Improvement of Emulsion Stability and Plugging Performance of Nanopores Using Modified Polystyrene Nanoparticles in
Xianbin Huang1,2, Xu Meng1,2, Leping Wu3
1Key Laboratory of Unconventional Oil & Gas Development (China University of Petroleum (East China)), Ministry of Education, Qingdao, China.
Frontiers in Chemistry
|June 16, 2022
Summary
A new modified polystyrene latex (MPL) effectively plugs shale nanopores and fractures, enhancing oil-based drilling fluid (OBF) stability. This nanomaterial improves emulsion stability and reduces filtration loss, crucial for wellbore integrity in challenging formations.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Petroleum Engineering
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Wellbore instability in shale formations is primarily caused by drilling fluid invasion and pressure transmission through micro-fractures.
- Oil-based drilling fluids (OBFs) are susceptible to stability issues in these challenging environments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize and characterize a modified polystyrene latex (MPL) as a potential solution for enhancing OBF stability.
- To evaluate the MPL's effectiveness in plugging micro-pores and fractures and improving emulsion stability.
Main Methods:
- Emulsion polymerization for MPL synthesis.
- Characterization using FTIR, TGA, particle size analysis, SEM, and contact angle testing.
- Evaluation of emulsion stability via sedimentation and electrical stability tests, and filtration tests using micro-porous membranes.
Main Results:
- MPL exhibits excellent thermal stability (decomposition at 363°C), a median particle size of 233 nm, and a contact angle of 103.5°.
- MPL significantly enhances both sedimentation and electrical stability of water-in-oil emulsions, crucial for OBF performance.
- MPL effectively reduces filtration loss in micro-pores (0.1-1.0 μm) to below 10 ml due to its deformability.
Conclusions:
- The synthesized MPL is a promising nanomaterial for plugging shale micro-pores and fractures.
- MPL application leads to improved OBF stability, mitigating wellbore instability issues.
- This study presents a viable method for developing effective formation-plugging nanomaterials for the oil and gas industry.
