Self adaptive cement systems

• US 8,551,244 B2
• Filed: 10/19/2010
• Issued: 10/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation (Schlumberger NV)
• Original Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation (Schlumberger NV)
• Inventors: Le Roy-Delage, Sylvaine, Guillot, Dominique, Dismuke, Keith, Nelson, Erik
• Primary Examiner(s): MARCANTONI, PAUL D
• Application Number:
  US12/907,958
• Publication Number:
  US 20110120715A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,085 Days
• Field of Search: 106/724, 166/292, 166/293
• US Class Current: 106/724
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 14/08 Diatomaceous earth
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 20/0076 characterised by the grain distribution
• 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 2103/0049 Water-swellable polymers
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2103/0051 Water-absorbing polymers, hydrophilic polymers
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2103/0062 Cross-linked polymers
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2103/12 Set accelerators
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2103/22 Set retarders
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2103/408 Dispersants
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2103/46 Water-loss or fluid-loss reducers, hygroscopic or hydrophilic agents, water retention agents
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2103/50 Defoamers, air detrainers
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2111/00146 Sprayable or pumpable mixtures
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2111/00155 Sprayable, i.e. concrete-like, materials able to be shaped by spraying instead of by casting, e.g. gunite
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 22/124 Chlorides of ammonium or of the alkali or alkaline earth metals, e.g. calcium chloride
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 24/2641 Polyacrylates; Polymethacrylates
• 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 40/0028 Aspects relating to the mixing step of the mortar preparation
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 40/0071 making use of a rise in pressure
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 40/0259 : Hardening promoted by a rise in pressure C04B40/024 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 40/0641 : Mechanical separation of ingredients, e.g. accelerator in breakable microcapsules
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 40/0675 : Mortars activated by rain, percolating or sucked-up water; Self-healing mortars or concrete
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/467 : containing additives for specific purposes

Abstract

A self-adaptive cement system includes cement, water and at least one additive that reacts or/and expands in contact with oil and gas. Several chemical products have been identified including rubber alkylstyrene, polynorbornene, resins such precrosslinked substituted vinyl acrylate copolymers and diatomaceous earth. These additives have the effect of making the cement self-healing in the event of physical failure or damage such as micro-annuli. The self healing property is produced by the contact with subterranean hydrocarbon fluids, the potential repair mechanism is thus activated if and when needed in case of start of loss of zonal isolation. In another embodiment, the expansion is deliberately induced by pumping a hydrocarbon fluid in the vicinity of the set cement.

Claims

1. A method of repairing a faulty set cement composition in a subterranean well, comprising:

(i) preparing a cement composition comprising water, cement and a powder material that reacts and/or expands in contact with liquid or gaseous hydrocarbon;

(ii) placing the cement composition in the well;

(iii) allowing the cement composition to set; and

(iv) pumping a liquid or gaseous hydrocarbon in the immediate vicinity of the set cement composition.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the powder material is selected from the group consisting of rubber, poly-2-2-1 bicycloheptene (polynorbornene), alklystyrene, crosslinked substituted vinyl acrylate copolymers, diatomaceous earth and mixtures thereof.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the powder material has a granular dimension of less than 850 μ

m.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the powder material has a density in the range 0.8 to 2.7 g/cm³.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the powder material is present at a concentration of from 10 to 50% by volume of blend.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising an additive having residual water-absorption properties after the setting of the cement, thereby susceptible to swell in contact with underground water.