Saudi Arabian Oil Company

Simone Musso

Sivaprakash Shanmugam

Ashok K Santra

Carl Joseph Thaemlitz

Cement slurries, cured cements, and methods of making cured cement and methods of using cement slurries are provided. The cement slurries have, among other attributes, improved expanding capabilities and may be used, for instance, in the oil and gas drilling industry. The cement slurry comprises water, a cement precursor material, and an expanding agent. The expanding agent comprising at least a poly(acrylic acid)-metal oxide nanocomposite, where the metal oxide comprises MgO, CaO, or both, and the poly(acrylic acid) comprises a t-butyl terminal group, an isobornyl terminal group, or both.

Cement slurries, cured cement and methods of making and use of these

A method of measuring cement volumetric changes includes loading a sample cement into a flexible container and surrounding the flexible container by a column of fluid in a chamber. The temperature of the column of fluid is adjusted to a cement setting temperature, and the sample cement is allowed to set over several hours. The pressure of the column of fluid is adjusted to a test pressure. The temperature of the column of fluid in the chamber is adjusted to induce volumetric changes in the set cement. As the volume of the set cement changes, fluid volume adjustments are applied to the column of fluid in the chamber to maintain the pressure of the column of fluid in the chamber constant at the test pressure. The volumetric changes in the set cement are determined from the fluid volume adjustments applied to the column of fluid in the chamber.

System and method for testing cement

Methods and systems for high temperature, high pressure isothermal calorimetry are disclosed. The calorimetric system includes an ampoule having a body portion and a lid configured to completely seal the body portion. One or more solid reagents are disposed in the body portion of the ampoule, and a container is disposed within the body portion of the ampoule. The container separately stores one or more fluids for mixing with the one or more solid reagents. The lid is spring loaded and wound by a winding key for stirring the one or more solid reagents with the one or more fluids to form a homogenous mixture.

Systems and methods for high temperature, high pressure isothermal calorimetry

A method for guiding an untethered measurement device used in a subterranean well ascending from a space provided by a casing and a terminus of a production conduit. The method includes the step of securing a swellable packer radially on an exterior surface of the production conduit at or proximate to the terminus of the production conduit. The swellable packer is in a non-swollen configuration. The method includes the step of deploying the production conduit into the subterranean well to a target depth. The method includes the step of contacting the swellable packer with a fluidic component at the target depth such that the swellable packer transitions to a swollen configuration.

Swellable packer for guiding an untethered device in a subterranean well

Cement slurries, cured cements, and methods of making cured cement and methods of using cement slurries are provided. The cement slurries have, among other attributes, improved expanding capabilities and may be used, for instance, in the oil and gas drilling industry. The cement slurry comprises water, a cement precursor material, and an expanding agent. The expanding agent comprising at least a poly(lactic acid)-metal oxide nanocomposite. The metal oxide comprises MgO, CaO, or both, and the poly(lactic acid) comprises a carboxylic acid terminal group.

A method of sealing propagating cracks in a sensor-laden cement sheath comprising the steps of monitoring an electrical resistivity of the sensor-laden cement sheath to produce a measured value, wherein the sensor-laden cement sheath comprises a conductive sensor, an on-demand expanding agent, and a cement, activating a heat source when the measured value of the electrical resistivity is greater than an activation threshold, increasing a temperature of the sensor-laden cement sheath with the heat source to an activation temperature, wherein the activation temperature is operable to initiate a reaction between the on-demand expanding agent and water, wherein the activation temperature is greater than a formation temperature, reacting the on-demand expanding agent with water to produce a swelled agent, wherein the swelled agent occupies a greater volume than the on-demand expanding agent, and sealing the propagating cracks in the sensor-laden cement sheath with the swelled agent.

Water swellable cement sheath on demand, with sensing capability

Embodiments of the disclosure provide an unfoldable device for controlling lost circulation in a target lost circulation zone in a borehole. The unfoldable device includes a sheet, a backbone, and a shell. The sheet has an unfolded state and a folded state. The backbone reinforces the sheet. The backbone includes a shape-memory material having an original state and a deformed state. The shell encapsulates the sheet in the folded state and the backbone in the deformed state. In some embodiments, the shell includes a degradable polymer that degrades in the borehole upon contact with a drilling fluid such that the sheet transitions to the unfolded state and the backbone transitions to the original state. The sheet in the unfolded state accumulates on a borehole wall at least partially covering an entrance to a macrochannel of the target lost circulation zone.

Unfoldable device for controlling loss circulation

Embodiments provide an expandable meshed component for guiding an untethered measurement device used in a subterranean well. The expandable meshed component includes an uphole radial portion, an intermediate radial portion, a downhole radial portion, an outer meshed wall, and an inner meshed wall. The expandable meshed component has a density less than a fluidic component occupying the space. A method for guiding an untethered measurement device used in a subterranean well includes deploying a compressed expandable meshed component tethered to the untethered measurement device, disconnecting the compressed expandable meshed component and the untethered measurement device, and releasing a sleeve surrounding the compressed expandable meshed component such that the expandable meshed component expands, ascends, and fits into an annulus.

Expandable meshed component for guiding an untethered device in a subterranean well

Embodiments of the disclosure provide a method for retrieving an untethered measurement device used in a subterranean well ascending from a wellbore into a Christmas tree valve. A swab valve of the Christmas tree valve is opened. An expandable meshed component is deployed into the Christmas tree valve through a swab conduit. The expandable meshed component transitions from a compressed configuration to an expanded configuration at a target height in the Christmas tree valve. A production wing valve of the Christmas tree valve is opened. The swab valve is closed. The untethered measurement device is retrieved from the Christmas tree valve through the swab conduit.

Polymeric sleeve for guiding an untethered measurement device in a Christmas tree valve

A method of reducing lost circulation in a wellbore includes introducing a fluid including a fluid loss control additive comprising shape memory polymer, shape memory alloy, or both into the wellbore. The method further includes allowing the fluid loss control additive to lodge within fractures within a subsurface formation in the wellbore. The method further includes allowing the fluid loss control additive to expand within the fractures, thereby forming a barrier between the wellbore and the subsurface formation to reduce lost circulation in the wellbore.

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Houston, TX, United States of America

Simone Musso