Cement compositions comprising sub-micron alumina and associated methods

• US 8,476,203 B2
• Filed: 01/04/2010
• Issued: 07/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Original Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Inventors: Patil, Rahul Chandrakant, Deshpande, Abhimanyu, Gordon, Christopher L., Roddy, Craig W., Chatterji, Jiten, Cromwell, Roger S., Reddy, B. Raghava
• Primary Examiner(s): Figueroa, John J
• Application Number:
  US12/651,662
• Publication Number:
  US 20100095871A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,275 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 507/269
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 14/047 Zeolites
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 14/106 Kaolin
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 14/108 Shale, slate colliery shale C04B18/125
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 14/303 Alumina
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 14/308 Iron oxide
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 18/08 Flue dust , i.e. fly ash
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 18/141 Slags
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 18/162 Cement kiln dust; Lime kiln dust
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 20/008 Micro- or nanosized fillers, e.g. micronised fillers with particle size smaller than that of the hydraulic binder colloidal silica C04B14/062 ; silica fume C04B18/146
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2103/50 Defoamers, air detrainers
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2111/00146 Sprayable or pumpable mixtures
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2111/00215 Mortar or concrete mixtures defined by their oxide composition
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 24/161 Macromolecular compounds comprising sulfonate or sulfate groups
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 24/26 obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds C04B24/243 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 24/2611 Polyalkenes
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 24/2652 Nitrogen containing polymers, e.g. polyacrylamides, polyacrylonitriles
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 24/2676 Polystyrenes
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 28/02 containing hydraulic cements other than calcium sulfates
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 28/08 Slag cements
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 38/10 by using foaming agents C04B38/02 takes precedenceor by using mechanical means, e.g. adding preformed foam
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 2208/10 : Nanoparticle-containing well treatment fluids
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/46 : containing inorganic binders, e.g. Portland cement
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/467 : containing additives for specific purposes
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/473 : Density reducing additives, e.g. for obtaining foamed cement compositions
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 30/91 : Use of waste materials as fillers for mortars or concrete

Abstract

Methods and compositions that comprise sub-micron alumina for accelerating setting of a cement composition. An embodiment includes a method of cementing in a subterranean formation. The method may comprise introducing a cement composition into the subterranean formation, wherein the cement composition comprises hydraulic cement, sub-micron alumina, and water. The method further may comprise allowing the cement composition to set in the subterranean formation. Another embodiment includes a cement composition that may comprise hydraulic cement, sub-micron alumina, and water.

Claims

1. A method of cementing in a subterranean formation:

providing a hydraulic cement,

providing sub-micron alumina particles,

preparing a cement composition comprising the hydraulic cement, the sub-micron alumina particles, and water, wherein the sub-micron alumina particles have a particle size in a range of from about 150 nm to about 950 nm, and wherein the sub-micron alumina particles are present in an amount in a range of from 0.1% to about 10% by weight of the hydraulic cement on a dry basis;

introducing the cement composition into a subterranean formation; and

allowing the cement composition to set in the subterranean formation.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the hydraulic cement comprises at least one hydraulic cement selected from the group consisting of a Portland cement, a pozzolana cement, a gypsum cement, a high-alumina-content cement, a slag cement, a silica/lime cement, and any combination thereof.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the cement composition comprises belite in an amount from 0.1% to about 50% by weight of calcium silicates in the cement composition.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the cement composition comprises a colloidal alumina dispersion comprising sub-micron alumina particles suspended in a base fluid.

5. The method of claim 1 comprising providing the sub-micron alumina particles in a dry, free-flowing form.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the sub-micron alumina particles have a particle size in the range of about 400 nm to about 500 nm.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the sub-micron alumina particles are present in the cement composition in an amount in the range of about 0.5% to about 5% by weight of the hydraulic cement on a dry basis.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the cement composition further comprises a latex.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the latex comprises at least one rubber material selected from the group an ethylene-propylene rubber, a styrene-butadiene rubber, a nitrile rubber, a nitrile butadiene rubber, a butyl rubber, a neoprene rubber, a polybutadiene rubber, an acrylonitrile-styrene-butadiene rubber, a polyisoprene rubber, and any combination thereof.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the cement composition further comprises at least one additive selected from the group consisting of a latex stabilizer, a strength-retrogression additive, a set accelerator, a set retarder, a weighting agent, a lightweight additive, a gas-generating additive, a mechanical property enhancing additive, a lost-circulation material, a filtration-control additive, a fluid loss control additive, a dispersant, a defoaming agent, a foaming agent, a thixotropic additive, and any combination thereof.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the cement composition further comprises at least one additive selected from the group consisting of a gas, crystalline silica, amorphous silica, fumed silica, a salt, a fiber, a hydratable clay, calcined shale, vitrified shale, a microsphere, fly ash, slag, diatomaceous earth, metakaolin, rice husk ash, a natural pozzolan, zeolite, cement kiln dust, lime, an elastomer, a resin, and any combination thereof.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein introducing the cement composition into the subterranean formation comprises introducing the cement composition into a well bore in a space between the subterranean formation and a conduit disposed in the well bore.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein introducing the cement composition into the subterranean formation comprises introducing the cement composition into a well bore having a bottomhole circulating temperature of about 40°

F. to about 180°

F.

14. A method of cementing in a subterranean formation:

providing a hydraulic cement,

providing sub-micron alumina particles,

preparing a cement composition comprising the hydraulic cement, the sub-micron alumina particles for accelerating setting of the cement composition, latex, and water, wherein the sub-micron alumina particles have a particle size of about 150 nm to about 950 nm, wherein preparing the cement composition comprises providing a colloidal alumina dispersion comprising the sub-micron alumina particles in an aqueous base fluid;

introducing the cement composition into a well bore in a space between the subterranean formation and a conduit disposed in the well bore; and

allowing the cement composition to set.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the latex comprises a styrene-butadiene latex.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the sub-micron alumina particles are present in the cement composition in an amount in the range of about 0.1% to about 10% by weight of the hydraulic cement on a dry basis, and wherein the sub-micron alumina particles have a particle size of about 400 nm to about 500 nm.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the cement composition further comprises at least one additive selected from the group consisting of a latex stabilizer, a strength-retrogression additive, a set accelerator, a set retarder, a weighting agent, a lightweight additive, a gas-generating additive, a mechanical property enhancing additive, a lost-circulation material, a filtration-control additive, a fluid loss control additive, a dispersant, a defoaming agent, a foaming agent, a thixotropic additive, and any combination thereof.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein the cement composition further comprises at least one additive selected from the group consisting of crystalline silica, amorphous silica, fumed silica, a salt, a fiber, a hydratable clay, calcined shale, vitrified shale, a microsphere, fly ash, slag, diatomaceous earth, metakaolin, rice husk ash, natural pozzolan, zeolite, cement kiln dust, lime, an elastomer, a resin, and any combination thereof.

19. The method of claim 14 wherein the well bore has a bottom hole circulating temperature of about 40°

F. to about 180°

F.

20. A method of cementing in a subterranean formation:

providing a hydraulic cement,

providing sub-micron alumina particles,

preparing a cement composition, wherein the cement composition comprises;

hydraulic cement;

sub-micron alumina particles having a particle size in a range of about 150 nm to about 950 nm, wherein the sub-micron alumina particles are present in the cement composition in an amount in a range of about 0.1% to about 10% by weight of the hydraulic cement on a dry basis; and

water;

introducing the cement composition into a subterranean formation; and

allowing the cement composition to set in the subterranean formation.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the hydraulic cement comprises at least one hydraulic cement selected from the group consisting of a Portland cement, a pozzolana cement, a gypsum cement, a high-alumina-content cement, a slag cement, a silica/lime cement, and any combination thereof.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein the cement composition comprises belite in an amount from 0.1% to about 50% by weight of calcium silicates in the cement composition.

23. The method of claim 20 wherein the cement composition comprises a colloidal alumina dispersion comprising the sub-micron alumina particles suspended in a base fluid.

24. The method of claim 20 wherein the cement composition further comprises a latex.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the latex comprises at least one rubber material selected from the group an ethylene-propylene rubber, a styrene-butadiene rubber, a nitrile rubber, a nitrile butadiene rubber, a butyl rubber, a neoprene rubber, a polybutadiene rubber, an acrylonitrile-styrene-butadiene rubber, a polyisoprene rubber, and any combination thereof.

26. The method of claim 20 wherein the cement composition further comprises at least one additive selected from the group consisting of a latex stabilizer, a strength-retrogression additive, a set accelerator, a set retarder, a weighting agent, a lightweight additive, a gas-generating additive, a mechanical property enhancing additive, a lost-circulation material, a filtration-control additive, a fluid loss control additive, a dispersant, a defoaming agent, a foaming agent, a thixotropic additive, and any combination thereof.

27. The method of claim 20 wherein the cement composition further comprises at least one additive selected from the group consisting of a gas, crystalline silica, amorphous silica, fumed silica, a salt, a fiber, a hydratable clay, calcined shale, vitrified shale, a microsphere, fly ash, slag, diatomaceous earth, metakaolin, rice husk ash, a natural pozzolan, zeolite, cement kiln dust, lime, an elastomer, a resin, and any combination thereof.

28. The method of claim 20 wherein introducing the cement composition into the subterranean formation comprising introducing the cement composition into a well bore in a space between the subterranean formation and a conduit disposed in the well bore.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein the well bore has a bottom hole circulating temperature of about 40°

F. to about 180°

F.