Geopolymer formulations for mitigating losses

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11162015-B2
Application number	US-202016791282-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 14, 2020
Priority date	Feb 14, 2020
Publication date	Nov 2, 2021
Grant date	Nov 2, 2021

Abstract

Methods and compositions for treating subterranean formations to mitigate lost circulation are provided. The methods of the present disclosure include forming a treatment fluid including one or more geopolymer lost circulation materials; introducing the treatment fluid into at least a portion of a subterranean formation that includes at least one loss zone; activating the geopolymer lost circulation materials to form a geopolymer that imparts a thixotropic property to the treatment fluid; and allowing the treatment fluid exhibiting the thixotropic property to at least partially reduce a rate of loss associated with the loss zone.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
forming a treatment fluid comprising water and an aluminosilicate source;
adding an activator composition comprising a metal silicate source, an activator, and water to the treatment fluid, wherein the activator composition imparts a thixotropic property to the treatment fluid;
introducing the treatment fluid into at least a portion of a subterranean formation that comprises at least one loss zone; and
allowing the treatment fluid exhibiting the thixotropic property to at least partially reduce a rate of loss associated with the loss zone, wherein the treatment fluid has a thixotropic rate of from about 27.6 lbf/100 ft 2 /min to about 50.0 lbf/100 ft 2 /min.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising allowing the treatment fluid to at least partially plug the loss zone.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of allowing the treatment fluid exhibiting the thixotropic property to at least partially reduce the rate of loss associated with the loss zone comprises at least partially increasing a viscosity of the treatment fluid.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the aluminosilicate source is a metakaolin clay.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal silicate source is a sodium silicate.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the activator is sodium hydroxide.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal silicate source and water in the activator composition are present in an amount relative to an amount of the aluminosilicate source of about 72.1% or less.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the treatment fluid is introduced into the subterranean formation using one or more pumps.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the treatment fluid further comprises at least one additional lost circulation material.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the additional lost circulation material has a specific gravity of from about 0.7 to about 4.0.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising allowing the treatment fluid to plug substantially all of the loss zone.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the aluminosilicate source is a metakaolin clay, the metal silicate source is a sodium silicate, and the activator is sodium hydroxide.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the aluminosilicate source is present in the treatment fluid in an amount of from about 10.0% to about 60.0% by weight of the treatment fluid.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal silicate source is present in the treatment fluid in an amount of from about 1.0% to about 50.0% by weight of the treatment fluid.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the activator is present in the treatment fluid in an amount of from about 1.0% to about 60.0% by weight of the treatment fluid.

16. A method comprising:
introducing a treatment fluid comprising a base fluid, an aluminosilicate source, and an activator composition into a well bore penetrating at least a portion of a subterranean formation that comprises at least one loss zone, wherein the activator composition comprises a metal silicate source, an activator, and water, and wherein the activator composition imparts a thixotropic property to the treatment fluid; and
allowing the treatment fluid exhibiting the thixotropic property to at least partially reduce a rate of loss associated with the loss zone, wherein the treatment fluid exhibiting the thixotropic property has a crush strength of about 72 psi or less when measured after 7 days.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the aluminosilicate source is a metakaolin clay, the metal silicate source is a sodium silicate, and the activator is sodium hydroxide.

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Pisklak Thomas Jason
• Fabricio Fernandes Heloisa Helena
• Morgan Ronnie Glen
• Martinez Juan Humberto

Classifications

• Y02P40/10

  Production of cement, e.g. improving or optimising the production methods; Cement grinding · CPC title

• E21B33/138 Primary

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

• E21B21/003 Primary

  Means for stopping loss of drilling fluid (plastering the borehole wall E21B33/138) · CPC title

• C09K8/5045

  containing inorganic compounds · CPC title

• C09K8/487 Primary

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