Swellable elastomer sponge for sand management
AssigneeSchlumberger Technology Corporation
InventorsXiaohong REN, Jason HOLZMUELLER, Scott MALONE, Jushik YUN, Luke MACFARLAN
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Abstract
An elastomer foam swellable in the presence of a wellbore fluid. The elastomer foam may include an elastomer, a plurality of smart fillers dispersed within the elastomer, at least one chemical foaming agent, and a curing activator. When exposed to the wellbore fluid, the elastomer foam may increase in volume by at least about 100% and a permeability of the elastomer foam increases from a range of about 1 Darcy to about 70 to a range of about 5 Darcy to about 100 Darcy.
Claims20
An elastomer foam swellable in the presence of a wellbore fluid, the elastomer foam comprising:
- an elastomer;
- a plurality of smart fillers dispersed within the elastomer;
- at least one chemical foaming agent;
- a curing activator;
- and
- wherein, when exposed to the wellbore fluid, the elastomer foam increases in volume by at least about 100% and a permeability of the elastomer foam increases from a range of about 1 Darcy to about 70 to a range of about 5 Darcy to about 100 Darcy.
A sand screen for use with wellbore fluids and positionable within a well extending through a formation, the sand screen comprising:
- a base pipe;
- and
- a filter comprising an elastomer foam swellable in the presence of the wellbore fluid and comprising:
- an elastomer;
- a plurality of smart fillers dispersed within the elastomer;
- at least one chemical foaming agent;
- a curing activator;
- and
- wherein, when exposed to the wellbore fluid, the elastomer foam increases in volume by at least about 100% and a permeability of the elastomer foam increases to a permeability that is about equivalent to or greater than a permeability of the surrounding formation.
A method of making an elastomer foam swellable in the presence of a wellbore fluid, the method comprising:
- dispersing a plurality of smart fillers within the elastomer;
- incorporating at least one chemical foaming agent into the elastomer;
- incorporating at least one curing activator into the elastomer;
- initiating a foaming reaction within the elastomer using the at least one chemical foaming agent;
- initiating a curing reaction within the elastomer;
- and
- wherein the steps of initiating the foaming reaction and initiating the curing reaction create an open cell structure within the elastomer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.