In-situ Pore Plugging Using Nanosilica Based Fluid System for Gas Shutoff

Abstract

A nanosilica based fluid system was evaluated for forming in-situ glass-like material inside matrix for permanent gas shutoff. This novel method involves two steps; firstly, pumping low viscosity aqueous nanosilica mixture into the formation and allowing it to gel up. Secondly, gas production dehydrates nanosilica to form glass-like material inside the matrix. For this paper, a nanosilica-based fluid system was assessed for pumping strategy and performance evaluation. A nanosilica based fluid system consists of a mixture of colloidal silica and activators. It possesses low viscosity, which assists in deeper penetration during placement. With time and temperature, it can lead to in-situ gelation to form a rigid gel to block the pore space. Gas production can dehydrate nanosilica gel to form in-situ glass-like material inside formation porosity for permanent gas shutoff. The nanosilica based fluid system was optimized using gelation tests and core flooding tests to evaluate its performance under high-pressure, high-temperature conditions. Formation of in-situ glass-like material inside pores was analyzed using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The gelation time can be tailored by varying the activator type and concentration to match the field operation requirements. Kinetics of colloidal silica gelation at elevated temperatures showed faster viscosity buildup. Before gelation, the viscosity for the nanosilica based fluid system was recorded less than 5 cp at a 10 1/s shear rate, whereas the viscosity was increased more than 500 cp at a 10 1/s shear rate. Using core flow tests, N2 gas permeability of the Berea sandstone core was completely plugged after pumping the 5-pore volume nanosilica based fluid system at 200°F. During nanosilica based fluid system injection through the core, differential pressure was increased to only 10 psi showing better injectivity. The SEM images showed the presence of glass like material filling the porosity, which showed in-situ generation of glass-like material inside pores. The nanosilica based fluid system has a low viscosity and can penetrate deeper into the formation matrix before transforming into a gel. Undesirable gas flow can dehydrate nanosilica gel to form in-situ glass-like material inside matrix for permanent sealing. This is environmentally friendly and can serve as an alternative to currently used conformance polymers for gas shutoff applications.