US3910351A - Sand control method employing asphaltenes - Google Patents
Sand control method employing asphaltenes Download PDFInfo
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- US3910351A US3910351A US491985A US49198574A US3910351A US 3910351 A US3910351 A US 3910351A US 491985 A US491985 A US 491985A US 49198574 A US49198574 A US 49198574A US 3910351 A US3910351 A US 3910351A
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- asphaltic
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- 239000004576 sand Substances 0.000 title claims abstract description 140
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 title claims abstract description 67
- 239000003208 petroleum Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 70
- 230000015572 biosynthetic process Effects 0.000 claims abstract description 68
- 239000012530 fluid Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 38
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 35
- 239000002245 particle Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 33
- VLKZOEOYAKHREP-UHFFFAOYSA-N n-Hexane Chemical compound CCCCCC VLKZOEOYAKHREP-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims abstract description 30
- 239000002904 solvent Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 29
- HYBBIBNJHNGZAN-UHFFFAOYSA-N furfural Chemical compound O=CC1=CC=CO1 HYBBIBNJHNGZAN-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims abstract description 20
- 230000001376 precipitating effect Effects 0.000 claims abstract description 19
- OFBQJSOFQDEBGM-UHFFFAOYSA-N n-pentane Natural products CCCCC OFBQJSOFQDEBGM-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims abstract description 15
- SECXISVLQFMRJM-UHFFFAOYSA-N N-Methylpyrrolidone Chemical compound CN1CCCC1=O SECXISVLQFMRJM-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims abstract description 14
- 229930195733 hydrocarbon Natural products 0.000 claims abstract description 13
- 150000002430 hydrocarbons Chemical class 0.000 claims abstract description 13
- 239000007788 liquid Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 13
- 230000004888 barrier function Effects 0.000 claims abstract description 12
- 239000000203 mixture Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 11
- 239000010426 asphalt Substances 0.000 claims description 34
- 239000008187 granular material Substances 0.000 claims description 24
- 239000002002 slurry Substances 0.000 claims description 9
- 239000013618 particulate matter Substances 0.000 claims description 4
- 238000005406 washing Methods 0.000 claims description 3
- 238000004891 communication Methods 0.000 claims description 2
- 238000005086 pumping Methods 0.000 claims description 2
- OKTJSMMVPCPJKN-UHFFFAOYSA-N Carbon Chemical group [C] OKTJSMMVPCPJKN-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims 1
- 238000005755 formation reaction Methods 0.000 abstract description 61
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 abstract description 18
- IJGRMHOSHXDMSA-UHFFFAOYSA-N Atomic nitrogen Chemical compound N#N IJGRMHOSHXDMSA-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 abstract description 11
- 230000000452 restraining effect Effects 0.000 abstract description 9
- 238000007711 solidification Methods 0.000 abstract description 9
- 230000008023 solidification Effects 0.000 abstract description 9
- 239000004215 Carbon black (E152) Substances 0.000 abstract description 7
- 239000007789 gas Substances 0.000 abstract description 7
- 238000001556 precipitation Methods 0.000 abstract description 6
- 230000008021 deposition Effects 0.000 abstract description 5
- IJDNQMDRQITEOD-UHFFFAOYSA-N n-butane Chemical compound CCCC IJDNQMDRQITEOD-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 abstract description 5
- 229910052757 nitrogen Inorganic materials 0.000 abstract description 5
- 238000009738 saturating Methods 0.000 abstract description 4
- 239000001273 butane Substances 0.000 abstract description 3
- 230000003381 solubilizing effect Effects 0.000 abstract description 3
- 230000008569 process Effects 0.000 description 16
- 239000011275 tar sand Substances 0.000 description 15
- XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N water Substances O XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 12
- 238000011084 recovery Methods 0.000 description 9
- 238000002347 injection Methods 0.000 description 8
- 239000007924 injection Substances 0.000 description 8
- 229920006395 saturated elastomer Polymers 0.000 description 8
- 239000000839 emulsion Substances 0.000 description 7
- HEMHJVSKTPXQMS-UHFFFAOYSA-M Sodium hydroxide Chemical compound [OH-].[Na+] HEMHJVSKTPXQMS-UHFFFAOYSA-M 0.000 description 6
- 239000002253 acid Substances 0.000 description 4
- 239000012071 phase Substances 0.000 description 4
- 239000012260 resinous material Substances 0.000 description 4
- UHOVQNZJYSORNB-UHFFFAOYSA-N Benzene Chemical compound C1=CC=CC=C1 UHOVQNZJYSORNB-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 3
- YXFVVABEGXRONW-UHFFFAOYSA-N Toluene Chemical compound CC1=CC=CC=C1 YXFVVABEGXRONW-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 3
- 239000003518 caustics Substances 0.000 description 3
- 238000006243 chemical reaction Methods 0.000 description 3
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- 239000000243 solution Substances 0.000 description 3
- CURLTUGMZLYLDI-UHFFFAOYSA-N Carbon dioxide Chemical compound O=C=O CURLTUGMZLYLDI-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
- VEXZGXHMUGYJMC-UHFFFAOYSA-N Hydrochloric acid Chemical compound Cl VEXZGXHMUGYJMC-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
- ATUOYWHBWRKTHZ-UHFFFAOYSA-N Propane Chemical compound CCC ATUOYWHBWRKTHZ-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
- QAOWNCQODCNURD-UHFFFAOYSA-N Sulfuric acid Chemical compound OS(O)(=O)=O QAOWNCQODCNURD-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
- 230000008901 benefit Effects 0.000 description 2
- 125000004432 carbon atom Chemical group C* 0.000 description 2
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- 230000001627 detrimental effect Effects 0.000 description 2
- 238000004945 emulsification Methods 0.000 description 2
- VNWKTOKETHGBQD-UHFFFAOYSA-N methane Chemical compound C VNWKTOKETHGBQD-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
- 239000011148 porous material Substances 0.000 description 2
- 239000002244 precipitate Substances 0.000 description 2
- 239000000126 substance Substances 0.000 description 2
- 238000012935 Averaging Methods 0.000 description 1
- 241000237858 Gastropoda Species 0.000 description 1
- 235000014676 Phragmites communis Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- 230000002411 adverse Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000003570 air Substances 0.000 description 1
- 125000001931 aliphatic group Chemical group 0.000 description 1
- 238000009835 boiling Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000001569 carbon dioxide Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229910002092 carbon dioxide Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
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- 230000001483 mobilizing effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000003345 natural gas Substances 0.000 description 1
- JCXJVPUVTGWSNB-UHFFFAOYSA-N nitrogen dioxide Inorganic materials O=[N]=O JCXJVPUVTGWSNB-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
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- 238000009834 vaporization Methods 0.000 description 1
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Images
Classifications
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C09—DYES; PAINTS; POLISHES; NATURAL RESINS; ADHESIVES; COMPOSITIONS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; APPLICATIONS OF MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- C09K—MATERIALS FOR MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS, NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE
- C09K8/00—Compositions for drilling of boreholes or wells; Compositions for treating boreholes or wells, e.g. for completion or for remedial operations
- C09K8/56—Compositions for consolidating loose sand or the like around wells without excessively decreasing the permeability thereof
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
- E21B—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
- E21B43/00—Methods or apparatus for obtaining oil, gas, water, soluble or meltable materials or a slurry of minerals from wells
- E21B43/02—Subsoil filtering
- E21B43/025—Consolidation of loose sand or the like round the wells without excessively decreasing the permeability thereof
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
- E21B—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
- E21B43/00—Methods or apparatus for obtaining oil, gas, water, soluble or meltable materials or a slurry of minerals from wells
- E21B43/02—Subsoil filtering
- E21B43/04—Gravelling of wells
Definitions
- ABSTRACT This invention relates to a method for treating wells completed in subterranean formations which contain unconsolidated sand particles, so as to form a permeable barrier which will permit the flow of liquids therethrough while restraining the flow of the unconsolidated sand particles into the well bore.
- the method comprises saturating sand adjacent the well bore to be treated with petroleum having a high asphaltic content and optionally thereafter contacting the asphaltic petroleum with a solvent capable of solubilizing nonasphaltic fractions of the petroleum and precipitating or causing deposition of the asphaltic or bituminous portions of the petroleum.
- a heated fluid such as steam is thereafter injected into the formation to cause solidification of the asphaltic materials which effectively binds the sand grains together to form a porous mass which will effectively restrain the movement of sand particles in the well bore upon subsequently placing the well on production.
- Suitable hydrocarbon materials for causing precipitation of the asphaltic or bituminous portions of the petroleum include liquid paraffinic hydrocarbons such as butane, pentane, or hexane, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone and furfural.
- Steam or a mixture of steam and non-condensable gas such as nitrogen, or mixture of steam and air are then injected into the formation to dehydrate and otherwise solidify the precipitated asphaltic material.
- This invention pertains to a method for treating wells penetrated and completed in subterranean earth formations, and more particularly to a method for treating a petroleum containing formation in the immediate vicinity of the well so as to stabilize unconsolidated sand and prevent their migration into or away from the well.
- this invention pertains to a method for treating such wells with granular materials saturated with bitumen or bituminous or asphaltic petroleum, contacting the material with a low molecular weight asphaltic or paraffmic hydrocarbon or N-methyl-Z-pyrrolidone or furfural to cause precipitation of asphalt, and then introducing steam to solidify the bitumen and bind the sand grains together.
- Prior Art and Background Recovery of formation fluid such as petroleum from a subterranean formation is frequently difficult when the subterranean formation is comprised of one or more incompetent or unconsolidated sand layers or zones.
- the sand particles in the incompetent or unconsolidated sand zone move or migrate into the well bore during recovery of formation fluids from that zone, or sand particles move away from the well during injection of secondary or tertiary recovery fluids into the formation.
- the movement of sand into the well bore can cause the well to cease production of fluids therefrom.
- small sand particles can plug small openings and porous masses formed around the well bore for the purpose of restraining the flow of sand, such as screens or slotted liners which are frequently placed in wells for this purpose. Not only can fluid production be reduced or even stopped altogether, if sand particles flow through the well to the surface, considerable mechanical problems can result from passage of abrasive sand particles through pumps and other mechanical devices.
- the resinous materials are expensive. Recently, many tertiary recovery techniques involving the injection of steam or other fluids into the formation for the purpose of mobilizing viscous petroleum, and this has imposed a still greater burden on sand consolidation techniques, and has particularly caused problems with the plastic consolidation techniques which are sensitive to the high temperature, high pH aqueous fluids frequently employed in such processes. The resinous materials are frequently dissolved or degraded by contact with the hot alkaline fluids used in tertiary recovery processes.
- one is able to treat underground formations so as to effect the solidation of granular materials such as sand or gravel into a permeable mass which will effectively restrain the movement of unconsolidated sand particles, which permeable mass will not be appreciably degraded by subsequent contact with hot alkaline fluids such as steam an'd/or caustic. and generally avoid many of the disadvantages of prior art methods, both mechanical and chemical.
- a permeable mass may be formed, which permeable mass is relatively insensitive to thermal fluids and can be employed in connection with thermal recovery processes, involving the precipitation of asphaltic material from asphaltic petroleum such as bituminous petroleum, onto sand grains located around the well bore by introduction of a suitable asphalt precipitating solvent into the vicinity of the well bore, after which a hot fluid such as steam is introduced to volatilize the solvent and other volatile fractions existing in the vicinity of the well bore and harden the asphaltic material to form a permeable, competent mass, bonding the sand grains together.
- a hot fluid such as steam
- naturally occurring unconsolidated sand and naturally occurring bituminous petroleum may be utilized as the reactants.
- the well bore may be enlarged and suitable sand or other granular material packed into the well bore around the production tubing.
- the sand is then saturated with asphaltic or bituminous petroleum by several means.
- the asphalt precipitating solvent is then introduced into the mixture of sand and asphaltic petroleum which causes deposition or precipitation of the asphaltic material onto the sand grain.
- Steam is then introduced into the zone to volatilize certain fractions remaining and to solidify the asphalt or bitumen so as to effectively bind the sand grains together.
- Suitable solvents for causing deposition of the asphaltic material include liquid aliphatic or paraffinic hydrocarbons such as pentane, hexane, etc., as well as N-methyl- 2-pyrrolidone or furfural.
- the steam which is introduced into the precipitated asphalt and sand zone may be saturated or super heated, and optionally may contain a non-condensable gas such as nitrogen or air to aid in maintaining the desired permeability.
- the permeable solid thus formed is mechanically stable, per mits petroleum or other formation fluids to flow therethrough, and resists the detrimental effect of hot alkaline fluids which may be employed in subsequent oil re covery operations.
- the sand naturally occurring in the formation such as for example, in a tar sand deposit, may be utilized for the sand in the formation of the sand restraining, permeable mass according to the process of our invention.
- one embodiment of the process of our invention involves simply intoducing an asphaltic or bituminous petroleum into an unconsolidated sand naturally occurring in the formation to saturate or essentially saturate the same with asphaltic or bituminous petroleum.
- the subterranean formation does not contain adequate sand for use in the formation of the permeable barrier, or else the sand particle size or other characteristics are not suitable for use in the formation of the barrier.
- a minor amount of the formation adjacent the well to be treated is removed by washing with water or other suitable fluid or by under-reaming to form a small cavity in the immediate vicinity of the well bore.
- the tubing string or other well hardware is placed in the well, and sand or gravel is placed into the well bore.
- One suitable method for accomplishing this is to form a slurry of the granular material in water or some other suitable fluid and pump the slurry into the well bore.
- tubing 1 having perforations near the lower end thereof 2 is contained in well casing 3.
- the formation material is removed adjacent the petroleum formation to form a cavity 4 which extends outward a small distance from the well bore.
- the granular material is slurried in fluid; for example, the sand may be slurried in water or water containing other agents, and injected into the annular space 5 between tubing 1 and casing 3.
- the slurry then passes through the bottom of the annular space, and then through slots 2 into the production well bore where it is pumped to the surface of the earth through the tubing.
- the granular material filters against the formation and also against the perforations 2 in the production tubing 1, forming a closely packed mass 6 which consists essentially of the granular material packed tightly together. This process is continued until the mass of granular material extends to a point above the top of the perforations 2 and preferably some distance thereabove so that if any shrinkage occurs in subsequent treatment steps, the cavity adjacent perforations 2 will still be completely filled with granular material.
- the sand restraining permeable mass is to be formed from sand or other granular material other than naturally occurring into the formation, the optimum results are obtained at the sand particles size meet certain specific requirements.
- the sand or other granular material should be selected from the broad range of from about 10 to about mesh, and preferably should be closely spaced within that broad range so that the larger particle sizes utilized are no more than approximately twice the smallest particle sizes employed. For example, sand in the range of 10 to 20 mesh, or 20 to 40 mesh, or 40 to 80 mesh, may be utilized effectively.
- the asphaltic or bituminous petroleum naturally occurring in a formation may be utilized as the source of the asphaltic material to form the sand restraining permeable mass. That is to say, if the naturally Occurring formation petroleum is highly asphaltic or bituminous, this may be utilized as a part or all of the asphaltic petroleum or formation of the permeable In some instances it is not necessary to add any additional asphaltic petroleum, whereas in others it may be necessary to increase the asphaltic petroleum saturation within this'portion of the formation immediately adjacent to the well to be treated, so that a stable barrier may be formed. 7
- asphaltic or bituminous petroleum is generally very viscous, and so ordinarily cannot be simply pumped into the sand pack.
- the viscosity of bituminous petroleum such as is found in tar sand deposits, for example, is in the range of millions of centipoise at formation temperature.
- the viscosity-temperature relationship of such petroleum is exceedingly sharp, however, and the viscosity of tar sand material drops to a value of only a few centipoise at about 300F.
- one method of introducing the bituminous petroleum into the sand pack is simply to heat the petroleum to a temperature of at least 200F and preferably around 300F, so as to make the bituminous petroleum pumpable, and introduce the hot bituminous petroleum into the sand pack. It is preferable to preheat the sand pack to a similar temperature, so that the petroleum will not cool too rapidly, and thus the sand pack may be saturated uniformly into the desired depth away from the well bore.
- the sand pack may be conveniently preheated by passing a heated fluid such as steam through the sand pack prior to introduction ofa heated bituminous petroleum into the sand pack.
- Another method for coating the granular material with bituminous petroleum involves the formulationof an oil-in-water emulsion which has a much lower viscosity than the petroleum itself.
- the desired emulsion may be formed by mixing a quantity of bituminous petroleum with water, the ratio of oil to water being from about 1.0 to about 0.01 and preferably about 0.10.
- the formulation of the emulsion is aided by inclusion of a small amount of an alkalinity agent such as sodium hydroxide in the water. Generally from about 0.01 to about 1 percent by weight sodium hydroxide is satisfactory for this purpose.
- bituminous petroleum and water emulsion After the bituminous petroleum and water emulsion has been formulated, it may easily be pumped down the tubing and/or annular space between the tubing and casing, into the granular material adjacent to the perforations in the production tubing.
- the sand pack should be throughly saturated with the bitumen and water emulsion.
- An acid such hydrochloric acid or sulfuric acid may then be introduced into the saturated sand pack to break the emulsion or resolve it into its separate phases.
- the volume of acid needed to treat the emulsion-saturated sand pack will generally be from about 1 percent .toabout 50 percent of the volume of emulsion present.
- the concentration of acid may be from about 1 percent to about 10 percent by weight.
- the viscous bituminous petroleum deposits on the sand grains, and the water phase may easily be displaced out of the pack either into the formation or into the well bore and produced to the surface of the earth.
- Still another method for saturating the sand pack with bituminous petroleum comprises forming a solution of the bituminous petroleum and a suitable solvent such as benzene, toluene and naphtha so as to form a low viscosity solution, and then pump the solution into the sand pack through the tubing or annular space or both.
- a suitable gas such as air, nitrogen or carbon dioxide or natural gas may then be passed through the sand or gravel pack to vaporize the solvent, leaving the viscous petroleum deposited on the sand or gravel.
- the vaporization may be accelerated if an inner gas such as nitrogen is heated to a temperature well above the boiling point of the solvent prior to passing the gas through the sand pack.
- the solvent may be a low molecular weight hydrocarbon, preferably a paraffinic hydrocarbon having from three to ten carbon atoms such as pentane or hexane.
- the paraffinic hydrocarbon should be introduced into the formation under temperature and pressure conditions which will result in it entering the sand pack in a liquid form. Accordingly, the temperature should be below about 250 and preferably about in order to insure that it is essentially all in the liquid phase of the temperature existing in the sand pack being treated. In deeper deposits, which can tolerate higher injection pressures, lower molecular weight paraffinic hydrocarbons such as'butane or even propane may be utilized effectively, so long the temperature and pressure at which the materials are injected are such that the fluid will enter the formation a liquid.
- N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone whose formula is as follows:
- This material should similarly be introduced into the formation in the form of a liquid, in order to insure that it effectively precipitates most of the bituminous or asphaltic material present in the sand pack.
- furfural whose formula is as follows:
- a mixture of any two or more of the above materials may also be used effectively to precipitate the asphaltic or bituminous petroleum fraction of the petroleum.
- the final phase of the process for forming the sand controlled permeable barrier is to introduce a heated fluid, preferably a heated gaseous fluid into the sand pack to vaporize volatile materials present and solidify the asphaltic or bituminous material.
- a heated fluid preferably a heated gaseous fluid into the sand pack to vaporize volatile materials present and solidify the asphaltic or bituminous material.
- Steam is an especially preferred fluid for this purpose, since it is inexpensive and readily available, and equipment for generating steam will frequently be available in the oil field for the thermal recovery stimulation process to be applied later.
- Either saturated or super heated steam may be utilized in this step, although ordinarily the preferred embodiment will be to utilize saturated steam because it is less expensive and quite satisfactory for this purpose. So long as the temperature of the sand pack is raised to at least 250F, the desired solidification of the deposited asphalt will be achieved. It is preferred that the steam temperature be at least 300F in order to effectively solidify the asphaltic materials in a reasonably short period of time. Ordinarily, the time required for the solidification stepwill be inversely related to the temperature. Thus, if lower temperature fluids are utilized to heat and solidify the asphaltic material, a longer period of time will be required. If the steam is at least 300F, the desired solidification occurs within only a few hours.
- Any other heated gaseous material may be utilized for the solidification step.
- air or nitrogen or any other suitable gas may be heated to a temperature of around 300F and passed through the sand pack to effectively solidify the asphaltic materials and bind the loose sand grains together.
- a tar sand deposit is to be subjected to steam emulsification drive.
- a well is drilled into the tar sand deposit, which is located under an overburden whose thickness is about 300 feet and the tar sand deposit thickness is around 75 feet.
- the tar sand deposit immediately adjacent to the well is under-reamed to create a cavity approximately 3 feet in diameter extending the full 75 foot thickness of the tar sand deposit.
- a casing is run to the top of the tar sand deposit and a production tubing string is run to the bottom of the tar sand deposit. Perforations are formed over the full 75 foot interval, since it is desired to introduce fluids essentially uniformly into the tar sand interval.
- a slurry is formed of 40 to mesh frac sand in water, and this slurry is pumped into the annular space. Water is pumped from the production tubing, to cause the sand grains to pack closely around the perforated production tubing and to form thereby a dense sand pack which substantially fills the cavity around the well. This is continued until calculations indicate that the sand pack is about 1 foot above the top of the perforation.
- bituminous petroleum obtained from the tar sand material similar to that found in the formation is heated to a temperature of 300F and introduced into the production string, where it flows out through the perforations and saturates the sand grains. Since the porosity of the sand pack is approximately 20 percent, the volume to be saturated with bituminous petroleum is (3/2) X 11- X 75 X 0.20 cubic feet, which is the amount of bituminous petroleum to be introduced into the tubing string to saturate the sand pack. Approximately 10 percent excess is' utilized to assure that good contact between all of the sand and bituminous petroleum is achieved.
- Air is slowly passed down the production tubing to cool the bituminous petroleum and sand to about 100 prior to the next step, so that the asphalt participating solvent will not be vaporized upon contacting the hot material.
- Hexane is chosen as the asphalt precipitating solvent, since it is not desired to exceed the overburden-related pressure limitation and since it is necessary that the solvent enter this sand pack in a liquid form.
- Approximately 50 gallons of hexane is pumped slowly into the injection tubing. During this time the annular space is closed off so the hexane with portions of the petroleum dissolved therein will enter the formation rather than pass back up the tubing.
- steam at a temperature of 325 is introduced into the sand pack for approximately 6 hours so as to solidify the precipitated asphalt, to bind the sand grains together and form the desired permeable mass for sand control purposes.
- a sand controlling permeable mass may be formulated by con-- tacting a mixture of sand and asphaltic or bituminous petroleum, which may be naturally occurring or may be placed in the well bore for the purpose of forming the permeable mass, by contacting same with an effective asphalt precipitating solvent such as a liquid paraffinic hydrocarbon, as well as with furfural or N-methyl-2- pyrrolidone, and thereafter introducing steam or any other heated fluid into the zone for the purpose of dehydrating and solidifying the asphaltic material.
- the asphaltic material binds the sand grains together, forming a permeable mass which will effectively restrain the flow of sand into the well. bore during periods of recovery of fluid therefrom.
- an asphalt precipitating solvent selected from the group consisting of paraffinic hydrocarbons having from 3 to 10 carbon atoms, furfural, N-methyl-Z-pyrrolidone, and mixtures thereof;
- a method as recited in claim 1 wherein the particulate matters introduced into the well bore by forming a slurry of particulate matter and fluid and pumping the slurry into the well, so that the particulate matter forms against the face of the formation.
- a method as recited in claim 1 comprising the additional initial step of removing a portion of the formation immediately adjacent to the well bore to form a cavity.
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Abstract
This invention relates to a method for treating wells completed in subterranean formations which contain unconsolidated sand particles, so as to form a permeable barrier which will permit the flow of liquids therethrough while restraining the flow of the unconsolidated sand particles into the well bore. The method comprises saturating sand adjacent the well bore to be treated with petroleum having a high asphaltic content and optionally thereafter contacting the asphaltic petroleum with a solvent capable of solubilizing non-asphaltic fractions of the petroleum and precipitating or causing deposition of the asphaltic or bituminous portions of the petroleum. A heated fluid such as steam is thereafter injected into the formation to cause solidification of the asphaltic materials which effectively binds the sand grains together to form a porous mass which will effectively restrain the movement of sand particles in the well bore upon subsequently placing the well on production. Suitable hydrocarbon materials for causing precipitation of the asphaltic or bituminous portions of the petroleum include liquid paraffinic hydrocarbons such as butane, pentane, or hexane, N-methyl-2pyrrolidone and furfural. Steam or a mixture of steam and noncondensable gas such as nitrogen, or mixture of steam and air are then injected into the formation to dehydrate and otherwise solidify the precipitated asphaltic material.
Description
United States Patent [191 Wu et al.
[451 Oct. 7, 1975 SAND CONTROL METHOD EMPLOYING ASPHALTENES [75] Inventors: Ching H. Wu; Alfred Brown; Daniel T. Konopnicki, all of Houston, Tex.
[73] Assignee: Texaco Inc., New York, NY.
[22] Filed: July 25, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 491,985
[52] US. Cl. 166/276; 166/288 [51] Int. Cl. E2113 43/04 [58] Field of Search 166/276, 278, 288, 294
[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,187,895 1/1940 Sanders 166/276 2,427,848 9/1947 Garrison 166/294 2,670,047 2/1954 Mayes et al.. 166/262 2,771,952 11/1956 Simm 166/276 X 3,003,555 10/1961 Freeman et al. 166/288 3,093,192 6/1963 Allen 166/294 3,180,415 4/1965 Allen 166/294 3,182,722 5/1965 Reed..... 166/288 X 3,323,591 6/1967 Harvey 166/262 3,559,736 2/1971 Bombardieri 166/276 3,812,913 5/1974 Hardy et al. 166/288 [57] ABSTRACT This invention relates to a method for treating wells completed in subterranean formations which contain unconsolidated sand particles, so as to form a permeable barrier which will permit the flow of liquids therethrough while restraining the flow of the unconsolidated sand particles into the well bore. The method comprises saturating sand adjacent the well bore to be treated with petroleum having a high asphaltic content and optionally thereafter contacting the asphaltic petroleum with a solvent capable of solubilizing nonasphaltic fractions of the petroleum and precipitating or causing deposition of the asphaltic or bituminous portions of the petroleum. A heated fluid such as steam is thereafter injected into the formation to cause solidification of the asphaltic materials which effectively binds the sand grains together to form a porous mass which will effectively restrain the movement of sand particles in the well bore upon subsequently placing the well on production. Suitable hydrocarbon materials for causing precipitation of the asphaltic or bituminous portions of the petroleum include liquid paraffinic hydrocarbons such as butane, pentane, or hexane, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone and furfural. Steam or a mixture of steam and non-condensable gas such as nitrogen, or mixture of steam and air are then injected into the formation to dehydrate and otherwise solidify the precipitated asphaltic material.
U.S. Patent Oct. 7,1975
SAND CONTROL NIETHOD EMPLOYING ASPHALTENES BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention pertains to a method for treating wells penetrated and completed in subterranean earth formations, and more particularly to a method for treating a petroleum containing formation in the immediate vicinity of the well so as to stabilize unconsolidated sand and prevent their migration into or away from the well. Still more particularly, this invention pertains to a method for treating such wells with granular materials saturated with bitumen or bituminous or asphaltic petroleum, contacting the material with a low molecular weight asphaltic or paraffmic hydrocarbon or N-methyl-Z-pyrrolidone or furfural to cause precipitation of asphalt, and then introducing steam to solidify the bitumen and bind the sand grains together.
2. Prior Art and Background Recovery of formation fluid such as petroleum from a subterranean formation is frequently difficult when the subterranean formation is comprised of one or more incompetent or unconsolidated sand layers or zones. The sand particles in the incompetent or unconsolidated sand zone move or migrate into the well bore during recovery of formation fluids from that zone, or sand particles move away from the well during injection of secondary or tertiary recovery fluids into the formation. In the instance of recovering the fluid from the formation, the movement of sand into the well bore can cause the well to cease production of fluids therefrom. Also, small sand particles can plug small openings and porous masses formed around the well bore for the purpose of restraining the flow of sand, such as screens or slotted liners which are frequently placed in wells for this purpose. Not only can fluid production be reduced or even stopped altogether, if sand particles flow through the well to the surface, considerable mechanical problems can result from passage of abrasive sand particles through pumps and other mechanical devices.
Many techniques have been described in the prior art for preventing or decreasing the flow of sand into well in a course of petroleum production, including the use of sand screens, filters, perforated or slotted liners, etc. around the well. These prior art attempts have been successful in some limited instances, but have not always been entirely satisfactory for a number of reasons. Mechanical devices usually restrain only the larger particle sand and are not completely effective for the purpose of restraining or preventing the flow of fine particles from the formation into the well and ultimately to the surface: Furthermore, the devices interfere with various types of completions and work over operations.
Recently, there have been introduced into the market place by numerous oil field companies, chemical compositions which bond the sand grains together with a resinous plastic material to form a permeable mass which effectively restrains the flow of sand particles from the formation. These methods involve injecting into a sand pack around a well bore, a polymerizable, resinous material, which is later caused to polymerize so as to consolidate formation sand or sand packed around the well for that purpose, to form the desired permeable barrier. Numerous difficulties have been encountered in commercial application and use of this technique, including the difficulty of achieving the even polymerization of the resinous material to the degree necessary to consolidate the sand particles while still maintaining the necessary permeability so that petroleum or other fluid may pass therethrough. Furthermore, the resinous materials are expensive. Recently, many tertiary recovery techniques involving the injection of steam or other fluids into the formation for the purpose of mobilizing viscous petroleum, and this has imposed a still greater burden on sand consolidation techniques, and has particularly caused problems with the plastic consolidation techniques which are sensitive to the high temperature, high pH aqueous fluids frequently employed in such processes. The resinous materials are frequently dissolved or degraded by contact with the hot alkaline fluids used in tertiary recovery processes.
In view of the foregoing discussion, it can be appreciated that there is a substantial, unfulfilled need for a sand control method capable of preventing the flow of unconsolidated sand particles into a well bore during periods of oil recovery or away from a well bore during periods of injection of fluids thereinto. More particularly, there is a need for inexpensive, reliable method of consolidating sand in a formation having an appreciable quantity of unconsolidated sand, which will result in the formation of a permeable mass that will not be adversely affected by subsequent contact with high temperature, alkaline fluid such as steam or caustic.
By the method of the present invention one is able to treat underground formations so as to effect the solidation of granular materials such as sand or gravel into a permeable mass which will effectively restrain the movement of unconsolidated sand particles, which permeable mass will not be appreciably degraded by subsequent contact with hot alkaline fluids such as steam an'd/or caustic. and generally avoid many of the disadvantages of prior art methods, both mechanical and chemical.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION We have discovered that a permeable mass may be formed, which permeable mass is relatively insensitive to thermal fluids and can be employed in connection with thermal recovery processes, involving the precipitation of asphaltic material from asphaltic petroleum such as bituminous petroleum, onto sand grains located around the well bore by introduction of a suitable asphalt precipitating solvent into the vicinity of the well bore, after which a hot fluid such as steam is introduced to volatilize the solvent and other volatile fractions existing in the vicinity of the well bore and harden the asphaltic material to form a permeable, competent mass, bonding the sand grains together. In some application such as, for example, tar sand deposits, naturally occurring unconsolidated sand and naturally occurring bituminous petroleum may be utilized as the reactants. In other applications, the well bore may be enlarged and suitable sand or other granular material packed into the well bore around the production tubing. The sand is then saturated with asphaltic or bituminous petroleum by several means. The asphalt precipitating solvent is then introduced into the mixture of sand and asphaltic petroleum which causes deposition or precipitation of the asphaltic material onto the sand grain. Steam is then introduced into the zone to volatilize certain fractions remaining and to solidify the asphalt or bitumen so as to effectively bind the sand grains together. Suitable solvents for causing deposition of the asphaltic material include liquid aliphatic or paraffinic hydrocarbons such as pentane, hexane, etc., as well as N-methyl- 2-pyrrolidone or furfural. The steam which is introduced into the precipitated asphalt and sand zone may be saturated or super heated, and optionally may contain a non-condensable gas such as nitrogen or air to aid in maintaining the desired permeability. The permeable solid thus formed is mechanically stable, per mits petroleum or other formation fluids to flow therethrough, and resists the detrimental effect of hot alkaline fluids which may be employed in subsequent oil re covery operations.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The attached drawing illustrates a well in a tar sand deposit being subjected to the method of our invention for forming a sand restraining, permeable mass around the well bore.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION AND DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Briefly, the process of our invention comprises the following steps, which will be described more fully below:
I. Positioning the sand in the well bore and 2. Saturating the sand with bituminous, asphaltic petroleum 3. lntrouction of the asphalt precipitating solvent into the sand-bitumen mass, and
4. Introduction of steam into the bitumen-sand mass to cause solidification of the bitumen or asphaltic material to bind the sand grains together.
I. PLACING THE SAND IN THE WELL BORE According to one aspect of our invention, the sand naturally occurring in the formation, such as for example, in a tar sand deposit, may be utilized for the sand in the formation of the sand restraining, permeable mass according to the process of our invention. Accordingly, one embodiment of the process of our invention involves simply intoducing an asphaltic or bituminous petroleum into an unconsolidated sand naturally occurring in the formation to saturate or essentially saturate the same with asphaltic or bituminous petroleum.
In many applications of the process of our invention, the subterranean formation does not contain adequate sand for use in the formation of the permeable barrier, or else the sand particle size or other characteristics are not suitable for use in the formation of the barrier. In
those cases it is necessary to introduce sand into the formation for the purpose of forming the permeable barrier.
There are several methods for placing the granular material adjacent the formation in which the sand restraining permeable mass is to be formed. In one embodiment of the process of our invention, a minor amount of the formation adjacent the well to be treated is removed by washing with water or other suitable fluid or by under-reaming to form a small cavity in the immediate vicinity of the well bore. After a suitable amount of material has been removed therefrom, the tubing string or other well hardware is placed in the well, and sand or gravel is placed into the well bore.
One suitable method for accomplishing this is to form a slurry of the granular material in water or some other suitable fluid and pump the slurry into the well bore.
The above described procedure may better be understood by reference to the attached figure, in which tubing 1 having perforations near the lower end thereof 2 is contained in well casing 3. The formation material is removed adjacent the petroleum formation to form a cavity 4 which extends outward a small distance from the well bore. The granular material is slurried in fluid; for example, the sand may be slurried in water or water containing other agents, and injected into the annular space 5 between tubing 1 and casing 3. The slurry then passes through the bottom of the annular space, and then through slots 2 into the production well bore where it is pumped to the surface of the earth through the tubing. The granular material filters against the formation and also against the perforations 2 in the production tubing 1, forming a closely packed mass 6 which consists essentially of the granular material packed tightly together. This process is continued until the mass of granular material extends to a point above the top of the perforations 2 and preferably some distance thereabove so that if any shrinkage occurs in subsequent treatment steps, the cavity adjacent perforations 2 will still be completely filled with granular material.
If the sand restraining permeable mass is to be formed from sand or other granular material other than naturally occurring into the formation, the optimum results are obtained at the sand particles size meet certain specific requirements. The sand or other granular material should be selected from the broad range of from about 10 to about mesh, and preferably should be closely spaced within that broad range so that the larger particle sizes utilized are no more than approximately twice the smallest particle sizes employed. For example, sand in the range of 10 to 20 mesh, or 20 to 40 mesh, or 40 to 80 mesh, may be utilized effectively. The reason for this optimum size is that sand particles coarser than about 10 mesh when bonded together according to the process to be described in detail below, result in the formation of a permeable mass whose low channels or pore sizes are so great that fine sand particles can move freely therethrough in the production well. Very fine sand particles, i.e. those particles finer than about 80 mesh, are unsuitable because the resultant barrier had insufficient permeability to permit the flow of formation fluids therethrough. From this discussion it can be appreciated that the type of sand present in the formation which the permeable barrier is to restrain the movement of will to some degree influence the especially preferred particle size of the sand to be introduced into the formation. Thus if very fine sand is present in the formation, then the best result will be attained using sand within the finer range, ie from about 40 to about 80 mesh. Similarly, higher production rates can safely be attained in formations whose naturally occurring sand is relatively coarse by means of using the coarser sand grains within the specified range, such as for example 10 to 20 mesh or 20 to 40 mesh sand.
II. INTRODUCTION OF THE ASPHALTIC OR BITUMINOUS PETROLEUM INTO THE SAND According to one aspect of our invention, the asphaltic or bituminous petroleum naturally occurring in a formation may be utilized as the source of the asphaltic material to form the sand restraining permeable mass. That is to say, if the naturally Occurring formation petroleum is highly asphaltic or bituminous, this may be utilized as a part or all of the asphaltic petroleum or formation of the permeable In some instances it is not necessary to add any additional asphaltic petroleum, whereas in others it may be necessary to increase the asphaltic petroleum saturation within this'portion of the formation immediately adjacent to the well to be treated, so that a stable barrier may be formed. 7
When it is desirable to enlarge the cavity and introduce sand rather than use naturally occurring formation sand, it will generally be necessary to also introduce the asphaltic or bituminous petroleum. It should be realized that asphaltic or bituminous petroleum is generally very viscous, and so ordinarily cannot be simply pumped into the sand pack. The viscosity of bituminous petroleum such as is found in tar sand deposits, for example, is in the range of millions of centipoise at formation temperature. The viscosity-temperature relationship of such petroleum is exceedingly sharp, however, and the viscosity of tar sand material drops to a value of only a few centipoise at about 300F. Acordingly, one method of introducing the bituminous petroleum into the sand pack is simply to heat the petroleum to a temperature of at least 200F and preferably around 300F, so as to make the bituminous petroleum pumpable, and introduce the hot bituminous petroleum into the sand pack. It is preferable to preheat the sand pack to a similar temperature, so that the petroleum will not cool too rapidly, and thus the sand pack may be saturated uniformly into the desired depth away from the well bore. The sand pack may be conveniently preheated by passing a heated fluid such as steam through the sand pack prior to introduction ofa heated bituminous petroleum into the sand pack.
Another method for coating the granular material with bituminous petroleum involves the formulationof an oil-in-water emulsion which has a much lower viscosity than the petroleum itself. The desired emulsion may be formed by mixing a quantity of bituminous petroleum with water, the ratio of oil to water being from about 1.0 to about 0.01 and preferably about 0.10. The formulation of the emulsion is aided by inclusion of a small amount of an alkalinity agent such as sodium hydroxide in the water. Generally from about 0.01 to about 1 percent by weight sodium hydroxide is satisfactory for this purpose.
After the bituminous petroleum and water emulsion has been formulated, it may easily be pumped down the tubing and/or annular space between the tubing and casing, into the granular material adjacent to the perforations in the production tubing. The sand pack should be throughly saturated with the bitumen and water emulsion. An acid such hydrochloric acid or sulfuric acid may then be introduced into the saturated sand pack to break the emulsion or resolve it into its separate phases. The volume of acid needed to treat the emulsion-saturated sand pack will generally be from about 1 percent .toabout 50 percent of the volume of emulsion present. The concentration of acid may be from about 1 percent to about 10 percent by weight. When the acid contacts the emulsion and resolves it into its phases, the viscous bituminous petroleum deposits on the sand grains, and the water phase may easily be displaced out of the pack either into the formation or into the well bore and produced to the surface of the earth.
Still another method for saturating the sand pack with bituminous petroleum comprises forming a solution of the bituminous petroleum and a suitable solvent such as benzene, toluene and naphtha so as to form a low viscosity solution, and then pump the solution into the sand pack through the tubing or annular space or both. A suitable gas such as air, nitrogen or carbon dioxide or natural gas may then be passed through the sand or gravel pack to vaporize the solvent, leaving the viscous petroleum deposited on the sand or gravel. The vaporization may be accelerated if an inner gas such as nitrogen is heated to a temperature well above the boiling point of the solvent prior to passing the gas through the sand pack.
III. ASPHALT PRECIPITATING SOLVENT INJECTION After the asphaltic or bituminous petroleum has been placed in the 'pore space of the sand or granular material pack adjacent the'well bore, a solvent capable of solubilizing the non-asphaltic or non-bituminous fraction of the petroleum, and causing precipitation or deposition of the asphaltic or bituminous fraction of the petroleum on the granular material grains should be introduced into the formation. The solvent may be a low molecular weight hydrocarbon, preferably a paraffinic hydrocarbon having from three to ten carbon atoms such as pentane or hexane. The paraffinic hydrocarbon should be introduced into the formation under temperature and pressure conditions which will result in it entering the sand pack in a liquid form. Accordingly, the temperature should be below about 250 and preferably about in order to insure that it is essentially all in the liquid phase of the temperature existing in the sand pack being treated. In deeper deposits, which can tolerate higher injection pressures, lower molecular weight paraffinic hydrocarbons such as'butane or even propane may be utilized effectively, so long the temperature and pressure at which the materials are injected are such that the fluid will enter the formation a liquid.
Another suitable asphalt precipitating solvent for use is N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone whose formula is as follows:
This material should similarly be introduced into the formation in the form of a liquid, in order to insure that it effectively precipitates most of the bituminous or asphaltic material present in the sand pack.
Still another solvent suitable for use in the process of our invention for the purpose of precipitating asphalt is furfural, whose formula is as follows:
A mixture of any two or more of the above materials may also be used effectively to precipitate the asphaltic or bituminous petroleum fraction of the petroleum.
IV. SOLIDIFICATION OF THE ASPHALT OR BITUMEN After the asphaltic or bituminous fraction of the petroleum has been precipitated by suitable treatment as described immediately above, the final phase of the process for forming the sand controlled permeable barrier is to introduce a heated fluid, preferably a heated gaseous fluid into the sand pack to vaporize volatile materials present and solidify the asphaltic or bituminous material. Steam is an especially preferred fluid for this purpose, since it is inexpensive and readily available, and equipment for generating steam will frequently be available in the oil field for the thermal recovery stimulation process to be applied later.
Either saturated or super heated steam may be utilized in this step, although ordinarily the preferred embodiment will be to utilize saturated steam because it is less expensive and quite satisfactory for this purpose. So long as the temperature of the sand pack is raised to at least 250F, the desired solidification of the deposited asphalt will be achieved. It is preferred that the steam temperature be at least 300F in order to effectively solidify the asphaltic materials in a reasonably short period of time. Ordinarily, the time required for the solidification stepwill be inversely related to the temperature. Thus, if lower temperature fluids are utilized to heat and solidify the asphaltic material, a longer period of time will be required. If the steam is at least 300F, the desired solidification occurs within only a few hours. Ordinarily from about 1 to about 12 hours is sufficient to solidify the deposited asphaltic material. Although longer exposure to steam will not be detrimental to the process, and may be utilized if desired, there is no particular advantage to injecting steam into the sand pack for any period of time longer than is necessary to achieve the desired solidification of the asphaltic material.
Any other heated gaseous material may be utilized for the solidification step. For example, air or nitrogen or any other suitable gas may be heated to a temperature of around 300F and passed through the sand pack to effectively solidify the asphaltic materials and bind the loose sand grains together.
V. FlELD EXAMPLE The process of our invention may better be understood by reference to the following pilot field example, which is offered only as a preferred illustrative embodiment, and is not intended to be limitative or restrictive of our invention.
A tar sand deposit is to be subjected to steam emulsification drive. A well is drilled into the tar sand deposit, which is located under an overburden whose thickness is about 300 feet and the tar sand deposit thickness is around 75 feet. The tar sand deposit immediately adjacent to the well is under-reamed to create a cavity approximately 3 feet in diameter extending the full 75 foot thickness of the tar sand deposit. A casing is run to the top of the tar sand deposit and a production tubing string is run to the bottom of the tar sand deposit. Perforations are formed over the full 75 foot interval, since it is desired to introduce fluids essentially uniformly into the tar sand interval.
A slurry is formed of 40 to mesh frac sand in water, and this slurry is pumped into the annular space. Water is pumped from the production tubing, to cause the sand grains to pack closely around the perforated production tubing and to form thereby a dense sand pack which substantially fills the cavity around the well. This is continued until calculations indicate that the sand pack is about 1 foot above the top of the perforation.
Prior to introduction of the bituminous petroleum, steam at a temperature of 300F is pumped into the production tubing to contact the sand pack and heat the sand grains contained therein near a temperature near 300. Passage of steam therethrough for about 2 hours is sufficient to heat the sand grains.
A quantity of bituminous petroleum obtained from the tar sand material similar to that found in the formation is heated to a temperature of 300F and introduced into the production string, where it flows out through the perforations and saturates the sand grains. Since the porosity of the sand pack is approximately 20 percent, the volume to be saturated with bituminous petroleum is (3/2) X 11- X 75 X 0.20 cubic feet, which is the amount of bituminous petroleum to be introduced into the tubing string to saturate the sand pack. Approximately 10 percent excess is' utilized to assure that good contact between all of the sand and bituminous petroleum is achieved.
Air is slowly passed down the production tubing to cool the bituminous petroleum and sand to about 100 prior to the next step, so that the asphalt participating solvent will not be vaporized upon contacting the hot material.
Hexane is chosen as the asphalt precipitating solvent, since it is not desired to exceed the overburden-related pressure limitation and since it is necessary that the solvent enter this sand pack in a liquid form. Approximately 50 gallons of hexane is pumped slowly into the injection tubing. During this time the annular space is closed off so the hexane with portions of the petroleum dissolved therein will enter the formation rather than pass back up the tubing. After the hexane has been pumped into the sand pack, steam at a temperature of 325 is introduced into the sand pack for approximately 6 hours so as to solidify the precipitated asphalt, to bind the sand grains together and form the desired permeable mass for sand control purposes.
The well treated according to the above discussion is utilized as the production well and the subsequently applied steam-emulsification drive process, and no problems are encountered in connection with movement of unconsolidated sand into the well bore, and further that the permeable mass formed in accordance with the above described procedure is not affected by subsequent contact with steam and caustic.
Vl. EXPERIMENTAL SECTION The following laboratory experiments were performed to verify the operability and determine the effectiveness of the process of our invention. A linear laboratory cell approximately 7 inches in length and 1.4 inches in diameter was packed with a sample of athabasca tar sand to a density of 1.8 grams per cubic centimeter. A total of cubic centimeters of liquid normal butane was injected into the sand pack in 5 slugs averaging 29 cubic centimeters per slug, each slug being depleted by normal butane vapor pressure. Steam at a temperature of 294F was then introducd into the cell to displace the oil. After completion of this experiment, the contents of the cell was examined and it was noted that the 3 inches into the cell from the point of injection was consolidated by dark precipitates, and the portion immediately adjacent to the injection well was very well consolidated and permeable.
Thus we have disclosed and demonstrated that a sand controlling permeable mass may be formulated by con-- tacting a mixture of sand and asphaltic or bituminous petroleum, which may be naturally occurring or may be placed in the well bore for the purpose of forming the permeable mass, by contacting same with an effective asphalt precipitating solvent such as a liquid paraffinic hydrocarbon, as well as with furfural or N-methyl-2- pyrrolidone, and thereafter introducing steam or any other heated fluid into the zone for the purpose of dehydrating and solidifying the asphaltic material. The asphaltic material binds the sand grains together, forming a permeable mass which will effectively restrain the flow of sand into the well. bore during periods of recovery of fluid therefrom.
While our invention has been disclosed in terms of a number of illustrative embodiments, it is not so limited since many variations thereof will be apparent to persons skilled in the art without departing from the true spirit and scope of our invention. Similarly, while reactions and mechanisms have been proposed to explain the benefits resulting from the application of the process of our invention, it is not necessarily hereby represented that these are the only or even the principal reactions and mechanisms occurring, and we do not wish to be bound by any particular mechanism or reaction. It is our intention that our invention be limited and restricted only by those limitations and restrictions as appear in the claims appended immediately hereinafter below.
We claim:
1. A method of treating a subterranean unconsolidated sand and petroleum containing formation penetrated by at least one well, said well being in fluid communication with the subterranean formation, for the purpose of forming a permeable barrier around the well to restrain the movement of sand particles while permitting the passage of petroleum therethrough, comprising:
a. introducing a pre-determined quantity of granular material into the well bore adjacent the formation;
b. introducing bituminous petroleum into the granular material;
c. introducing an asphalt precipitating solvent selected from the group consisting of paraffinic hydrocarbons having from 3 to 10 carbon atoms, furfural, N-methyl-Z-pyrrolidone, and mixtures thereof; and
d; introducing a heated fluid into the granular material at a temperature of at least 250F to solidify the precipitated asphalt.
2. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the granular material is sand.
3. A method as recited in claim 2 wherein the particle size of the sand is from about 10 to about mesh.
4. A method as recited in claim 3 wherein the particles size of the largest sand grain contained therein is not more than twice the particle size of the small sand grain contained therein.
5. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the particulate matters introduced into the well bore by forming a slurry of particulate matter and fluid and pumping the slurry into the well, so that the particulate matter forms against the face of the formation.
6. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the asphalt precipitating solvent is hexane.
7. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the asphalt precipitating solvent is pentane.
8. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the asphalt precipitating solvent is furfural.
9. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the asphalt precipitating solvent is N-methylQ-pyrrolidone.
10. A method as recited in claim 1 comprising the additional initial step of removing a portion of the formation immediately adjacent to the well bore to form a cavity.
11. A method recited in claim 10 wherein the formation material is removed by washing with a liquid.
12. a method as recited in claim 10 wherein the formation is removed by mechanical reaming.
Claims (12)
1. A METHOD OF TREATING A SUBTERRANEAN UNCONSOLIDATED SAND AND PETROLEUM CONTAINING FORMATION PENETRATED BY AT LEAST ONE WELL, SAID WELL BEING IN FLUID COMMUNICATION WITH THE SUBTERRANEAN FORMATION, FOR THE PURPOSE OF FORMING A PERMEABLE BARRIER AROUN THE WELL TO RESTRAIN THE MOVEMENT OF SAND PARTICLES WHILE PERMITTING THE PASSAGE OF PETROLEUM THERETHROUGH, COMPRISING, A. INTRODUCING A PRE-DETERMINED QUANTITY OF GRANULAR MATERIAL INTO THE WELL BORE ADJACENT THE FORMATION, B. INTRODUCING BITUMINOUS PETROLEUM INTO THE GRANULAR MATERIAL, C. INTRODUCING AN ASPHALT PERCIPITATING SOLVENT SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF PARAFFINIC HYDROCARBONS HAVING FROM 3 TO 10 CARBON ATOMS, FURFURAL, N-METHYL-2-PYRROLIDONE, AND MIXTURES THEREOF, AND D. INTRODUCING A HEATED FLUID INTO THE GRANULAR MATERIAL AT A TEMPERATURE OF AT LEAST 250*F TO SOLIDIFY THE PERCIPITATED ASPHALT.
2. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the granular material is sand.
3. A method as recited in claim 2 wherein the particle size of the sand is from about 10 to about 80 mesh.
4. A method as recited in claim 3 wherein the particles size of the largest sand grain contained therein is not more than twice the particle size of the small sand grain contained therein.
5. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the particulate matters introduced into the well bore by forming a slurry of particulate matter and fluid and pumping the slurry into the well, so that the particulate matter forms against the face of the formation.
6. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the asphalt precipitating solvent is hexane.
7. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the asphalt precipitating solvent is pentane.
8. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the asphalt precipitating solvent is furfural.
9. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the asphalt precipitating solvent is N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone.
10. A method as recited in claim 1 comprising the additional initial step of removing a portion of the formation immediately adjacent to the well bore to form a cavity.
11. A method as recited in claim 10 wherein the formation material is removed by washing with a liquid.
12. a method as recited in claim 10 wherein the formation is removed by mechanical reaming.
Priority Applications (5)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
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US491985A US3910351A (en) | 1974-07-25 | 1974-07-25 | Sand control method employing asphaltenes |
US05/553,417 US3951210A (en) | 1974-07-25 | 1975-02-26 | Sand control method employing asphaltenes |
CA230,129A CA1054358A (en) | 1974-07-25 | 1975-06-25 | Sand control method employing asphaltenes |
GB2848475A GB1472394A (en) | 1974-07-25 | 1975-07-07 | Sand control method employing asphaltenes |
AU83145/75A AU492103B2 (en) | 1974-07-25 | 1975-07-17 | Sand control method employing asphaltenes |
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US491985A US3910351A (en) | 1974-07-25 | 1974-07-25 | Sand control method employing asphaltenes |
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US4114691A (en) * | 1977-10-14 | 1978-09-19 | Texaco Inc. | Method for controlling sand in thermal recovery of oil from tar sands |
US4450913A (en) * | 1982-06-14 | 1984-05-29 | Texaco Inc. | Superheated solvent method for recovering viscous petroleum |
US4494605A (en) * | 1981-12-11 | 1985-01-22 | Texaco Inc. | Sand control employing halogenated, oil soluble hydrocarbons |
US4685836A (en) * | 1984-12-28 | 1987-08-11 | Institut Francais Du Petrole | Method of consolidating a geological formation by thermal polymerization |
US4703800A (en) * | 1984-04-25 | 1987-11-03 | Hanna Mohsen R | Method for consolidating formation surrounding borehole |
US5504063A (en) * | 1990-11-30 | 1996-04-02 | Petrolite Corporation | Asphaltene removal composition and method |
US20180362827A1 (en) * | 2017-06-19 | 2018-12-20 | Saudi Arabian Oil Company | In-situ generation of glass-like materials inside subterranean formation |
US11549051B2 (en) | 2020-10-22 | 2023-01-10 | Saudi Arabian Oil Company | Methods and compositions for consolidating sand in subsurface formations |
US20230392068A1 (en) * | 2022-06-03 | 2023-12-07 | Saudi Arabian Oil Company | Sand consolidation using asphaltene/tar with solvents and adsorption system |
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US3559736A (en) * | 1969-09-12 | 1971-02-02 | Exxon Production Research Co | Well completion method |
US3812913A (en) * | 1971-10-18 | 1974-05-28 | Sun Oil Co | Method of formation consolidation |
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1974
- 1974-07-25 US US491985A patent/US3910351A/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
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1975
- 1975-06-25 CA CA230,129A patent/CA1054358A/en not_active Expired
- 1975-07-07 GB GB2848475A patent/GB1472394A/en not_active Expired
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US2187895A (en) * | 1938-03-28 | 1940-01-23 | Stanolind Oil & Gas Co | Method of forming a porous concrete well strainer |
US2427848A (en) * | 1943-03-25 | 1947-09-23 | Texaco Development Corp | Method of completing wells |
US2670047A (en) * | 1949-04-22 | 1954-02-23 | Socony Vacuum Oil Co Inc | Method of initiating subterranean combustion |
US2771952A (en) * | 1953-08-24 | 1956-11-27 | California Research Corp | Method of consolidating subterranean formations |
US3003555A (en) * | 1956-09-18 | 1961-10-10 | Jersey Prod Res Co | Oil production from unconsolidated formations |
US3093192A (en) * | 1958-07-14 | 1963-06-11 | Texaco Inc | Oil well treatment to overcome water coning |
US3182722A (en) * | 1961-12-19 | 1965-05-11 | Gulf Research Development Co | Process for completing wells in unconsolidated formations by reverse in situ combustion |
US3180415A (en) * | 1963-06-03 | 1965-04-27 | Texaco Inc | Oil well treatment to overcome water coning |
US3323591A (en) * | 1964-10-19 | 1967-06-06 | Phillips Petroleum Co | Hydrophobic fuel pack and well ignition therewith |
US3559736A (en) * | 1969-09-12 | 1971-02-02 | Exxon Production Research Co | Well completion method |
US3812913A (en) * | 1971-10-18 | 1974-05-28 | Sun Oil Co | Method of formation consolidation |
Cited By (12)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4114691A (en) * | 1977-10-14 | 1978-09-19 | Texaco Inc. | Method for controlling sand in thermal recovery of oil from tar sands |
US4494605A (en) * | 1981-12-11 | 1985-01-22 | Texaco Inc. | Sand control employing halogenated, oil soluble hydrocarbons |
US4450913A (en) * | 1982-06-14 | 1984-05-29 | Texaco Inc. | Superheated solvent method for recovering viscous petroleum |
US4703800A (en) * | 1984-04-25 | 1987-11-03 | Hanna Mohsen R | Method for consolidating formation surrounding borehole |
US4685836A (en) * | 1984-12-28 | 1987-08-11 | Institut Francais Du Petrole | Method of consolidating a geological formation by thermal polymerization |
US5504063A (en) * | 1990-11-30 | 1996-04-02 | Petrolite Corporation | Asphaltene removal composition and method |
US20180362827A1 (en) * | 2017-06-19 | 2018-12-20 | Saudi Arabian Oil Company | In-situ generation of glass-like materials inside subterranean formation |
US10584274B2 (en) * | 2017-06-19 | 2020-03-10 | Saudi Arabian Oil Company | In-situ generation of glass-like materials inside subterranean formation |
US11124689B2 (en) | 2017-06-19 | 2021-09-21 | Saudi Arabian Oil Company | In-situ generation of glass-like materials inside subterranean formation |
US11549051B2 (en) | 2020-10-22 | 2023-01-10 | Saudi Arabian Oil Company | Methods and compositions for consolidating sand in subsurface formations |
US20230392068A1 (en) * | 2022-06-03 | 2023-12-07 | Saudi Arabian Oil Company | Sand consolidation using asphaltene/tar with solvents and adsorption system |
US11987747B2 (en) * | 2022-06-03 | 2024-05-21 | Saudi Arabian Oil Company | Sand consolidation using asphaltene/tar with solvents and adsorption system |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
CA1054358A (en) | 1979-05-15 |
AU8314575A (en) | 1977-01-20 |
GB1472394A (en) | 1977-05-04 |
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