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US 12,286,585 B2Granted
Foamed gel system for water shut off in subterranean zones
AssigneeSaudi Arabian Oil Company
InventorsAbeer Ateeq Alarawi, Ayman Mohammed Almohsin, Ahmad Busaleh
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A foam composition includes a foam stabilizer, a foaming agent, a brine, and an inert gas. The foam stabilizer includes graphene. The foaming agent includes a viscoelastic surfactant. The inert gas is in the form of gas bubbles dispersed through a mixture of the foam stabilizer, the foaming agent, and the brine. The foam composition is configured to convert to a gel that is substantially impermeable to fluid flow in response to exposure to downhole conditions of a subterranean zone.
Claims17
A foam composition consisting of:
- a foam stabilizer comprising a composite material, the composite material comprising graphene in the form of a mixture of hydrophilic single and multilayer graphene nanoplatelets;
- a foaming agent comprising a viscoelastic surfactant;
- a brine;
- and
- an inert gas in the form of gas bubbles dispersed through a mixture of the foam stabilizer, the foaming agent, and the brine, wherein the foam composition is configured to convert to a gel that is impermeable to aqueous fluid flow in response to exposure to downhole conditions of a subterranean zone.
2 more elements
A method comprising:
- placing a first mixture of a foam stabilizer, a foaming agent, and a brine into a wellbore formed in a subterranean formation, wherein the foam stabilizer comprises a composite material, the composite material comprising graphene in the form of a mixture of hydrophilic single and multilayer graphene nanoplatelets, and the foaming agent comprises a viscoelastic surfactant;
- placing an inert gas into the wellbore, wherein the inert gas and the first mixture are placed together into the wellbore, such that the inert gas disperses as gas bubbles throughout the first mixture to form a foam;
- flowing the foam to a specified downhole location in the subterranean formation, thereby exposing the foam to a downhole temperature, which causes the foam to convert to a gel that is impermeable to aqueous fluid flow;
- and
- prior to flowing the foam to the specified downhole location, flowing a cooling fluid comprising water into the wellbore, thereby reducing a downhole temperature in the subterranean formation, increasing gelation time of the foam, and allowing the foam to penetrate into the subterranean formation to reach the specified downhole location before converting to the gel.
2 more elements
A method comprising:
- mixing a foam stabilizer, a foaming agent, a brine, and nitrogen gas to form a foam, the foam stabilizer comprising a composite material, the composite material comprising graphene in the form of a mixture of hydrophilic single and multilayer graphene nanoplatelets, and the foaming agent comprising a viscoelastic surfactant;
- flowing the foam and additional nitrogen gas together into a wellbore formed in a subterranean formation to a specified downhole location in the subterranean formation, thereby exposing the foam to a downhole temperature, which causes the foam to convert to a gel that is impermeable to aqueous fluid flow;
- prior to flowing the foam to the specified downhole location, flowing a cooling fluid comprising water into the wellbore, thereby reducing a downhole temperature in the subterranean formation, increasing gelation time of the foam, and allowing the foam to penetrate into the subterranean formation to reach the specified downhole location before converting to the gel;
- and
- after the foam has converted to the gel, producing a hydrocarbon from the subterranean formation, wherein the gel prevents leakage of aqueous fluid from the specified downhole location, such that the aqueous fluid is prevented from being produced with the hydrocarbon from the subterranean formation.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.