Lu, Yunxing and Spencer-Williams, Isaiah and Chang, Nina and Bunger, Andrew
(2022)
Experimental Study of Genesis of a Geologically Activated and Self-Sealing Cementing Material for Deep Wellbore Plugging and Abandonment.
(Submitted)
Abstract
Harsh subsurface conditions pose a widespread challenge for permanently plugging and abandoning (P&A) oil and gas wells. A new, cement-free plugging material is proposed and demonstrated using Nature-inspired geochemical prosesses to generate stable and resilient, rock-like material that is ideally suited to acidic geofluid, high-pressure, and high-temperature (AG-HP-HT) conditions. These conditions accelerate hydration and carbonation reactions that turn granular ultramafic raw materials into competent rock, dubbed here as "Geologically Activated Cement" (GAC). The results show that within hours to days, and hence relevant to P&A operational timeframes, a magnesium silicate-based, solid, rock-like material can be produced from Mg2SiO4-CO2 mixtures. Furthermore, the GAC can self-seal within a few hours when subjected to damage and subsequent flow of acidic fluid under HPHT conditions. This self-sealing behavior provides the potential for a resilient cementing system over geological timescales.
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