting the settable slurry comprises pumping the settable slurry into an annulus between a tubular and a wall of the wellbore via the tubular.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein microbe is from a genus selected from Bacillus sp., Sporosarcina sp., Spoloactobacilus sp., Clostridium sp., Desulfotomaculum sp., or a combination thereof.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the microbe comprises Sporosarcina pasteurii; Bacillus megaterium, Sporosarcina ureae; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Proteus Vulgaris; Bacillus sphaericus; Myxococcus xanthus; Leuconostoc mesenteroides; Bacillus subtilis; Deleya halophila; Halomonas eurihalina, Proteus mirabilis ; or Helicobacter pylori , or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the settable slurry further comprises a nutrient for the microbe.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the microbe comprises Sporosarcina pasteurii.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the enzyme comprises urease, amidase, carbonic anhydrase, glutamade dehydrogenase, glutamate synthase, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the calcium ion source comprises calcium chloride, calcium bromide, calcium nitrate, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the aggregate comprises sand, gravel, crushed stone, slag, recycled concrete, silica, grass spheres, limestone, feldspar, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the settable composition comprises solids in an amount of about 50 wt. % to about 95 wt. % based on the total weight of the settable slurry.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the settable composition further comprises an additive which comprises a reinforcing agent, a self-healing additive, a fluid loss control agent, a weighting agent, an extender, a foaming agent, a dispersant, a thixotropic agent, a bridging agent or lost circulation material, a clay stabilizer, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wellbore is a horizontal, lateral or deviated wellbore.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the settable slurry remains pumpable at wellbore conditions until setting.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the calcium ion source is present in an amount effective to provide about 2 mM to about 2.5 M of calcium ions in the settable slurry.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the calcium ion source is present in an amount effective to provide about 250 mM to about 1.8 M of calcium ions in the settable slurry.

18. A settable slurry for cementing a wellbore penetrating a subterranean formation, the settable slurry comprising:
an aqueous carrier;
an aggregate which comprises sand, gravel, crushed stone, slag, recycled concrete, silica, grass spheres, limestone, feldspar, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing aggregate;
urea;
a calcium ion source;
a calcium carbonate producing agent comprising a microbe, an enzyme, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing;
an enzyme stabilizer, the enzyme stabilizer comprising casein, albumin, powdered milk, whey protein, or bovine serum albumin, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing; and
solids in an amount of about 50 wt. % to about 95 wt. % based on the total weight of the settable slurry.

19. The settable slurry of claim 18 , wherein the microbe is from a genus selected from Bacillus sp., Sporosarcina sp., Spoloactobacilus sp., Clostridium sp., Desulfotomaculum sp., or a combination thereof.

20. The settable slurry of claim 18 , wherein the microbe comprises Sporosarcina pasteurii; Sporosarcina ureae, Bacillus megaterium, Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Proteus Vulgaris; Bacillus sphaericus; Myxococcus xanthus; Leuconostoc mesenteroides; Bacillus subtilis; Deleya halophila; Halomonas eurihalina, Proteus mirabilis ; or Helicobacter pylori , or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing microbe; and the enzyme comprises urease.

21. The settable slurry of claim 18 , wherein the settable slurry has a pH of about 7 to about 10.

22. The settable slurry of claim 18 , wherein the urea is present in an amount of about 5 mM to about 2 M based on the total volume of the settable slurry.

23. The settable slurry of claim 18 , wherein the aggregate is present in an amount of about 10 wt. % to about 95 wt. % based on the total weight of the settable slurry.

Assignees

• Wilson Michael B
• Vorderbruggen Mark A
• Armstrong Charles David
• Baker Hughes A Ge Co Llc

Inventors

• Wilson Michael B
• Vorderbruggen Mark A
• Armstrong Charles David

Classifications

• C09K8/467 Primary

  containing additives for specific purposes · CPC title

• C04B2103/0067

  the ingredients being formed in situ by chemical reactions or conversion of one or more of the compounds of the composition · CPC title

• C09K8/487

  Fluid loss control additives; Additives for reducing or preventing circulation loss · CPC title

• C04B28/02

  containing hydraulic cements other than calcium sulfates · CPC title

• C04B2103/408

  Dispersants · CPC title