Study on Synthesis and Performance of a Hybrid Crosslinked Composite Gel for High-Temperature Lost Circulation...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Chemical Engineering
• Petroleum Engineering

Background:

• Conventional gel plugging materials lack high-temperature stability and mechanical integrity.
• Lost circulation in oil wells poses significant operational challenges, especially in deep, high-temperature formations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a high-performance composite gel with enhanced thermal stability and mechanical properties.
• To engineer particle-based lost circulation materials for effective sealing in challenging downhole conditions.

Main Methods:

• A multi-component hybrid crosslinking strategy was employed, utilizing γ-methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (MPTMS) for silica generation, Laponite nanoplatelets for toughening, and a reactive microgel (BWL) as an organic core.
• Copolymerization with acrylamide (AM) and methacrylic acid (MAA) created a triple-crosslinked network structure.
• The gel was processed into various particle sizes for lost circulation material applications.

Main Results:

• The synthesized hybrid crosslinked composite gel demonstrated superior high-temperature stability, maintaining modulus after aging at 140 °C.
• The material exhibited excellent tensile and compressive properties.
• Plugging experiments showed effective sealing of fractures up to 5 mm using a mixed system of gel particles at 2% concentration.

Conclusions:

• The developed composite gel offers a high-strength, high-stability solution for lost circulation in deep, high-temperature oilfield environments.
• The hybrid crosslinking approach successfully overcomes the limitations of conventional gel materials.