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Remediation of Annular Gas Migration along Cemented Wellbores Using Reactive Mineral Fluids: Experimental Assessment of Sodium Bicarbonate and Sodium Silicate-Based Solutions

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  • Timotheus K. T. Wolterbeek

    (High Pressure and Temperature Laboratory, Earth Simulation Lab, Utrecht University, Princestonlaan 4, 3584 CB Utrecht, The Netherlands)

  • Suzanne J. T. Hangx

    (High Pressure and Temperature Laboratory, Earth Simulation Lab, Utrecht University, Princestonlaan 4, 3584 CB Utrecht, The Netherlands)

Abstract

Achieving zonal isolation along wellbores is essential for upholding the containment integrity of subsurface reservoirs and preventing fluid seepage to the environment. The sealing performance of Portland cements conventionally used to create barriers can be severely compromised by defects like fractures or micro-annuli along casing–cement–rock interfaces. A possible remediation method would be to circulate reactive fluids through compromised cement sections and induce defect clogging via mineral precipitation. We assess the sealing potential of two prospective fluids: sodium bicarbonate and sodium silicate solutions. Reactive flow-through experiments were conducted on 6-m-long cemented steel tubes, bearing ~20-μm-wide micro-annuli, at 50 °C and 0.3–6 MPa fluid pressure. For the sodium bicarbonate solution (90 g/kg-H 2 O), reactive flow yielded only a minor reduction in permeability, with values remaining within one order. Injection of sodium silicate solution (37.1 wt.%, SiO 2 :Na 2 O molar ratio M = 2.57) resulted in a large decrease in flow rate, effectively reaching the setup’s lower measurement limit in hours. However, this strong sealing effect can almost certainly be attributed to gelation of the fluid through polymerisation, rather than defect clogging via mineral precipitation. For both fluids investigated, the extent of solids precipitation resulting from single-phase injection was less than anticipated. This shortfall is attributed to ineffective/insufficient liberation of Ca-ions from the alkaline phases in the cement.

Suggested Citation

  • Timotheus K. T. Wolterbeek & Suzanne J. T. Hangx, 2021. "Remediation of Annular Gas Migration along Cemented Wellbores Using Reactive Mineral Fluids: Experimental Assessment of Sodium Bicarbonate and Sodium Silicate-Based Solutions," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(22), pages 1-19, November.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:14:y:2021:i:22:p:7507-:d:676021
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Amir Jahanbakhsh & Qi Liu & Mojgan Hadi Mosleh & Harshit Agrawal & Nazia Mubeen Farooqui & Jim Buckman & Montserrat Recasens & Mercedes Maroto-Valer & Anna Korre & Sevket Durucan, 2021. "An Investigation into CO 2 –Brine–Cement–Reservoir Rock Interactions for Wellbore Integrity in CO 2 Geological Storage," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(16), pages 1-21, August.
    2. Chengcheng Tao & Eilis Rosenbaum & Barbara G. Kutchko & Mehrdad Massoudi, 2021. "A Brief Review of Gas Migration in Oilwell Cement Slurries," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-22, April.
    3. Haoyu Dou & Xuelin Dong & Zhiyin Duan & Yinji Ma & Deli Gao, 2020. "Cement Integrity Loss due to Interfacial Debonding and Radial Cracking during CO 2 Injection," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(17), pages 1-18, September.
    4. Xiaolin Huan & Gao Xu & Yi Zhang & Feng Sun & Shifeng Xue, 2021. "Study on Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical Coupling and the Stability of a Geothermal Wellbore Structure," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(3), pages 1-15, January.
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