Study of deep transportation and plugging performance of deformable gel particles in porous media

Deformable gel particles(DGPs) possess the capability of deep profile control and flooding. However, the deep migration behavior and plugging mechanism along their path remain unclear. Breakage, an inevitable phenomenon during particle migration, significantly impacts the deep plugging effect. Due to the complexity of the process, few studies have been conducted on this subject. In this paper, we conducted DGP flow experiments using a physical model of a multi-point sandpack under various injection rates and particle sizes. Particle size and concentration tests were performed at each measurement point to investigate the transportation behavior of particles in the deep part of the reservoir. The residual resistance coefficient and concentration changes along the porous media were combined to analyze the plugging performance of DGPs. Furthermore, the particle breakage along their path was revealed by analyzing the changes in particle size along the way. A mathematical model of breakage and concentration changes along the path was established. The results showed that the passage after breakage is a significant migration behavior of particles in porous media. The particles were reduced to less than half of their initial size at the front of the porous media. Breakage is an essential reason for the continuous decreases in particle concentration, size, and residual resistance coefficient. However, the particles can remain in porous media after breakage and play a significant role in deep plugging. Higher injection rates or larger particle sizes resulted in faster breakage along the injection direction, higher degrees of breakage, and faster decreases in residual resistance coefficient along the path. These conditions also led to a weaker deep plugging ability. Smaller particles were more evenly retained along the path, but more particles flowed out of the porous media, resulting in a poor deep plugging effect. The particle size is a function of particle size before injection, transport distance, and different injection parameters(injection rate or the diameter ratio of DGP to throat). Likewise, the particle concentration is a function of initial concentration, transport distance, and different injection parameters. These models can be utilized to optimize particle injection parameters, thereby achieving the goal of fine-tuning oil displacement.

Experimental investigation on migration and retention mechanisms of elastic gel particles(EGPs)in pore-throats using multidimensional visualized models

Knowledge of migration and retention mechanisms of elastic gel particles(EGPs)in pore-throats is essential for the effective application of EGPs as a smart sweep improvement and profile control agent for enhanced oil recovery(EOR).The matching coefficient(defined as the ratio of particle size to pore-throat size)is used to investigate its influence on migration,retention and profile control performance of EGPs.A 1-D continuous pore-throat visualization model(PTVM),a 2-D heterogeneous PTVM and a 3-D heterogeneous core model were constructed and used to investigate pore-scale migration,retention and controlling mechanism of migration and retention characteristics on EGPs profile control.The results of the 1-D continuous PTVM indicated that while the matching coefficient was in the optimal range(i.e.,0.20-0.32),the EGPs could not only smoothly migrate to the deeper pore-throats,but also form stable retention in the pores to resist the erosion of injected water,which was conducive to the effective indepth profile control.The results of the 2-D heterogeneous PTVM verified that the sweep efficiency in low-permeability regions could be significantly improved by in-depth migration and stable retention of EGPs in the pore-throats with an optimal matching coefficient(0.29),which was much better than that in cases with a smaller matching coefficient(0.17)or an excessive matching coefficient(0.39).Moreover,the NMR displacement experiments of 3-D heterogeneous cores were carried out to simulate the EGPs profile control in actual reservoir porous media.Saturation images and T2 spectrum curves of crude oil showed that EOR in the low-permeability layer was highest(56.1%)using EGPs profile control with an optimal matching coefficient,attributing to the in-depth migration and stable retention of EGPs.

Facile Preparation of PVA-AA/TiO2 Composite Gel Particles and Their Tunable Photo-catalytic Property for the Degradation of Methyl Orange

In the presence of titanium dioxide powder, cross-linking reaction between commercial polyvinyl alcohol(PVA)-based macromonomer and acrylic acid(AA) was initiated with potassium persulfate in an emulsifying system. As a result, PVA-AA/TiO2 composite gel particles were obtained. The morphology and composition of the particles were analyzed with scanning electron microscopy(SEM), energy scattering x-ray spectroscopy(EDS), Fourier infrared spectroscopy(FTIR), and thermogravimetric analysis(TGA). The analysis results confirmed that the particles were the expected ones. TiO2 was dispersed homogeneously within the spheroidal particles. Compared to the control gel, the composite gel particles not only contained Ti element but also showed higher thermal stability. In addition, the photo-catalytic behavior of the particles for the degradation of methyl orange contained in aqueous solution was examined. The particles exhibited photocatalytic characteristic for the degradation of the model dye, which could be modulated by simply varying the amount of cross-linking agent or TiO2. The photo-catalytic degradation percentage of methyl orange maintained at 91%-96% after using the particles three times, which indicated that TiO2 could played its role repeatedly via being fixated within polyvinyl alcohol-based gel.

Development of degradable pre-formed particle gel(DPPG)as temporary plugging agent for petroleum drilling and production

Temporary plugging agent(TPA)is widely used in many fields of petroleum reservoir drilling and production,such as temporary plugging while drilling and petroleum well stimulation by diverting in acidizing or fracturing operations.The commonly used TPA mainly includes hard particles,fibers,gels,and composite systems.However,current particles have many limitations in applications,such as insufficient plugging strength and slow degradation rate.In this paper,a degradable pre-formed particle gel(DPPG)was developed.Experimental results show that the DPPG has an excellent static swelling effect and self-degradation performance.With a decrease in the concentration of total monomers or cross-linker,the swelling volume of the synthesized DPPG gradually increases.However,the entire self-degradation time gradually decreases.The increase in 2-acrylamide-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid(AMPS)in the DPPG composition can significantly increase its swelling ratio and shorten the self-degradation time.Moreover,DPPG has excellent high-temperature resistance(150°C)and high-salinity resistance(200,000 mg/L NaCl).Core displacement results show that the DPPG has a perfect plugging effect in the porous media(the plugging pressure gradient was as high as 21.12 MPa),and the damage to the formation after degradation is incredibly minor.Therefore,the DPPG can be used as an up-and-coming TPA in oil fields.

Development of re-crosslinkable dispersed particle gels for conformance improvement in extremely high-temperature reservoirs

Micro-scale and nano-scale dispersed gel particles(DPG)are capable of deep migration in oil reservoirs due to their deformability,viscoelasticity,and suitable particle size.Therefore,it has been widely studied and applied in reservoir conformance control in recent years.However,for highly permeable channels,their plugging performance is still limited.In addition,conventional in situ cross-linked polymer gels(ISCPGs)have fast gelation time under extremely high-temperature conditions,which often causes problems such as difficulty in pumping.Therefore,a re-cross linkable dispersed particle gel(RDPG)system applied for conformance control in highly permeable channels of extremely high-temperature petroleum reservoirs was investigated.The particle size distribution,gelation time,gel strength,injection performance,and perfo rmance strength in po rous media were investigated using a laser particle size meter,the Sydansk bottle test method,rheometer,and core displacement experiments,respectively.Results show that the RDPG suspension can be stable for more than 6 months at room temperature with storage modulus G’much lower than 10 Pa.It can pass through the pore throat by elastic deformation effect and does not cause strong blockage.Moreover,it can undergo re-crosslinking reaction at 150℃to form a strong bulk gel.The gel strength G’of re-crosslinked RDPG can be as high as 69.3 Pa,which meets the strength requirement of conformance control.The RDPG suspension has the properties of easy injection,and it also has strong plugging,and high-temperature resistance after re-crosslinked in the core,which can be a very promising material for conformance improvement in extremely high-temperature reservoirs.

Degradable preformed particle gel as temporary plugging agent for low-temperature unconventional petroleum reservoirs:Effect of molecular weight of the cross-linking agent

The development of unconventional petroleum resources has gradually become an important succession for increasing oil production.However,the related engineers and researchers are paying more and more attention to the application of temporary plugging agents(TPAs)for their efficient development.TPAs can expand the stimulated reservoir volume(SRV)and facilitate the flow of oil and gas to the bottom of the well.Particle-gels used as temporary plugging agents have the characteristics of the simple injection process,good deformation,high plugging strength,and complete self-degradation performance,which have been widely applied in recent years.In this paper,five samples of DPPG polymerized by different molecular weights of cross-linking agents were prepared.In addition,infrared spectroscopy analysis,differential calorimetry scanning(DSC)analysis,static particle gel swelling and degradation performance evaluation experiments,and dynamic temporary plugging performance experiments in cores were conducted at 34°C.Results show that as the molecular weight of the cross-linking agent(at 0.01 g)in the DPPG molecule decreased from 1,000 to 200 Da,the fewer cross-linking sites of DPPG,the looser the microscopic three-dimensional mesh structure formed.The swelling ratio increased from 7 to 33 times.However,the complete degradation time increased from 40 to 210 min.Moreover,the DSC results confirmed that the higher the molecular weight of the cross-linking agent,the worse is chemical stability and the more prone it to self-degradation.DPPG samples had good temporary plugging performance in reservoir cores.DPPGs prepared by the cross-linking agent with smaller molecular weight has a stronger swelling ratio,higher gel strength,and greater plugging strength in the core permeabilities.Moreover,the degraded DPPG is less damaging to the cores.However,their slower degradation rates take a slightly longer times to reach complete degradation.The results of this paper can provide new ideas and a theoretical basis for the development of particle gel-type temporary plugging agents(TPA)with controllable degradation time in low-temperature reservoirs.It can help to expand the application range of existing DPPG reservoir conditions.

Probing the effect of Young's modulus on the plugging performance of micro-nano-scale dispersed particle gels

The effect of mechanical strength of the dispersed particle gel(DPG)on its macro plugging performance is significant,however,little study has been reported.In this paper,DPG particles with different mechanical strengths were obtained by mechanical shearing of bulk gels prepared with different formula.Young’s moduli of DPG particles on the micro and nano scales were measured by atomic force microscope for the first time.The mapping relationship among the formula of bulk gel,the Young’s moduli of the DPG particles and the final plugging performance were established.The results showed that when the Young’s moduli of the DPG particles increased from 82 to 328 Pa,the plugging rate increased significantly from 91.46%to 97.10%due to the distinctly enhanced stacking density and strength at this range.While when the Young’s moduli of the DPG particles surpassed 328 Pa,the further increase of plugging rate with the Young’s moduli of the DPG particles became insignificant.These results indicated that the improvement of plugging rate was more efficient by adjusting the Young’s moduli of the DPG particles within certain ranges,providing guidance for improving the macroscopic application properties of DPG systems in reservoir heterogeneity regulation.

Migration characteristics and profile control capabilities of preformed particle gel in porous media

Inspired by the viscoelastic displacement theory,a product called preformed particle gel(PPG)is developed as conformance control agent to enhance oil recovery and control excess water production.The migration law of PPG suspension in porous media is related to its deep profile control and displacement capability.Laboratory experiments indicate that PPG suspension has good viscosity increasing,and the apparent viscosity decreases with the increase of shear rate.PPG suspension is mainly elastic,and its network structure makes it have certain shear stability.PPG particles realize migration in porous media in the way of“accumulation and blockage/pressure increase/deformation and migration”.When the ratio of the PPG particle size to the pore throat diameter d ranges from 35.52 to 53.38,the particles can match through the porous medium.When the permeability difference of the parallel model is 5,PPG suspension has the highest profile improvement rate,69.10%.PPG suspension can adjust the planar heterogeneity,and increase the oil recovery rate by 20.75%.The PPG suspension can effectively start“cluster"、“film”and“blind end residual oil”,and has a high oil washing efficiency.The core NMR T2 spectrum shows that PPG suspension mainly reduces oil saturation in mesopores and macropores.After PPG flooding,the EOR capacity of small pores is the highest,39.11%.

Orderly decorated nanostructural photoelectrodes with uniform spherical TiO2 particles for dye-sensitized solar cells

This study presents a novel nanostructural electrode made of 20-nm-diameter nanoparticles, which orderly decorated with 2-μm TiO2 particles, deposited by a new gel process. The decorated electrode （DE） is better than the non-decorated electrode （NE） in both light scattering and light harvesting, as confirmed by diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. X-ray diffraction reveals that both electrodes have a mixture of anatase and rutile phases. The dye-sensitized solar cell based on the decorated electrode shows the highest power conversion efficiency of 7.80% as a result of less recombination demonstrated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. From internal power conversion efficiency measurement, the external quantum efficiency of DE cell at 530 nm is 89%, which is higher than that of NE cell （77%）.