Lost circulation material compositions and methods of isolating a lost circulation zone of a wellbore

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020071598-A1
Application number	US-201816117950-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 30, 2018
Priority date	Aug 30, 2018
Publication date	Mar 5, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

A lost circulation material (LCM) composition for sealing a lost circulation zone in a wellbore is disclosed that includes from 50 weight percent to 97 weight percent epoxy resin and from 2 weight percent to 30 weight percent curing agent. The epoxy resin may include at least one of 2,3-epoxypropyl o-tolyl ether, alkyl glycidyl ethers having from 12 to 14 carbon atoms, bisphenol-A-epichlorohydrin epoxy resin, or a compound having formula (OC 2 H 3 )—CH 2 —O—R 1 —O—CH 2 —(C 2 H 3 O), where R 1 is a linear or branched hydrocarbyl having from 4 to 24 carbon atoms. A method for isolating a lost circulation zone using the LCM compositions is also disclosed and includes introducing a spacer fluid to the lost circulation zone, introducing the LCM composition to the lost circulation zone, and curing the LCM composition in the lost circulation zone to isolate the lost circulation zone.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A composition for sealing a lost circulation zone in a wellbore, the composition comprising:
from 50 weight percent to 97 weight percent epoxy resin, the epoxy resin comprising at least one of 2,3-epoxypropyl o-tolyl ether, alkyl glycidyl ethers having from 12 to 14 carbon atoms, bisphenol-A-epichlorohydrin epoxy resin, or a compound having formula (I):
(OC 2 H 3 )—CH 2 —O—R 1 —O—CH 2 —(C 2 H 3 O)  (I)

where R 1 is a linear or branched hydrocarbyl having from 4 to 24 carbon atoms; and
from 2 weight percent to 30 weight percent curing agent.

2 . The composition of claim 1 where the curing agent comprises at least one of tetraethylenepentamine (TEPA), diethylenetriamine (DETA), triethylenetetramine (TETA), or isophoronediamine (IPDA).

3 . The composition of claim 1 where the epoxy resin comprises an epoxy equivalent weight of from 170 grams per epoxy equivalent to 350 grams per epoxy equivalent.

4 . The composition of claim 1 further comprising an accelerator.

5 . The composition of claim 1 where the epoxy resin comprises from 0.1 weight percent to 80 weight percent bisphenol-A-epichlorohydrin epoxy resin based on the total weight of the epoxy resin in the composition and the epoxy resin further comprises a reactive diluent.

6 . The composition of claim 5 where the reactive diluent comprises R 2 —O—CH 2 —(C 2 H 3 O), where R 2 is an alkyl having from 12 to 14 carbon atoms.

7 . The composition of claim 5 where the curing agent is TEPA.

8 . The composition of claim 1 further comprising a reactive diluent.

9 . The composition of claim 8 where the reactive diluent has the formula R—O—CH 2 —(C 2 H 3 O), where R is a hydrocarbyl having from 12 to 14 carbon atoms.

10 . The composition of claim 1 where the epoxy resin comprises 1,6-hexanediol diclycidyl ether.

11 . The composition of claim 1 where the epoxy resin comprises 1,6-hexanediol diclycidyl ether and bisphenol-A-epichlorohydrin epoxy resin.

12 . The composition of claim 1 where the composition has a cure time of less than or equal to 3 hours.

13 . The composition of claim 1 where a density of the composition is from 55 pounds per cubic foot to 170 pounds per cubic foot.

14 . The composition of claim 1 where a viscosity of the composition is from 1 millipascal seconds (mPa·s) to 50,000 mPa·s.

15 . The composition of claim 1 where the epoxy resin comprises 2,3-epoxypropyl o-tolyl ether.

16 . A method of isolating a lost circulation zone of a wellbore, the method comprising introducing a spacer fluid into the lost circulation zone;
introducing a lost circulation material (LCM) composition into the lost circulation zone, the LCM composition comprising:
from 50 weight percent to 97 weight percent epoxy resin, the epoxy resin comprising at least one of alkyl glycidyl ethers having from 12 to 14 carbon atoms, 2,3-epoxypropyl o-tolyl ether, bisphenol-A-epichlorohydrin epoxy resin, or a compound having formula (I):
(OC 2 H 3 )—CH 2 —O—R 1 —O—CH 2 —(C 2 H 3 O)  (I)

where R 1 is a hydrocarbyl having from 4 to 24 carbon atoms, where the epoxy resin has an epoxy equivalent weight of from 170 to 350 epoxy equivalents per gram; and

from 1 weight percent to 20 weight percent curing agent based on the total weight of the sealing composition; and
curing the LCM composition to form a cured LCM composition sealing the lost circulation zone.

17 . The method of claim 16 where introducing the LCM composition to the lost circulation zone comprises injecting the LCM composition into the lost circulation zone.

18 . The method of claim 17 where the lost circulation zone is a low-injectivity zone.

19 . The method of claim 16 further comprising drilling through the cured LCM composition sealing the lost circulation zone to continue drilling the wellbore.

20 . The method of claim 16 where the spacer fluid, the LCM composition, or both are introduced to the lost circulation zone through a drill string disposed within the wellbore.

21 . The method of claim 16 further comprising introducing a displacement fluid after the LCM composition to displace the LCM composition into lost circulation zone.

22 . The method of claim 16 where a cure time of the LCM composition is less than or equal to 3 hours.

Assignees

• Saudi Arabian Oil Co

Inventors

• Al-Yami Abdullah
• Alsafran Ali
• Wagle Vikrant
• Alsaihati Zainab

Classifications

• C09K8/5086 Primary

  obtained otherwise than by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds · CPC title

• C09K8/501

  using spacer compositions · CPC title

• C09K8/512

  containing cross-linking agents · CPC title

• E21B21/003

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