Talc-Based Concrete for Sealing Borehole Optimized by Using Particle Packing Theory

The paper describes assessment of the performance of cement-poor concretes on the basis of packing theory. The concretes are intended for sealing segments of deep boreholes and have a small amount of cement for minimizing the mutual chemical impact on the contacting clay seals. The composition is examined by application of packing theory with respect to the cement/aggregate ratio and the gradation of the aggregate material which is crushed quartzite for providing high internal friction after maturation, as well as to talc added for fluidity and to the small amount of cement. Low porosity and micro-structural stability must be guaranteed for very long periods of time. The study exemplifies how packing theory assist designers in selecting optimal proportions of the various components. Optimum particle packing implies minimizing the porosity and thereby reducing the amount of cement paste needed to fill the voids between the aggregate particles. The use of talc as inorganic super-plasticizer since ordinary organic additives for reaching high fluidity at casting are undesirable, and since talc reacts with cement and provides high strength in along-term perspective.

Designing Drill-in Fluids by Using Ideal Packing Technique

Selecting bridging agents properly is a critical factor in designing non-damaging or low-damaging drill-in fluids. Historically, Abrams＇ rule has been used for this purpose. However, Abrams＇ rule only addresses the size of particle required to initiate a bridge. The rule does not give an optimum size nor an ideal packing sequence for minimizing fluid invasion and optimizing sealing. This paper elaborates an ideal packing approach to solving the sealing problem by sealing pores with different sizes, especially those large pores which usually make dominant contribution to permeability and thereby effectively preventing the solids and filtrate of drill-in fluids from invading into formations, compared with the conventionally used techniques. Practical software has been developed to optimize the blending proportion of several bridging agents, so as to achieve ideal packing effectiveness. The method and its use in selecting the best blending proportion of several bridging agents are also discussed in this paper. A carefully designed drill-in fluid by using the ideal packing technique （named the IPT fluid） for offshore drilling operations at the Weizhou Oilfield, Nanhai West Company, CNOOC is presented. The near 100% return permeabilities from the dynamic damage tests using reservoir cores demonstrated the excellent bridging effect provided by this drill-in fluid.

Experimental study of low-damage drilling fluid to minimize waterblocking of low-permeability gas reservoirs

This paper discusses the systematic design and development of low-damage drilling fluid to protect the low-permeability gas reservoir of the Sulige block in the Ordos Basin, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China. Based on investigation of the geological characteristics and the potential formation damage of the Permian formation of the reservoir, waterblocking due to invasion of drilling or completion fluids was identified one of the most severe causes of damage to gas well deliverability. By adopting the phase trap prevention method, ideal packing theory, and film-forming technology, a lowdamage drilling fluid, sodium formate brine containing efficient waterblocking preventing surfactants, optimized temporary bridging agents （TBAs）, and film-forming agents has been developed. The performance of the new drilling fluid was evaluated by using a variety of techniques. The results show that the fluid has good rheological properties, good strong shale-swelling inhibition, good temporary plugging effect, ultra-low filtration, and good lubricity. It can efficiently minimize waterblocking and can be used to drill horizontal wells with minimal intervention of the reservoir in the Sulige Gas Field.

Modelling the formation and dissolution behavior of alumina agglomerate in the cryolite

The presence of alumina agglomerates seriously affects the current efficiency of the aluminum electrolysis process.Clarify the dynamic dissolution process of agglomerates is essential to improve the current efficiency of aluminum electrolysis.A mathematical model is proposed to describe the different phenomena from the formation until complete dissolution of agglomerates.Considering permeation and solidification processes of cryolite,a semi-analytical mathematical model is developed to formulate the formation,melting and dissolution processes of agglomerates,and the time duration for each stage is deduced.Porosity and heat mass transfer of agglomerates are explored based on the packing theory and mechanism of heat mass transfer in wet porous media.Dimensionless approach is applied to investigate the main factors affecting the dissolution stages and porosity of agglomerates.The results show that the superheat has a great influence on the formation and melting stage,the diameter of agglomerates can reach 14.93 mm for 200 particles agglomerated.The density decreases with the increase of agglomerated particle number,which varies in the range of 2.27-2.28 g/cm^(3).The average dissolution rate of agglomerates is about 1.83×10^(-5)-2.95×10^(-5) kg/s within the range of alumina concentration in this study.