Formation treatment
AssigneeBP Exploration Operating Company Limited
InventorsMark Shelton Aston, Ian Gray
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Method of consolidating sand in a subterranean formation by contacting the sand in a first location in the presence of water with a slurry in a liquid medium of cement of average particle size less than 10 microns to produce a mixture including sand, water and cement, the slurry being injected into the formation to the location. A separation step is carried out in which a liquid hydrocarbon fluid is passed into the location to displace from the location at least some of the cement from the mixture. The volume ratio of liquid hydrocarbon fluid to the volume of the slurry injected to the formation is at least 5:1. The mixture is allowed to set to give permeable consolidated sand.
Claims21
A method of consolidating sand in a subterranean formation, which method comprises:
- (i) contacting said sand in a first location in the presence of water with a slurry in a liquid medium of cement wherein the liquid medium is an organic liquid medium or a water in oil emulsion, wherein the sand to be consolidated in said first location is spaced from a well bore wall, and the cement is of average particle size less than 10 microns, said slurry being substantially free of sand of larger size than the average size of sand in said location, to produce a mixture comprising said sand in said first location, water and cement, the slurry being injected into the formation to said location;
- (ii) passing a liquid hydrocarbon fluid into said location to displace from said location at least some of the cement from said mixture;
- and
- (iii) allowing the mixture to set to give a permeable consolidated sand.
A method of consolidating sand in a subterranean formation which method comprises:
- (i) contacting said sand in a first location in the presence of water with a slurry in a liquid medium of cement wherein the liquid medium is an organic liquid medium or a water in oil emulsion wherein the sand to be consolidated in said first location is spaced from a well bore wall, and the cement is of average particle size less than 10 microns in a concentration of 3-15% by weight, said slurry being substantially free of sand of larger size than the average size of sand in said location, to produce in said medium a mixture comprising said sand in said first location, water and cement;
- and
- (ii) setting said mixture to give a permeable consolidated sand.
A method of consolidating sand in a subterranean formation, which method comprises:
- (i) contacting said sand in a first location in the presence of water with a slurry in a liquid medium of cement wherein the liquid medium is an organic liquid medium or a water in oil emulsion, wherein the sand to be consolidated in said first location is spaced from a well bore wall, and the cement is of average particle size less than 10 microns and said slurry being substantially free of sand of larger size than the average size of sand in said location, to produce a mixture comprising said sand in said first location, water and cement, in which, before the contacting step, the slurry contains an amount of cement greater than said amount of cement in the mixture;
- and
- (ii) allowing the mixture to set to give a permeable consolidated sand.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.