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US 4,291,766 AGranted
Process for consolidating water-wet sands with an epoxy resin-forming solution
AssigneeShell Oil Company
InventorsDavid R. Davies, Jacobus J. M. Zuiderwijk, Adrianus M. P. M. Hagelaars
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In a well treating process for consolidating a mass of particles with an epoxy resin precipitated from a resin-forming solution, a significant improvement is provided by using: a polyamino curing agent, a particular ratio of curing agent to epoxide, and a pretreatment which wets the particles with an aqueous liquid that contains an effective proportion of a dimethylaminomethyl-substituted phenol.
Claims11
A well treating process for consolidating a mass of contiguous particles within a subterranean location in or near the borehole of a well comprising:
- compounding a resin-forming solution which consists essentially of (a) at least one polymerizable epoxy compound having an average of at least one epoxy group per molecule and at least one amino curing agent which contains at least three amino hydrogen atoms per molecule and is capable of curing the epxoy compound, (b) a volume ratio between the curing agent and epoxy compound of from about 0.2 to 0.6 and (c) a liquid oil solvent which contains aromatic and nonaromatic hydrocarbons in a volume ratio such that the solution remains ungelled while a partially cured epoxy resin is formed, precipitate from the solution, and substantially completely cured, within said subterranean location;
- injecting at least one pretreatment fluid into the mass of particles to be consolidated to the extent required to wet those particles with an aqueous solution which is no more saline than the water then in said mass and contains not more than about 1.5% by weight dissolved salt;
- dissolving in said resin-forming solution and/or pretreatment fluid an amount of at least one dimethylaminomethyl-substituted phenol to provide a proportion of about 0.2 to 10% by volume of that phenol within the fluid in which it is dissolved;
- and,
- injecting said resin-forming solution into the mass of particles to be consolidated in a rate and volume such that the solution enters the mass before a significant proportion of partially cured resin has precipitated and is kept within said mass at least substantially throughout the precipitating and curing of that resin.
2 more elements
A well treating process for consolidating a mass of contiguous particles within a subterranean location in or near the borehole of a well comprising:
- compounding a resin-forming solution which consists essentially of (a) at least one polymerizable epoxy compound having an average of at least one epoxy group per molecule and at least one amino curing agent which contains at least three amino hydrogen atoms per molecule and is capable of curing the epoxy compound, (b) a volume ratio between that curing agent and epoxy compound of from about 0.2 to 0.6 and (c) a liquid oil solvent having a concentration of organic polar groups such that the solvent is capable of (1) dissolving the epoxy compound and curing agent, (2) remaining ungelled while a partially cured epoxy resin is formed and precipitated or kept in solution and (3) remaining substantially completely miscible with a predominantly aliphatic hydrocarbon overflushing liquid with which the partially cured epoxy resin is substantially completely immiscible;
- adjusting the concentration of the resin-forming solution so that it contains a proportion of from about 5 to 90% by volume of the dissolved epoxy compound and curing agent and is capable of subsequently precipitating a selected amount of partially cured epoxy resin while being maintained at the temperature within the subterranean location or being mixed with a predominantly aliphatic hydrocarbon overflushing liquid within said location;
- flowing at least one pretreatment fluid into contact with the mass of particles to be consolidated to the extent required to wet those particles with an aqueous solution which is no more saline than the water then present in or around the borehole of the well being treated and contains not more than about 1.5% by weight dissolved salt;
- dissolving in the resin-forming solution and/or pretreatment fluid an amount of at least dimethylaminomethyl-substituted phenol sufficient to provide a proportion of about from 0.2 to 10% by volume of such phenol within the fluid in which it is dissolved;
- and
- flowing fluid inclusive of the resin-forming solution or it and said overflushing liquid into contact with the mass of particles to be consolidated in the subterranean location at a rate and volume such that the resin-forming solution enters the mass of particles before a significant proportion of partially cured resin is precipitated and is kept in contact with those particles until the selected amount of said partially cured resin has precipitated.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.