The article presents a developed methodology for assessing clay swelling using centrifugation. The article describes the problem of clay swelling when freshwater-based fluids are used in hydraulic fracturing, which is one of the most used methods of stimulation of reservoir fluids production. There is a need to solve this problem by adding special reagents (clay stabilizers) to water-based hydraulic fracturing fluids, the purpose of which is to prevent the swelling of clay particles. The correct choice of the method for evaluating the inhibitory ability of clay stabilizers allows minimizing the negative impact of fluids used in hydraulic fracturing on the reservoir rock. The absence of a unified standard for testing the inhibitory ability of clay stabilizers and the presence of a great variety of research techniques does not make it possible to unambiguously assess the degree of fluid influence on clay swelling. The article proposes using centrifugation to improve the method of clay swelling evaluation by sedimentation stability of suspension. Assessment of clay swelling using an optimized method allows us to study the effect of fracturing fluids of rock to prevent adverse consequences in the form of reduced permeability of the productive zone. The method presented in this work makes it possible to shorten the time of the evaluation of the stabilizing effect of swelling inhibitors and improve the accuracy of the research results by separating free water from swollen clay. It also helps to reduce the experimental time and increase the accuracy of the results by separating free water and water retained by the clay mineral. The proposed technique increases the accuracy and efficiency of evaluating the stabilizing ability of the reagents used to prevent clay swelling, which contributes to optimizing the fluid formulation for the hydraulic fracturing process.
References
1. Abrams M.E., Grieser B., Benoit D., Everything you wanted to know about clay damage but were afraid to ask, AADE-16-FTCE-35, 2016, URL: https://www.aade.org/application/files/7815/7131/8490/AADE-16-FTCE-35_-_Abrams.pdf
2. Karazincir O., Williams W., Rijken P., Prediction of fines migration through core testing, SPE-187157-MS, 2017, DOI: https://doi.org/10.2118/187157-MS
3. Velde B., Barré P., Soils, plants and clay minerals, Springer, 2010, 355 p., DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-03499-2
4. Ze Li, Hongtao Li, Gao Li et al., The influence of shale swelling on casing deformation during hydraulic fracturing, Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, 2021, V. 205, Article no. 108844, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.petrol.2021.108844
5. Meunier A., Clays, Springer, 2005, 477 p.
6. Borodin S.A., Razrabotka usovershenstvovannykh metodov issledovaniya ingibiruyushchey sposobnosti stabilizatorov nabukhaniya glin dlya zhidkostey gidrorazryva plasta (Development of improved methods for studying the inhibitory ability of clay swelling stabilizers for hydraulic fracturing fluids): thesis of candidate of technical science, Moscow, 2022.
7. Kalbaev A.M., Abdikamalova A.B., The study of clay minerals deposits Bestyubinsk (In Russ.), Problemy sovremennoy nauki i obrazovaniya, 2018, no. 8(128), pp. 6-10.
8. Patent RU 2553812 C2, Inhibitors of clay swelling for drilling industry, Inventors: Merli L., Dzhani F., Pirovano P., Floridi Dzh., Li Bassi Dzh.
9. Jie Zhang, Weimin Hu, Li Zhang, Investigation of ammonium–lauric salt as shale swelling inhibitor and a mechanism study, Adsorption Science & Technology, 2019, V. 37, no. 1-2, pp. 49-60, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0263617418809832
10. Jackson M.L., Soil chemical analysis advanced course, Madison, USA: Parallel Press, 1969, 895 p.
11. Naumkina N.I., Trofimova F.A., Vlasov V.V., Rentgenograficheskiy analiz izmeneniya strukturnykh parametrov montmorillonita pri mekhanoaktivatsii (X-ray analysis of changes in the structural parameters of montmorillonite during mechanical activation), Proceedings of I Russian workshop “Gliny, glinistye mineraly i sloistye materialy” (Clays, clay minerals and layered materials), Moscow: Publ. of IGEM RAN, 2011, pp. 40-41.
12. Zhang L., Li T., Huang L. et al., Preparation and application of melamine cross-linked poly ammonium as shale inhibitor, Chemistry Central Journal, 2018, V. 12,
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13065-018-0410-9
13. Pham H., Nguyen Q.P., Effect of silica nanoparticles on clay swelling and aqueous stability of nanoparticle dispersions, Journal of Nanoparticle Research, 2014, V. 16, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-013-2137-9
14. Xiang G., Lv L., Ge L., Simple method for evaluating swelling of GMZ01 Na-bentonite affected by temperature at osmotic swelling, Soils and Foundations, 2020, V. 60, no. 5, pp. 1312-1321, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sandf.2020.09.003
15. Wang X., Zhang C., Sun G., Investigation on swelling performance of oil sands and its impact on oil production during SAGD processes, Energies, 2022, V. 15(18),
