# US 11,111,754 B2 · Isolation polymer packer

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- Number: US 11,111,754 B2
- Document ID: US11111754B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/807,974
- Filed: 2020-03-03
- Published: 2020-10-29
- Granted: 2021-09-07
- Earliest claimed: 2019-04-29
- Assignees: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
- Applicants: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
- Inventors: Abdulrahman Abdulaziz Al-Mulhem; Ayman Mohammed Almohsin
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11111754B2

## CPC

- E21B 33/138: Plastering the borehole wall; Injecting into the formation
- C09K 8/5045: {containing inorganic compounds}
- C09K 8/508: macromolecular compounds {(C09K8/512 takes precedence)}
- C09K 8/5083: {obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds}
- C09K 8/5086: {obtained otherwise than by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds}
- E21B 33/1208: {characterised by the construction of the sealing or packing means (E21B33/1277 takes precedence)}
- E21B 33/124: Units with longitudinally-spaced plugs for isolating the intermediate space
- E21B 43/12: Methods or apparatus for controlling the flow of the obtained fluid to or in wells (E21B43/25 takes precedence; valve arrangements E21B34/00)
- C09K 2208/10: Nanoparticle-containing well treatment fluids
- E21B 43/08: Screens or liners {(expandable screens or liners E21B43/108)}
- E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
- C09K: MATERIALS FOR MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS, NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE

## Abstract

A system and method for isolating a zone in a wellbore having a sand screen including applying hydrogel into an annulus between the sand screen and the geological formation to form a hydrogel packer in the annulus.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of treating a wellbore in a geological formation for isolation of a water zone, comprising:
deploying a first application packer into the wellbore to a lower target depth below the water zone, the wellbore comprising a sand screen;
discharging hydrogel from the first application packer through the sand screen into an annulus between the sand screen and the geological formation to form a lower hydrogel packer in the annulus at the lower target depth;
deploying a second application packer into the wellbore to an upper target depth above the water zone; and
discharging hydrogel from the second application packer through the sand screen into the annulus to form an upper hydrogel packer in the annulus at the upper target depth, wherein the hydrogel comprises polyacrylamide (PAM) comprising a copolymer of acrylamide (AM) and 2-(dimethylamino)ethylacrylatemethochloride (DAC).

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the hydrogel comprises an adhesion promoter comprising polydopamine (PDA), sodium silicate, or aminosaline, or any combinations thereof, and wherein the lower hydrogel packer and the upper hydrogel packer adhere to rock of the geological formation.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the first application packer comprises a chamber holding the hydrogel, and wherein discharging the hydrogel from the first application packer comprises discharging the hydrogel from the chamber through a nozzle of the first application packer.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the hydrogel comprises graphene oxide (GO).

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, comprising retrieving the first application packer from the wellbore to an Earth surface and retrieving the second application packer from the wellbore to the Earth surface.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, comprising deploying a straddle packer into the wellbore to isolate the water zone.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, comprising expanding upper and lower sealing elements of the straddle packer to mechanically isolate the water zone.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, comprising discharging a chemical into the water zone from the straddle packer for water shutoff to isolate the water zone.

### Claim 9

A wellbore in a geological formation, the wellbore comprising:
a sand screen;
a lower hydrogel packer below a water zone in an annulus between the sand screen and the geological formation to facilitate isolation of the water zone; and
an upper hydrogel packer above the water zone in the annulus to facilitate isolation of the water zone, wherein the lower hydrogel packer and the upper hydrogel packer each comprise a hydrogel comprising polyacrylamide (PAM) and a crosslinker comprising graphene oxide (GO), a clay mineral, carbon nanotubes, or graphene nanosheets, or any combinations thereof.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The wellbore of claim 9, comprising a straddle packer that facilitates isolation of the water zone.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The wellbore of claim 9, comprising a straddle packer set adjacent the lower hydrogel packer and the upper hydrogel packer.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The wellbore of claim 9, comprising a straddle packer that mechanically isolates the water zone.

### Claim 13 (depends on 9)

The wellbore of claim 9, wherein the hydrogel comprises polydopamine (PDA).

### Claim 14

A method of isolating a water zone in a wellbore in a geological formation, comprising:
deploying a straddle packer into the wellbore, wherein the wellbore comprises the water zone and a sand screen, wherein the straddle packer comprises a chamber holding hydrogel, and wherein the hydrogel comprises polydopamine (PDA);
ejecting the hydrogel from the chamber through nozzles of the straddle packer to inject the hydrogel through the sand screen into an annulus between the sand screen and the geological formation to form a lower hydrogel packer in the annulus below the water zone; and
ejecting the hydrogel from the chamber through the nozzles to inject the hydrogel through the sand screen into the annulus to form an upper hydrogel packer in the annulus above the water zone.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, comprising mechanically isolating the water zone, wherein mechanically isolating the water zone comprises expanding an upper seal of the straddle packer and expanding a lower seal of the straddle packer.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, comprising providing a chemical from the straddle packer to chemically isolate the water zone.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, wherein providing the chemical from the straddle packer comprises providing the chemical via a nipple of the straddle packer.

### Claim 18 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein the hydrogel comprises polyacrylamide (PAM).

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, wherein the hydrogel comprises a crosslinker.

### Claim 20 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein the hydrogel comprises graphene nanosheets, graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets, carbon nanotubes, or a clay mineral, or any combinations thereof.