Polyurethane foamed annular chemical packer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10648280-B2
Application number	US-201916669812-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 31, 2019
Priority date	Apr 12, 2017
Publication date	May 12, 2020
Grant date	May 12, 2020

Abstract

A chemical packer composition having a polyurethane foam with nanoparticles or micron-sized particles for use as an annular chemical packer in openhole horizontal wells is provided. The chemical packer composition may be used in a horizontal well having a screen (for example, a gravel pack screen) and completed using an openhole completion. The chemical packer composition may include, for example, silica nanoparticles or sand micron-sized particles. The chemical packer composition may be placed in an annulus section defined by the wellbore and the screen that traverses one or more fluid producing zones. In some instances, a portion of the chemical packer composition may be selectively removed to open a fluid producing zone to the wellbore and form plugs blocking other fluid producing zones.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for producing hydrocarbons in a subterranean well, the method comprising:
installing a screen in a horizontal wellbore, the screen defining an annulus between an inner surface of the wellbore and the screen, the annulus having a section that traverses a first fluid producing zone, a second fluid producing zone, and a third fluid producing zone in a formation, the second fluid producing zone located between the first fluid producing zone and the third fluid producing zone;
placing a chemical packer composition in the annulus section between the inner surface of the wellbore and the screen that traverses the first fluid producing zone, the second fluid producing zone, and the third fluid producing zone, the chemical packer composition comprising:
a polyurethane foam; and
a plurality of particles;

selectively removing a portion of the chemical packer composition that traverses the second fluid producing zone, such that the chemical packer composition forms a first annular plug blocking fluid flow between the first fluid producing zone and the wellbore and a second annular plug blocking fluid flow between the third fluid producing zone and the wellbore.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of particles comprise a plurality of silica particles, each of the plurality of silica particles having a diameter in the range of 1 nanometer (nm) to 150 nm.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of particles comprise a plurality of sand particles, each of the plurality of sand particles having a diameter in the range of 1 micron (μm) to about 1000 μm.

4. The method of claim 1 , comprising selectively removing a portion of the chemical packer composition by introducing a dissolver into the wellbore to contact the portion of the chemical packer composition.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the dissolver comprises an acid, an organic solvent, a chelating agent, or an oxidizing agent.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein placing the chemical packer composition in the annulus section between the inner surface of the wellbore and the screen that traverses the first fluid producing zone, the second fluid producing zone, and the third fluid producing zone comprises:
inserting an inflatable straddle packer into the wellbore at a well depth sufficient to isolate a section of the wellbore traversing the second fluid producing zone;
inserting coiled tubing into the wellbore; and
pumping the chemical packer composition into the annulus section between the inner surface of the wellbore and the screen via the coiled tubing.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the screen comprises a gravel pack screen.

8. The method of claim 1 , comprising blending the polyurethane foam and the plurality of particles at the surface to form the chemical packer composition before placing the chemical packer composition in the annulus section between the inner surface of the wellbore and the screen that traverses a first fluid producing zone, a second fluid producing zone, and a third fluid producing zone.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first fluid producing zone comprises a first water producing zone, the second fluid producing zone comprises a hydrocarbon producing zone, and the third fluid producing zone comprises a second water producing zone, such that the first annular plug blocks fluid flow between the first water producing zone and the wellbore and the second annular plug blocks fluid flow between the second water producing zone and the wellbore.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first fluid producing zone comprises a first hydrocarbon producing zone, the second fluid producing zone comprises a water producing zone, and the third fluid producing zone comprises a second hydrocarbon producing zone, such that the first annular plug is formed between the first hydrocarbon producing zone and the wellbore and the second annular plug is formed between the second hydrocarbon producing zone and the wellbore.

11. The method of claim 10 , comprising introducing a water shut-off treatment into the water producing zone, such that the first annular plug blocks introduction of the water shut-off treatment into the first hydrocarbon producing zone and the second annular plug blocks introduction of the water shut-off treatment into the second hydrocarbon producing zone.

Assignees

• Saudi Arabian Oil Co

Inventors

• Karadkar Prasad Baburao
• Bataweel Mohammed

Classifications

• C09K8/518

  Foams · CPC title

• C04B26/16

  Polyurethanes · CPC title

• C09K8/44

  containing organic binders only · CPC title

• E21B33/138 Primary

  Plastering the borehole wall; Injecting into the formation · CPC title

• E21B43/04

  Gravelling of wells · CPC title