Thermally stable gel particles with optimized performance for high-temperature conformance control

Area of Science:

• Petroleum Engineering
• Materials Science
• Polymer Chemistry

Background:

• Conventional conformance control systems face thermal degradation and instability in high-temperature reservoirs.
• Existing polymer gels and foam technologies exhibit limitations under extreme thermal stress.
• There is a critical need for robust materials for effective conformance control in challenging oilfield environments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a novel high-temperature-resistant gel particle system, designated DPAG, for conformance control in high-temperature reservoirs.
• To synthesize DPAG gel particles with enhanced thermal stability and mechanical properties.
• To assess the performance of DPAG in terms of injectivity, plugging efficiency, and oil recovery enhancement.

Main Methods:

• DPAG gel particles were synthesized using inverse emulsion polymerization with thermally stable monomers (AMPS and DAC).
• Characterization included chemical structure assessment, particle size measurement, and microscopic morphology examination.
• Performance evaluation involved thermodynamic stability analysis, rheological characterization, swelling kinetic studies, and core flooding experiments.

Main Results:

• DPAG gel particles exhibited uniform size distribution and well-defined morphology.
• Enhanced structural integrity, thermal resistance, and mechanical strength were observed compared to conventional AM gel particles.
• DPAG dispersions (0.1%-0.5%) achieved up to 98.7% plugging efficiency and enhanced oil recovery by 22.4% with excellent injectivity and stability.

Conclusions:

• DPAG gel particles demonstrate significant potential for effective well conformance control in high-temperature oilfields.
• The dual-crosslinking network provides superior stability and performance under harsh reservoir conditions.
• DPAG offers a promising solution for improving oil recovery and operational efficiency in challenging environments.