Method for treating the area surrounding a well using an aqueous gelling solution comprising an alkaline potassium silicate solution and an acetic acid

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11028310-B2
Application number	US-201716090858-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 15, 2017
Priority date	Apr 4, 2016
Publication date	Jun 8, 2021
Grant date	Jun 8, 2021

Abstract

The present invention relates to a process for the treatment of the area (10) surrounding a well (1) in which an aqueous gelling solution comprising an alkaline potassium silicate solution and an acetic acid is prepared and then injected into a subterranean formation. This aqueous gelling solution makes it possible, by virtue of these gelling properties, to block the area (10) surrounding the well (1).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A process for the treatment of the area surrounding a well within a subterranean formation, the well being for storage of acid gas in the subterranean formation, the process comprising:
preparing an aqueous gelling solution comprising an alkaline potassium silicate solution and an acetic acid; and
injecting the aqueous gelling solution from the well into the subterranean formation, in order to treat, within the subterranean formation, the area surrounding the well,
wherein the acid gas is stored in the subterranean formation prior to injecting the aqueous gelling solution.

2. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein preparing the aqueous gelling solution further comprises measuring one or more of porosity, permeability and surrounding pH of the subterranean formation.

3. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the prepared aqueous gelling solution has a viscosity of between 1 and 10 pct.

4. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the prepared aqueous gelling solution has a setting time of between 3 and 20 hours.

5. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the acetic acid has a concentration of between 0.1 and 5 mol/l.

6. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the alkaline potassium silicate solution comprises a concentration of silicon Si of 0.5 to 7 mol/l.

7. The process as claimed in claim 1 , in which the alkaline potassium silicate solution comprises a molar ratio of silicon dioxide SiO 2 with respect to the potassium oxide K 2 O of between 0.5 and 10.

8. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the aqueous gelling solution comprises between 1% and 30% by weight of acetic acid.

9. The process as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising injecting a flushing fluid from the well into the subterranean formation prior to injecting the aqueous gelling solution.

10. The process as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising plugging the well after injecting the aqueous gelling solution.

11. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the acetic acid has a concentration of between 0.5 and 2 mol/l.

12. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the alkaline potassium silicate solution comprises a concentration of silicon Si of 0.5 to 3 mol/l.

13. The process as claimed in claim 1 , in which the alkaline potassium silicate solution comprises a molar ratio of silicon dioxide SiO 2 with respect to the potassium oxide K 2 O of between 1 and 5.

14. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the aqueous gelling solution comprises between 5% and 30% by weight of acetic acid.

15. A process for treatment of an area surrounding a well in a subterranean formation that stores acid gas, the process comprising:
preparing an aqueous gelling solution by combining components comprising an alkaline potassium silicate solution and acetic acid; and
injecting the aqueous gelling solution through the well and into the subterranean formation that stores the acid gas, the aqueous gelling solution treating the area surrounding the well in the subterranean formation.

Assignees

• Ifp Energies Now

Inventors

• Sissmann Olivier
• Fleury Marc
• Chardin Michel

Classifications

• C04B28/26

  Silicates of the alkali metals · CPC title

• E21B33/138

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

• C09K8/426 Primary

  for plugging · CPC title

• E21B41/0064

  Carbon dioxide sequestration (storing fluids in porous layers B65G5/005) · CPC title

• Y02C20/40

  of CO2 · CPC title