Sealant compositions and methods utilizing nano-particles

• US 9,206,344 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2009
• Issued: 12/08/2015
• 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: Roddy, Craig W., Covington, Ricky L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Figueroa, John J
• Application Number:
  US12/567,783
• Publication Number:
  US 20100016183A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,263 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 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 20/0024 expanded in situ, i.e. the material is expanded or made hollow after primary shaping of the mortar, concrete or artificial stone mixture C04B16/085 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 20/10 Coating or impregnating roofing granules E04D7/005
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2111/00146 Sprayable or pumpable mixtures
• 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: C04B 7/00 Hydraulic cements calcium sulfate cements C04B11/00
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 7/02 Portland cement
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 7/527 obtaining cements characterised by fineness, e.g. by multi-modal particle size distribution
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 2208/10 Nanoparticle-containing well treatment fluids
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/42 Compositions for cementing, e.g. for cementing casings into boreholes; Compositions for plugging, e.g. for killing wells compositions for plastering C09K8/50
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/426 for plugging
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/428 for squeeze cementing, e.g. for repairing
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/46 containing inorganic binders, e.g. Portland cement
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/473 : Density reducing additives, e.g. for obtaining foamed cement compositions
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/50 : Compositions for plastering borehole walls, i.e. compositions for temporary consolidation of borehole walls compositions for consolidating loose sand or the like around wells C09K8/56
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/512 : containing cross-linking agents
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/518 : Foams
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 30/91 : Use of waste materials as fillers for mortars or concrete

Abstract

The present invention includes well treatment fluids and methods utilizing nano-particles and, in certain embodiments, to sealant compositions and methods utilizing nano-particles. The nano-particles may be incorporated into the sealant composition in different forms, including as discrete nano-particles, encapsulated nano-particles, agglomerated nano-particles, or in a liquid suspension.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing water;

providing dry particles comprising nano-particles in an amount of about 75% or more by weight of the dry particles;

preparing a sealant composition by mixing at least the dry particles and water, wherein no additional dry particles are used in preparing the sealant composition;

introducing the sealant composition into a subterranean formation; and

allowing the sealant composition to form a seal in the subterranean formation.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the nano-particles comprise at least about 90% or more by weight of the dry particles.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the nano-particles comprise at least one nano-particle selected from the group consisting of a nano-hydraulic cement, a nano-silica, a nano-clay, a nano-alumina, a nano-zinc oxide, a nano-boron, a nano-iron oxide, and any combination thereof.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the sealant composition further comprises at least one additive selected from the group consisting of 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 dispersant, a fluid loss control additive, a defoaming agent, a foaming agent, a thixotropic additive, and any combination thereof.

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

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising maximizing a packing volume fraction in the sealant composition using particulate material including the nano-particles.

33. The method of claim 1 wherein the nano-particles have a mean particle size of about 1 nanometer to about 100 nanometers.

34. The method of claim 1 wherein the nano-particles comprise nano-hydraulic cement in an amount of about 10% or more by weight of cementitious material.

35. The method of claim 1 wherein the sealant composition is allowed to set in the subterranean formation in a space between a pipe string and a well bore wall.

7. A method comprising:

providing water;

providing dry particles comprising nano-particles in an amount of about 75% or more by weight of the dry particles;

preparing a sealant composition by mixing at least the dry particles and water, wherein no additional dry particles are used in preparing the sealant composition, wherein at least a portion of the nano-particles are introduced into the sealant composition in a liquid suspension;

introducing the sealant composition into a subterranean formation; and

allowing the sealant composition to form a seal in the subterranean formation.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the nano-particles comprise at least one nano-particle selected from the group consisting of a nano-hydraulic cement, a nano-silica, a nano-clay, a nano-alumina, a nano-zinc oxide, a nano-boron, a nano-iron oxide, and any combination thereof.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the sealant composition further comprises at least one additive selected from the group consisting of 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 dispersant, a fluid loss control additive, a defoaming agent, a foaming agent, a thixotropic additive, and any combination thereof.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the sealant composition further comprises at least one additive selected from the group consisting of crystalline silica, amorphous silica, fumed silica, salt, fiber, hydratable clay, calcined shale, vitrified shale, a microsphere, fly ash, slag, diatomaceous earth, metakaolin, rice husk ash, natural pozzolan, pumicite, zeolite, cement kiln dust, lime, an elastomer, an elastomeric particle, resin, latex, a swellable particle, and any combination thereof.

11. A method comprising:

providing water;

providing dry particles comprising agglomerated nano-particles in an amount of about 75% or more by weight of the dry particles;

preparing a sealant composition by mixing at least the dry particles and water, wherein no additional dry particles are used in preparing the sealant composition;

introducing the sealant composition into a subterranean formation; and

allowing the sealant composition to form a seal in the subterranean formation.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the agglomerated nano-particles comprise at least one nano-particle selected from the group consisting of a nano-hydraulic cement, a nano-silica, a nano-clay, a nano-alumina, a nano-zinc oxide, a nano-boron, a nano-iron oxide, and any combination thereof.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the agglomerated nano-particles comprise nano-particles bound together by a water-soluble binder.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the agglomerated nano-particles comprise pelletized nano-particles.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein the agglomerated nano-particles comprise a degradable material.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein the agglomerated nano-particles comprise at least one degradable material selected from the group consisting of a dextran, a cellulose, a chitin, a chitosan, a liquid ester, a protein, an aliphatic polyester, a poly(glycolide), a poly(e-caprolactone), a poly (hydroxybutyrate), a poly(anhydride), an aliphatic polycarbonate, an ortho ester, a poly(orthoester), a poly(amino acid), a poly (ethylene oxide), a polyphosphazene, and any combination thereof.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein the sealant composition further comprises at least one additive selected from the group consisting of 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 dispersant, a fluid loss control additive, a defoaming agent, a foaming agent, a thixotropic additive, and any combination thereof.

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

19. A method comprising:

providing water;

providing dry particles comprising nano-particles in an amount of about 75% or more by weight of the dry particles;

providing elastomeric particles;

preparing a sealant composition by mixing at least the dry particles, the elastomeric particles, and water, wherein no additional dry particles are used in preparing the sealant composition;

introducing the sealant composition into a subterranean formation; and

allowing the sealant composition to form a seal in the subterranean formation.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the nano-particles comprise at least one nano-particle selected from the group consisting of a nano-hydraulic cement, a nano-silica, a nano-clay, a nano-alumina, a nano-zinc oxide, a nano-boron, a nano-iron oxide, and any combination thereof.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein the elastomeric particles comprise a block copolymer of styrene butadiene rubber.

22. The method of claim 19 wherein the sealant composition further comprises at least one additive selected from the group consisting of 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 dispersant, a fluid loss control additive, a defoaming agent, a foaming agent, a thixotropic additive, and any combination thereof.

23. The method of claim 19 wherein the sealant composition further comprises at least one additive selected from the group consisting of crystalline silica, amorphous silica, fumed silica, salt, fiber, hydratable clay, calcined shale, vitrified shale, a microsphere, fly ash, slag, diatomaceous earth, metakaolin, rice husk ash, natural pozzolan, pumicite, zeolite, cement kiln dust, lime, an elastomer, resin, latex, a swellable particle, and any combination thereof.

24. A method comprising:

providing water;

providing dry particles comprising nano-particles in an amount of about 75% or more by weight of the dry particles;

providing a swellable polymer;

preparing a sealant composition by mixing at least the dry particles, the swellable polymer, and water, wherein no additional dry particles are used in preparing the sealant composition;

introducing the sealant composition into a subterranean formation; and

allowing the sealant composition to form a seal in the subterranean formation.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the nano-particles comprise at least one nano-particle selected from the group consisting of a nano-hydraulic cement, a nano-silica, a nano-clay, a nano-alumina, a nano-zinc oxide, a nano-boron, a nano-iron oxide, and any combination thereof.

26. The method of claim 24 wherein the swellable polymer is water swellable.

27. The method of claim 24 wherein the swellable polymer comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of starch-polyacrylate acid graft copolymer and salts thereof, polyethylene oxide polymer, carboxymethyl cellulose type polymers, polyacrylamide, poly(acrylic acid) and salts thereof, poly(acrylic acid-co-acrylamide) and salts thereof, graft-poly(ethylene oxide) of poly(acrylic acid) and salts thereof, poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate), poly(2-hydroxypropyl methacrylate), and any combination thereof.

28. The method of claim 24 wherein the swellable polymer is oil swellable.

29. The method of claim 24 wherein the swellable polymer comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of natural rubber, acrylate butadiene rubber, polyacrylate rubber, isoprene rubber, choloroprene rubber, butyl rubber, brominated butyl rubber, chlorinated butyl rubber, chlorinated polyethylene, neoprene rubber, styrene butadiene copolymer rubber, sulphonated polyethylene, ethylene acrylate rubber, epichlorohydrin ethylene oxide copolymer, ethylene-propylene rubber, ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymer rubber, ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer, fluorosilicone rubber, silicone rubber, poly 2,2,1-bicyclo heptene (polynorborneane), alkylstyrene, and any combination thereof.

30. The method of claim 24 wherein the swellable polymer comprises a block copolymer of styrene butadiene rubber.

31. The method of claim 24 wherein the sealant composition further comprises at least one additive selected from the group consisting of 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 dispersant, a fluid loss control additive, a defoaming agent, a foaming agent, a thixotropic additive, and any combination thereof.

32. The method of claim 24 wherein the sealant composition further comprises at least one additive selected from the group consisting of crystalline silica, amorphous silica, fumed silica, salt, fiber, hydratable clay, calcined shale, vitrified shale, a microsphere, fly ash, slag, diatomaceous earth, metakaolin, rice husk ash, natural pozzolan, pumicite, zeolite, cement kiln dust, lime, an elastomer, resin, latex, and any combination thereof.