Deep Eutectic Solvent as a New Zeta Potential Altering Chemical for Sand Agglomeration.

Area of Science:

• Petroleum Engineering
• Materials Science
• Physical Chemistry

Background:

• Fines migration in oil wells causes significant operational issues like sand screen plugging and tubing damage.
• Current chemical sand control methods, consolidation and agglomeration, have limitations including permeability impairment and non-biodegradability.
• Existing sand control chemicals often present environmental or economic drawbacks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and experimentally validate a novel, greener, and cost-effective fines stabilizer.
• To investigate a deep eutectic solvent (DES) and ionic polymer combination based on agglomeration principles.
• To tailor chemical formulations for diverse reservoir conditions and enhance oil recovery (EOR).

Main Methods:

• Formulation of a novel DES and ionic polymer combination for fines stabilization.
• Systematic testing using Design of Experiments (DoE) to optimize zeta potential reduction for particle agglomeration.
• Jar tests for reservoir fluid compatibility, Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) for thermal stability, and Laser Particle Size Analysis (LPSA) for particle size.

Main Results:

• The developed DES and ionic polymer combination effectively agglomerates fine particles.
• Optimized formulation demonstrated successful fines stabilization under various conditions.
• Characterization confirmed thermal stability and particle size reduction, indicating effectiveness.

Conclusions:

• A novel, in-house formulated DES and ionic polymer combination offers a greener and cost-saving solution for fines stabilization.
• The developed chemical is effective for both injection and production wells, particularly after stimulation or EOR treatments.
• The tunable nature of DES allows for customized application across different reservoir environments.