Aqueous polymers for treating clays in oil and gas

Conference · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1976

OSTI ID:7325131

McLaughlin, H C; Elphingstone, E A; Hall, B

Protection of water sensitive formations is a serious problem in the production of hydrocarbons. Water sensitivity is usually the result of fines migrating which is triggered by introduction of foreign water. The migrating fines tend to lodge in constrictions in the formation flow channels where they severely reduce production. Water sensitivity can be simple clay swelling, but fines migration causes more permanent damage. However, swelling of clays in fines is an important mechanism for dislodging fines and starting the migration. A new series of certain polymer materials has proved to be effective in treating water sensitive formations. These polymers adsorb tenaciously to surfaces of clay minerals and other formation fines, helping to prevent clays from swelling and fines from migrating, should foreign water be introduced into the formation. The polymers win easily in competition with other simple ions (such as ammonium, calcium or potassium) for being deposited on clay surfaces. Furthermore, once deposited on clay surfaces, the polymers are not easily replaced by exchange with other ions. Subsequent acidizing treatments cause no detectable harm to the ability of the polymers to protect the clay. Laboratory test data with sand packs and cores are presented and annotated. The encouraging results of these tests are supported by the results of fracturing treatments, acidizing treatments, and other operations, which are tabulated and discussed.

• OSTI ID: 7325131
• Report Number(s): CONF-761008-123
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020300* -- Petroleum-- Drilling & Production
37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
400201 -- Chemical & Physicochemical Properties
400301 -- Organic Chemistry-- Chemical & Physicochemical Properties-- (-1987)
58 GEOSCIENCES
580400 -- Geochemistry-- (-1989)
ABSORPTION
ACIDIZATION
BENCH-SCALE EXPERIMENTS
CLAYS
COMMINUTION
DAMAGE
FRACTURING
MINERALS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC POLYMERS
POLYMERS
RESERVOIR ROCK
ROCKS
STABILITY
WATER CHEMISTRY