Methods to use water shutoff material composition comprising alkaline nanosilica dispersion and sodium bicarbonate in downhole conditions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12258516-B2
Application number	US-202117551946-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 15, 2021
Priority date	Dec 15, 2021
Publication date	Mar 25, 2025
Grant date	Mar 25, 2025

Abstract

A method of reducing water production in a wellbore may include introducing an alkaline nanosilica dispersion to the wellbore such that it contacts a water producing zone of the wellbore, introducing a sodium bicarbonate activator to the wellbore such that it contacts the alkaline nanosilica dispersion in the water producing zone, and forming a gelled solid from the water shutoff material in the water producing zone, thereby reducing water production in the wellbore.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of reducing water production in a wellbore, the method comprising:
introducing an alkaline nanosilica dispersion with a first pH to the wellbore such that it contacts a water producing zone of the wellbore;
introducing a sodium bicarbonate activator to the wellbore such that it contacts the alkaline nanosilica dispersion in the water producing zone and decreases the first pH of the alkaline nanosilica dispersion, thereby forming a water shutoff material; and
forming a gelled solid from the water shutoff material in the water producing zone, thereby reducing water production in the wellbore;
wherein:
the sodium bicarbonate activator is present in an amount in a range of from 25 weight percent to 40 weight percent of the water shutoff material, and
the water shutoff material is formed within the wellbore.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the alkaline nanosilica dispersion comprises alkaline silica nanoparticles having an average particle size from 5 nm to 70 nm.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the alkaline nanosilica dispersion comprises from 30 weight percent to 50 weight percent of alkaline silica nanoparticles based on the total weight of the alkaline nanosilica dispersion.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first pH of the alkaline nanosilica dispersion is in a range from 9 to 11.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first pH of the alkaline nanosilica dispersion is in a range of greater than 10 to less than or equal to 11.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein a weight ratio of the sodium bicarbonate activator to the alkaline nanosilica dispersion in the water shutoff material is from 1:1 to 1:10.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the alkaline silica nanoparticles are not modified with organosilane moieties.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the water shutoff material consists essentially of the alkaline nanosilica dispersion and the sodium bicarbonate activator.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sodium bicarbonate activator is present in an amount in a range of from 25 weight percent to 30 weight percent of the water shutoff material.

10. A method of reducing water production in a wellbore, the method comprising:
introducing a water shutoff material comprising an alkaline nanosilica dispersion with a first pH and a sodium bicarbonate activator to the wellbore such that the sodium bicarbonate activator reduces the first pH of the alkaline nanosilica dispersion and the water shutoff material contacts a water producing zone of the wellbore; and
forming a gelled solid from the water shutoff material in the water producing zone, thereby reducing water production in the wellbore;
wherein the sodium bicarbonate activator is present in an amount in a range of from 25 weight percent to 40 weight percent of the water shutoff material.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the alkaline nanosilica dispersion comprises alkaline silica nanoparticles having an average particle size from 5 nm to 70 nm.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the alkaline nanosilica dispersion comprises from 30 weight percent to 50 weight percent of alkaline silica nanoparticles based on the total weight of the alkaline nanosilica dispersion.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first pH of the alkaline nanosilica dispersion is in a range from 9 to 11.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first pH of the alkaline nanosilica dispersion is in a range of greater than 10 to less than or equal to 11.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein a weight ratio of the sodium bicarbonate activator to the alkaline nanosilica dispersion in the water shutoff material is from 1:1 to 1:10.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein the alkaline silica nanoparticles are not modified with organosilane moieties.

17. The method of claim 10 , wherein the water shutoff material consists essentially of the alkaline nanosilica dispersion and the sodium bicarbonate activator.

18. The method of claim 10 , wherein the sodium bicarbonate activator is present in an amount in a range of from 25 weight percent to 30 weight percent of the water shutoff material.

Assignees

• Saudi Arabian Oil Co

Inventors

• Kalgaonkar Rajendra Arunkumar
• Wagle Vikrant

Classifications

• C09K8/487

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

• C09K2208/10

  Nanoparticle-containing well treatment fluids · CPC title

• C09K8/426 Primary

  for plugging · CPC title

• C04B28/24 Primary

  containing alkyl, ammonium or metal silicates; containing silica sols {(reaction mixtures resulting in mineral polymers C04B28/006; polymeric reaction products of alkali metal silicates with isocyanates C08G18/3895)} · CPC title