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Gels
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Chemical and Gels for Oil Drilling and Enhanced Recovery
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Chemical and Gels for Oil Drilling and Enhanced Recovery

A special issue of Gels (ISSN 2310-2861). This special issue belongs to the section "Gel Applications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2025) | Viewed by 10236

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Junjian Li

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Petroleum Engineering, China University of Petroleum (Beijing), Beijing 102249, China
Interests: polymer gel; microscopic seepage; EOR; unconventional reservoir
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue delves into the exploration of chemical compounds and gels in oil and gas fields, aiming to enhance drilling efficiency and improve oil recovery. We invite contributions covering a wide array of topics, including novel gel synthesis, mathematical modeling, the experimental evaluation of gel performance, and applications of chemical compounds as well as gels in drilling operations and oil recovery processes.

Gels, characterized by their elastomeric nature and three-dimensional network structure, comprising polymers, cross-linkers, and other additives, play pivotal roles across various domains of oil and gas drilling and production engineering. Their applications range from serving as drilling fluids to controlling lost circulation, facilitating fracturing, acidizing, conformance control, water shutoff, and enhancing oil recovery.

In the challenging environments of oil and gas reservoirs, gels often encounter high temperatures and salinity levels. These conditions can compromise the structural integrity of polymer chains, leading to a significant decline in stability. Consequently, preserving the desirable properties of gels under such harsh conditions poses formidable challenges. Therefore, extensive efforts are warranted to develop novel gel formulations, assess their physical and chemical characteristics under high-temperature as well as high-salinity conditions, and explore their efficacy in drilling and enhanced oil recovery processes through laboratory investigations.

Moreover, the intricate nature of reservoirs implies that certain gels may exhibit different behaviors in field settings compared to laboratory environments. Hence, insights gleaned from field application studies are invaluable for informing future gel development, evaluation, and deployment strategies.

We eagerly anticipate the submission of fresh research endeavors in both chemical compounds and gels aimed at optimizing drilling operations and enhanced oil recovery.

Prof. Dr. Junjian Li
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Gels is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2100 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • gel synthesis
  • gel evaluation
  • gel drilling fluids
  • gel plugging
  • gel fracturing fluid
  • gel acid
  • gel conformance control
  • gel displacement
  • gel application

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 2880 KiB  
Article
Development and Performance Evaluation of a Gel-Based Plugging System for Complex Fractured Formations Using Acrylic Resin Particles
by Lei Yao, Xiaohu Quan, Jihe Ma, Ge Wang, Qi Feng, Hui Jin and Jun Yang
Gels 2025, 11(3), 162; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels11030162 - 24 Feb 2025
Viewed by 373
Abstract
The issue of fluid loss in fractured formations presents a significant challenge in petroleum engineering, often leading to increased operational costs and construction risks. To address the limitations of traditional lost circulation materials (LCMs) in oil reservoirs with different fracture sizes, this study [...] Read more.
The issue of fluid loss in fractured formations presents a significant challenge in petroleum engineering, often leading to increased operational costs and construction risks. To address the limitations of traditional lost circulation materials (LCMs) in oil reservoirs with different fracture sizes, this study developed an acrylic resin gel particle with excellent thermal stability (thermal decomposition temperature up to 314 °C) and compatibility. By employing Box–Behnken design and response surface methodology, the synergistic interaction of calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2), asbestos fibers, and cement was optimized to create a novel gel solidification plugging system that meets the requirements of fluid loss control and compressive strength improvement. Experimental results revealed that the gel-based system demonstrated exceptional performance, achieving rapid fluid loss (total fluid loss time of 18~47 s) and forming a high-strength gelled filter cake (24 h compressive strength up to 17.5 MPa). Under simulated conditions (150 °C), the gel-based system provided efficient fracture sealing, showcasing remarkable adaptability and potential for engineering applications. This study underscores the promise of acrylic resin gel particles in overcoming fluid loss challenges in complex fractured formations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chemical and Gels for Oil Drilling and Enhanced Recovery)
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16 pages, 5756 KiB  
Article
Performance Evaluation of Fluorescent Polymer Gel Microspheres as a Reservoir Conformance Control Agent
by Saya Shagymgereyeva, Bauyrzhan Sarsenbekuly, Wanli Kang and Sarsenbek Turtabayev
Gels 2025, 11(2), 85; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels11020085 - 22 Jan 2025
Viewed by 2610
Abstract
This study introduces fluorescent polymer gel microspheres (FPMs) as a novel approach to enhance conformance control in oil reservoirs. Designed to address the challenges of high-permeability zones, FPMs were synthesized via inverse suspension polymerization, incorporating 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid (AMPS) to improve thermal stability [...] Read more.
This study introduces fluorescent polymer gel microspheres (FPMs) as a novel approach to enhance conformance control in oil reservoirs. Designed to address the challenges of high-permeability zones, FPMs were synthesized via inverse suspension polymerization, incorporating 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid (AMPS) to improve thermal stability and swelling and fluorescein to enable fluorescence. Characterization using FT-IR, SEM, fluorescence spectroscopy, and thermal analysis revealed that FPMs swell significantly in brine, with diameters increasing from 46 μm to 210 μm, and maintain thermal stability up to 110 °C. These advanced properties make FPMs highly effective in reducing permeability and facilitating real-time tracking, offering a promising solution for improved oil recovery and efficient reservoir management. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chemical and Gels for Oil Drilling and Enhanced Recovery)
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16 pages, 11348 KiB  
Article
Thermal Degradation Study of Hydrogel Nanocomposites Based on Polyacrylamide and Nanosilica Used for Conformance Control and Water Shutoff
by Aleksey Telin, Farit Safarov, Ravil Yakubov, Ekaterina Gusarova, Artem Pavlik, Lyubov Lenchenkova and Vladimir Dokichev
Gels 2024, 10(12), 846; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels10120846 - 22 Dec 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 875
Abstract
The application of nanocomposites based on polyacrylamide hydrogels as well as silica nanoparticles in various tasks related to the petroleum industry has been rapidly developing in the last 10–15 years. Analysis of the literature has shown that the introduction of nanoparticles into hydrogels [...] Read more.
The application of nanocomposites based on polyacrylamide hydrogels as well as silica nanoparticles in various tasks related to the petroleum industry has been rapidly developing in the last 10–15 years. Analysis of the literature has shown that the introduction of nanoparticles into hydrogels significantly increases their structural and mechanical characteristics and improves their thermal stability. Nanocomposites based on hydrogels are used in different technological processes of oil production: for conformance control, water shutoff in production wells, and well killing with loss circulation control. In all these processes, hydrogels crosslinked with different crosslinkers are used, with the addition of different amounts of nanoparticles. The highest nanoparticle content, from 5 to 9 wt%, was observed in hydrogels for well killing. This is explained by the fact that the volumes of injection of block packs are counted only in tens of cubic meters, and for the sake of trouble-free workover, it is very important to preserve the structural and mechanical properties of block packs during the entire repair of the well. For water shutoff, the volumes of nanocomposite injection, depending on the well design, are from 50 to 150 m3. For conformance control, it is required to inject from one to several thousand cubic meters of hydrogel with nanoparticles. Naturally, for such operations, service companies try to select compositions with the minimum required nanoparticle content, which would ensure injection efficiency but at the same time would not lose economic attractiveness. The aim of the present work is to develop formulations of nanocomposites with increased structural and mechanical characteristics based on hydrogels made of partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide crosslinked with resorcinol and paraform, with the addition of commercially available nanosilica, as well as to study their thermal degradation, which is necessary to predict the lifetime of gel shields in reservoir conditions. Hydrogels with additives of pyrogenic (HCSIL200, HCSIL300, RX380) and hydrated (white carbon black grades: ‘BS-50’, ‘BS-120 NU’, ‘BS-120 U’) nanosilica have been studied. The best samples in terms of their structural and mechanical properties have been established: nanocomposites with HCSIL200, HCSIL300, and BS-120 NU. The addition of hydrophilic nanosilica HCSIL200 in the amount of 0.4 wt% to a hydrogel consisting of partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (1%), resorcinol (0.04%), and paraform (0.09%) increased its elastic modulus by almost two times and its USS by almost three times. The thermal degradation of hydrogels was studied at 140 °C, and the experimental time was converted to the exposure time at 80 °C using Van’t Hoff’s rule. It was found that the nanocomposite with HCSIL200 retains its properties at a satisfactory level for 19 months. Filtration studies on water-saturated fractured reservoir models showed that the residual resistance factor and selectivity of the effect of nanocomposites with HCSIL200 on fractures are very high (226.4 and 91.6 for fracture with an opening of 0.05 cm and 11.0 for porous medium with a permeability of 332.3 mD). The selectivity of the isolating action on fractured intervals of the porous formation was noted. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chemical and Gels for Oil Drilling and Enhanced Recovery)
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23 pages, 5880 KiB  
Article
Preparation and Evaluation of Physical and Chemical Properties of Resin Plugging System Suitable for Formation Plugging of Malignant Lost Circulation
by Wei Gao, Mo Wang, Shixin Lian, Yingrui Bai and Jingbin Yang
Gels 2024, 10(10), 633; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels10100633 - 30 Sep 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1109
Abstract
Lost circulation is one of the important problems that restricts the speed and efficiency of oil and gas drilling and production. In this study, a resin plugging system was successfully developed for lost circulation formation. The resin plugging system showed excellent performance under [...] Read more.
Lost circulation is one of the important problems that restricts the speed and efficiency of oil and gas drilling and production. In this study, a resin plugging system was successfully developed for lost circulation formation. The resin plugging system showed excellent performance under high temperature and pressure conditions. The experimental results showed that the compressive strength of the resin plugging material can reach 9.23 MPa after curing, which is significantly higher than that of the traditional polymer gel material. The resin material can achieve effective curing in the temperature range of 60 °C to 100 °C, and the curing time decreases with the increase of temperature and only needs 3.46 h at 140 °C. The microstructure results showed that the resin material can form a chain or three-dimensional network structure after curing, which can effectively increase the toughness and strength of the cured plugging layer. Infrared and thermogravimetric analysis further confirmed the thermal stability of the chemical bonds in the material, and the initial decomposition temperature was about 241 °C, indicating that it had good thermal stability at about 300 °C. In addition, the effects of curing temperature, salinity, and drilling fluid pollution on the properties of the resin plugging agent were also investigated. The results showed that curing agent dosage and curing temperature are the key factors affecting curing time, while salinity and drilling fluid pollution affect the curing strength and overall properties of the materials. After adding 20% KCl polysulfonate drilling fluid, the compressive strength of the consolidated body decreased to 4.55 MPa. This study can provide an efficient and reliable plugging solution for malignant loss formation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chemical and Gels for Oil Drilling and Enhanced Recovery)
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20 pages, 6543 KiB  
Article
A Solidified Controllable Resin System Suitable for Fracture Cavity Formation Plugging and Its Performance Characterization
by Shuanggui Li, Biao Qi, Qitao Zhang and Jingbin Yang
Gels 2024, 10(9), 599; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels10090599 - 20 Sep 2024
Viewed by 1425
Abstract
Thermosetting resins have good temperature resistance and high strength and have been widely used as plugging agents in oil fields. However, the current resin materials have high costs, and unmodified thermosetting resins are brittle or have deteriorated properties such as flame retardancy after [...] Read more.
Thermosetting resins have good temperature resistance and high strength and have been widely used as plugging agents in oil fields. However, the current resin materials have high costs, and unmodified thermosetting resins are brittle or have deteriorated properties such as flame retardancy after curing to form a crosslinked network structure. In this study, the resin was modified via physical blending. The curing strength and temperature resistance were used as the main indicators. The resin matrix, curing agent, rheology modifier, and filling materials were modified and formulated optimally to form a high-strength resin gel plugging system. The resin gel system exhibited good fluidity and pumpability. When the shear rate was 200 s−1 at 25 °C, the initial viscosity was 300–400 mPa·s. The viscosity gradually decreased with increasing shear rate, and the apparent viscosity had good long-term stability at room temperature. A contamination test of different types of drilling fluids on the resin gel system showed that this system had good anti-contamination capability and could maintain a high curing strength even after being contaminated. At the same time, the system exhibited good plugging capability. A wedge-shaped fracture with an inlet size of 7 mm and an outlet size of 5 mm was plugged at 12.84 MPa for 10 min without leakage. A sand-filling pipe (with a diameter of 3.8 cm and pipe length of 30 cm) connected to the pipeline with a 6 mm outlet was subjected to a constant pressure of 11.29 MPa and plugged for 8 min before breaking through. Therefore, it exhibited good capability for plugging fissures and cavities. The resin gel leakage-plugging system has significant potential to realize effective plugging of the deep large-fracture leakage layer. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chemical and Gels for Oil Drilling and Enhanced Recovery)
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24 pages, 5984 KiB  
Article
High-Strength Controllable Resin Plugging Agent and Its Performance Evaluation for Fractured Formation
by Xiongwei Liu, Biao Qi, Xiuping Chen, Ziyao Shen and Jingbin Yang
Gels 2024, 10(8), 511; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels10080511 - 2 Aug 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1190
Abstract
Lost circulation is a common and complicated situation in drilling engineering. Serious lost circulation may lead to pressure drop in the well, affect normal drilling operations, and even cause wellbore instability, formation fluid flooding into the wellbore, and blowout. Therefore, appropriate preventive and [...] Read more.
Lost circulation is a common and complicated situation in drilling engineering. Serious lost circulation may lead to pressure drop in the well, affect normal drilling operations, and even cause wellbore instability, formation fluid flooding into the wellbore, and blowout. Therefore, appropriate preventive and treatment measures need to be taken to ensure the safe and smooth operation of drilling operations. So, it is necessary to conduct in-depth research on the development and performance of the plugging materials. In this study, urea formaldehyde resin with high temperature resistance and strength was used as the main raw material, and the curing conditions were optimized and adjusted by adding a variety of additives. The curing time, compressive strength, temperature resistance, and other key performance indexes of the resin plugging agent were studied, and a resin plugging agent system with excellent plugging performance was prepared. The formula is as follows: 25% urea formaldehyde resin +1% betaine +1% silane coupling agent KH-570 + 3% ammonium chloride +1% hexamethylenetetramine +1% sodium carboxymethyl cellulose. The optimal curing temperature is between 60 and 80 °C, with a controllable curing time of 1–3 h. Experimental studies examined the rheological and curing properties of the resin plugging agent system. The results showed that the viscosity of the high-strength curable resin system before curing remained stable with increasing shear rates. Additionally, the storage modulus and loss modulus of the resin solutions increased with shear stress, with the loss modulus being greater than the storage modulus, indicating a viscous fluid. The study also investigated the effect of different salt ion concentrations on the curing effect of the resin plugging system. The results showed that formation water containing Na+ at concentrations between 500 mg/L and 10,000 mg/L increased the resin’s curing strength and reduced curing time. However, excessively high concentrations at lower temperatures reduced the curing strength. Formation water containing Ca2+ increased the curing time of the resin plugging system and significantly impacted the curing strength, reducing it to some extent. Moreover, the high-strength curable resin plugging agent system can effectively stay in various fracture types (parallel, wedge-shaped) and different fracture sizes, forming a high-strength consolidation under certain temperature conditions for effective plugging. In wedge-shaped fractures with a width of 10 mm, the breakthrough pressure of the high-strength curable resin plugging agent system reached 8.1 MPa. As the fracture width decreases, the breakthrough pressure increases, reaching 9.98 MPa in wedge-shaped fractures with an outlet fracture width of 3 mm, forming a high-strength plugging layer. This research provides new ideas and methods for solving drilling fluid loss in fractured loss zones and has certain application and promotion value. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chemical and Gels for Oil Drilling and Enhanced Recovery)
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17 pages, 7665 KiB  
Article
Synthesis and Performance Evaluation of High-Temperature-Resistant Extreme-Pressure Lubricants for a Water-Based Drilling Fluid Gel System
by Shengming Huang, Tengfei Dong, Guancheng Jiang, Jun Yang, Xukun Yang and Quande Wang
Gels 2024, 10(8), 505; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels10080505 - 1 Aug 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1833
Abstract
Addressing the high friction and torque challenges encountered in drilling processes for high-displacement wells, horizontal wells, and directional wells, we successfully synthesized OAG, a high-temperature and high-salinity drilling fluid lubricant, using materials such as oleic acid and glycerol. OAG was characterized through Fourier-transform [...] Read more.
Addressing the high friction and torque challenges encountered in drilling processes for high-displacement wells, horizontal wells, and directional wells, we successfully synthesized OAG, a high-temperature and high-salinity drilling fluid lubricant, using materials such as oleic acid and glycerol. OAG was characterized through Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The research findings demonstrate the excellent lubricating performance of OAG under high-temperature and high-salinity conditions. After adding 1.0% OAG to a 4% freshwater-based slurry, the adhesion coefficient of the mud cake decreased to 0.0437, and at a dosage of 1.5%, the lubrication coefficient was 0.032, resulting in a reduction rate of 94.1% in the lubrication coefficient. After heating at 200 °C for 16 h, the reduction rate of the lubrication coefficient reached 93.6%. Even under 35% NaCl conditions, the reduction rate of the lubrication coefficient remained at 80.3%, indicating excellent lubrication retention performance. The lubricant OAG exhibits good compatibility with high-density drilling fluid gel systems, maintaining their rheological properties after heating at 200 °C and reducing filtration loss. The lubrication mechanism analysis indicates that OAG can effectively adsorb onto the surface of N80 steel sheets. The contact angle of the steel sheets increased from 41.9° to 83.3° before and after hot rolling, indicating a significant enhancement in hydrophobicity. This enhancement is primarily attributed to the formation of an extreme-pressure lubricating film through chemical reactions of OAG on the metal surface. Consequently, this film markedly reduces the friction between the drilling tools and the wellbore rocks, thereby enhancing lubrication performance and providing valuable guidance for constructing high-density water-based drilling fluid gel systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chemical and Gels for Oil Drilling and Enhanced Recovery)
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