Hydratable polymer slurry and method for water permeability control in subterranean formations

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016369153-A1
Application number	US-201615187058-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 20, 2016
Priority date	Jun 22, 2015
Publication date	Dec 22, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A water-free slurry may include a non-aqueous carrier fluid; a suspension agent including a mineral clay mixture; a crosslinking agent; and a hydratable polymer. A method of treating a subterranean formation may include injecting a water-free slurry into a wellbore penetrating the subterranean formation, the water-free slurry including: a non-aqueous carrier fluid; a suspension agent comprising a mineral clay mixture; a crosslinking agent; and a hydratable polymer.

First claim

What is claimed:

1 . A water-free slurry, comprising:
a non-aqueous carrier fluid; a suspension agent comprising a mineral clay mixture; a crosslinking agent; and a hydratable polymer.

2 . The water-free slurry of claim 1 , further comprising a crosslinking accelerator selected from acid derivatives of esters, ortho esters, poly(ortho esters), aliphatic polyesters, lactides, poly(lactides), glycolides, poly(glycolides), lactones, poly(c-caprolactones), poly(hydroxybutyrates), anhydrides, poly(anhydrides), and poly(amino acids).

3 . The water-free slurry of claim 1 , wherein the non-aqueous carrier fluid is at least one of a mutual solvent, mono alkyl esters of long chain fatty acids, and hydrocarbon fluids.

4 . The water-free slurry of claim 1 , wherein the non-aqueous carrier fluid is present in the slurry in an amount ranging from about 50% to 95% by weight of the slurry.

5 . The water-free slurry of claim 1 , wherein the mineral clay mixture comprises:
a mineral clay (a) comprising 50 to 95 wt. %, based on the weight of the mineral clay mixture, of a mineral clay selected from the group consisting of sepiolite, palygorskite and mixtures of sepiolite and palygorskite; and a mineral clay (b) comprising the balance by weight of the mineral clay mixture, of a smectite.

6 . The water-free slurry of claim 1 , wherein the mineral clay mixture has been treated by alkyl quaternary ammonium salts containing the same or different straight and/or branched-chain saturated and/or unsaturated alkyl groups of 1 to 22 carbon atoms; and
wherein the salt moiety is selected from the group consisting of chloride, bromide, methylsulfate, nitrate, hydroxide, acetate, phosphate and mixtures thereof.

7 . The water-free slurry of claim 1 , wherein the suspension agent is present in the slurry in an amount ranging from about 0.1% to 10% by weight of the slurry.

8 . The water-free slurry of claim 1 , wherein the crosslinking agent is selected from polyethyleneimine, hexamethylenetetramine (HETA), glyoxal, paraformaldehyde, acetaldehyde, propionaldehyde, butyraldehyde a multivalent metal ion, 1,3,5-trioxane, and terepthaldehyde.

9 . The water-free slurry of claim 1 , wherein the crosslinking agent is present in the slurry in an amount ranging from about 0.1% to 10% percent by weight of the slurry.

10 . The water-free slurry of claim 1 , wherein the hydratable polymer is selected from polyacrylamide and acrylamide copolymers thereof, guar, hydroxypropyl guar (HPG), hydrophobically modified hydroxypropyl guar (HMHPG), carboxymethyl guar (CMG), carboxymethyl hydroxypropyl guar (CMHPG); carboxymethyl hydroxyethyl cellulose (CMHEC), carboxymethylcellulose, other cellulosics and cellulosic derivatives such as hydroxyethylcellulose and hydroxypropylcellulose; xanthan gum, modified starches, glucomannan gums, succinoglycan, scleroglycan, o-carboxychitosans, polyvinyl saccharides, and heteropolysaccharides.

11 . The water-free slurry of claim 1 , wherein the hydratable polymer is present in the slurry in an amount ranging from about 5% to 40% by weight of the slurry.

12 . The water-free slurry of claim 1 , wherein the hydratable polymer is in the form of microbeads, with a majority of the microbeads having a diameter greater than about 100 microns.

13 . A method of treating a subterranean formation, comprising:
injecting a water-free slurry into a wellbore penetrating the subterranean formation, the water-free slurry comprising:
a non-aqueous carrier fluid;
a suspension agent comprising a mineral clay mixture;
a crosslinking agent; and
a hydratable polymer.

14 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the water-free slurry further comprises a crosslinking accelerator selected from acid derivatives of esters, ortho esters, poly(ortho esters), aliphatic polyesters, lactides, poly(lactides), glycolides, poly(glycolides), lactones, poly(c-caprolactones), poly(hydroxybutyrates), anhydrides, poly(anhydrides), and poly(amino acids).

15 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the non-aqueous carrier fluid is at least one of a mutual solvent, mono alkyl esters of long chain fatty acids, and hydrocarbon fluids.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the mineral clay mixture comprises:
a mineral clay (a) comprising 50 to 95 wt. %, based on the weight of the mineral clay mixture, of a mineral clay selected from the group consisting of sepiolite, palygorskite and mixtures of sepiolite and palygorskite; and a mineral clay (b) comprising the balance by weight of the mineral clay mixture, of a smectite.

17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the hydratable polymer is selected from polyacrylamide and acrylamide copolymers thereof, guar, hydroxypropyl guar (HPG), hydrophobically modified hydroxypropyl guar (HMHPG), carboxymethyl guar (CMG), carboxymethyl hydroxypropyl guar (CMHPG); carboxymethyl hydroxyethyl cellulose (CMHEC), carboxymethylcellulose, other cellulosics and cellulosic derivatives such as hydroxyethylcellulose and hydroxypropylcellulose; xanthan gum, modified starches, glucomannan gums, succinoglycan, scleroglycan, o-carboxychitosans, polyvinyl saccharides, and heteropolysaccharides.

18 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the injecting occurs prior to a stimulation treatment.

19 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the wellbore is a water injection well.

20 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the injecting places the water-free slurry in the annular space of a wellbore casing.

Assignees

• Schlumberger Technology Corp

Inventors

• Ali Syed Afaq
• Milne Arthur
• Miquilena Emilio Jose
• Christanti Yenny

Classifications

• C08K3/346

  Clay · CPC title

• C09K8/32

  Non-aqueous well-drilling compositions, e.g. oil-based · CPC title

• C08K2201/014

  Additives containing two or more different additives of the same subgroup in C08K · CPC title

• C09K8/502 Primary

  Oil-based compositions · CPC title

• C08K5/17

  Amines; Quaternary ammonium compounds · CPC title