Nanotechnology Helps Decrease Pressure, Increase Injection in Offshore China Oil Field
Authors: Carpenter Chris 
Published: October 2021

This article, written by JPT Technology Editor Chris Carpenter, contains highlights of paper OTC 30407, “Case Study of Nanopolysilicon Materials’ Depressurization and Injection-Increasing Technology in Offshore Bohai Bay Oil Field KL21-1,” by Qing Feng, Nan Xiao Li, and Jun Zi Huang, China Oilfield Services, et al., prepared for the 2020 Offshore Technology Conference Asia, originally scheduled to be held in Kuala Lumpur, 2–6 November. The paper has not been peer reviewed. Copyright 2020 Offshore Technology Conference. Reproduced by permission.

Nanotechnology offers creative approaches to solve problems of oil and gas production that also provide potential for pressure-decreasing application in oil fields. However, at the time of writing, successful pressure-decreasing nanotechnology has rarely been reported. The complete paper reports nanopolysilicon as a new depressurization and injection-increasing agent. The stability of nanopolysilicon was studied in the presence of various ions, including sodium (Na+), calcium (Ca2+), and magnesium (Mg2+). The study found that the addition of nanomaterials can improve porosity and permeability of porous media.

Introduction

More than 600 water-injection wells exist in Bohai Bay, China. Offshore Field KL21-1, developed by water-flooding, is confronted with the following challenges:

- Rapid increase and reduction of water-injection pressure

- Weak water-injection capacity of reservoir

- Decline of oil production

- Poor reservoir properties

- Serious hydration and expansion effects of clay minerals

To overcome injection difficulties in offshore fields, conventional acidizing measures usually are taken. But, after multiple cycles of acidification, the amount of soluble substances in the rock gradually decreases and injection performance is shortened.

Through injection-performance experiments, it can be determined that the biological nanopolysilicon colloid has positive effects on pressure reduction and injection increase. Fluid-seepage-resistance decreases, the injection rate increases by 40%, and injection pressure decreases by 10%.

Features of Biological Nanopolysilicon Systems

The biological nanopolysilicon-injection system was composed of a bioemulsifier (CDL32), a biological dispersant (DS2), and a nanopolysilicon hydrophobic system (NP12). The bacterial strain of CDL32 was used to obtain the culture colloid of biological emulsifier at 37°C for 5 days. DS2 was made from biological emulsifier CDL32 and some industrial raw materials described in Table 1 of the complete paper.

Nanopolysilicon hydrophobic system NP12 was composed of silicon dioxide particles. The hydrophobic nanopolysilicons selected in this project featured particle sizes of less than 100 nm.

In the original samples, a floc of nanopolysilicon was fluffy and uniform. But, when wet, nanopolysilicon will self-aggregate and its particle size increases greatly. At the same time, nanopolysilicon features significant agglomeration in water. Because of its high interface energy, nanopolysilicon is easily agglomerated, as shown in Fig. 1.