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Leak-off behavior and water shut-off performance of a polymer/chromium (Cr3+) gel in fractured media

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Abstract

During gel treatments for fractures, the leak-off behavior of gelant has a great effect on the water shut-off performance of gel. Experiments were carried out using a polymer/chromium (Cr3+) gel system to explore the leak-off behavior and the water shut-off performance of gel in fractured media. Results of the gelant leak-off study show that the gelant leak-off from fracture into matrix contributes to the formation of the gelant leak-off layer during the gelant injection. Moreover, because of the gradual formation of the gelant leak-off layer along fracture, the initial leak-off ratio of gelant is relatively high, but it declines and finally levels off with the increase of the injection volume. The polymer concentration of gelant has a great effect on the chromium output in fluids produced from fractures. With the increase of the polymer concentration, the chromium concentration first decreases and then increases, and the leak-off depth of gelant into matrix is gradually reduced. Results of the water shut-off study present that the decrease of the chromium concentration inside the fracture greatly reduces the water shut-off performance after the gel formation. Therefore, because of the relatively high degree of chromium leak-off, enough injection volume of gelant is essential to ensure the sufficient chromium concentration inside the fracture and to further achieve a favorable water shut-off performance. On the premise of gel strength assurance inside the fracture, the water shut-off performance of gel gradually declines with the extension of the distance from the fracture inlet, and different leak-off degrees of gelant along the fracture are responsible for this phenomenon. Therefore, a proper degree of gelant leak-off contributes to enhancing the water shut-off performance of gel for fractures.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Petroleum Engineering, China University of Petroleum (Beijing), Beijing, 102249, China

    Jun-jian Li  (李俊键) & Miao Zhang  (张淼)

  2. Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration & Development, PetroChina, Beijing, 100083, China

    Chun-ming Xiong  (熊春明), Ying-rui Bai  (白英睿) & Fa-lin Wei  (魏发林)

  3. Department of Science and Technology Management, China National Petroleum Corporation, Beijing, 100007, China

    Ru-yi Jiang  (江如意)

Authors
  1. Jun-jian Li  (李俊键)
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  2. Chun-ming Xiong  (熊春明)
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  3. Ying-rui Bai  (白英睿)
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  4. Ru-yi Jiang  (江如意)
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  5. Fa-lin Wei  (魏发林)
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  6. Miao Zhang  (张淼)
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Correspondence to Ying-rui Bai  (白英睿).

Additional information

Foundation item: Project(51404280) supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China; Project(2014D-5006-0203) supported by the PetroChina Innovation Foundation, China

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Li, Jj., Xiong, Cm., Bai, Yr. et al. Leak-off behavior and water shut-off performance of a polymer/chromium (Cr3+) gel in fractured media. J. Cent. South Univ. 24, 1418–1429 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11771-017-3546-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11771-017-3546-1

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