SPE Abstract

Lately, my advisor urged me to submit paper regards to my thesis research. He said that I should submit my paper on SPE (Society of Petroleum Engineering) paper. Then I said yes, I would. For the first step, I sent my abstract to him to be reviewed.

Here it is

ABSTRACT

 

LABORATORY STUDY : THE APPLICATION OF POLYURETHANE TO RESOLVE SAND PROBLEM IN PETROLEUM EXPLORATION

 

by

ANDRI WIJAYA

NIM : 20510019

(Chemistry Department)

Energy has become a tremendous concern throughout the world. Hydrocarbon fuel still becomes one of the numerous sources to afford energy demand. In fact, hydrocarbon energy just exploited less than 30 % from its total capacity. To improve its productivity, few methods have been developed both mechanic and chemical. One of mostly used method is Improved Oil Recovery (IOR). IOR has a wide method, including mechanical, chemical, and physical. For this research, sand control using resin polymer is applied as part of IOR. Sand control is conducted to increase oil productivity by handling sand problem those occur frequently on production well. Sand production occurs due to sand grains rupture from its matrix where it is bound. High pressure along oil drilling will damage rock formation results on sand production. Sand rupture occurs for unconsolidated and poorly consolidated type of rock formation. Oil containing sand grains will reduce its efficiency. Moreover, sand production increases high maintenance and production cost. To handle the sand problem, several methods have been developed comprising mechanical and chemical techniques. In terms of chemical method, a polymer resin is used for this purpose. The polymer resin strengthens a covalent bond among sand grains. Thus it will withstand towards high pressure along drilling process. Polyurethane is synthesized on this research as resin to handle the sand problem. It is synthesized from castor oil as a polyol source and 4,4-methylene bis phenyl diisocyanate (MDI) as an isocyanate compound. Reaction is conducted for one and half hour with nitrogen atmosphere and stirred continuously. This reaction produces prepolymer gel of polyurethane with a hydroxy number around 150-200 mg KOH/gram.

A rock formation is represented with un artificial core that is made to resemble rock condition in the reservoir. The artificial core then soaked into polyurethane solution with various concentrations, soaking time, and drying temperature. The influence of chain extender addition into prepolymer of polyurethane is also examined. The data obtained by investigating polyurethane performance is thus compared to commercial resin such as furfuryl alcohol and epoxy resin. The compressive strength and porosity of rock are parameters used to evaluate resin performance. Rock’s strength test is conducted using a uniaxial instrument, while porosity using porosimeter. After several test, we obtain that prepolymer of polyurethane succeed to increase rock strength from 0,7 ton to 1,4 ton after treatment by immersion in resin solution with concentration of 6 % (w/v) for two hours soaking time and drying at the ambient temperatures. This result is better than using the resin of furfuryl alcohol or epoxy with the maximum rock strength is about 1.2 ton. The increase rock strength causes the decrease on the rock porosity. The porosity of rock reduces from 33,17 % into 32,14 % when the rock was immersed in prepolymer solution of 6 % (w/v). Meanwhile by treatment using the resin of furfuryl alcohol and epoxy exhibit also porosity reduction. The addition of polyethylene glycol as a chain extender with various concentrations in prepolymer of polyurethane could increase the rock strength, and the increase concentration of PEG added in prepolymer resulting on stronger rock formation.

however this paper is not going continue due my another stuff to do 🙂

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