Casing/cementing/zonal isolation

Expandable Geopolymers Improve Zonal Isolation and Plugging

This paper compares the sealability performance of an expanding geopolymer with that of an expansive commercial cement in terms of the shear bond strength and the hydraulic bond strength at curing conditions of 25℃ and 34.5 bar.

Annular ring test cell in a water bath at 25°C. Left: Initial reading of the slurry; middle, curing of the slurry; right, final reading of the slurry.
Fig. 1—Annular ring test cell in a water bath at 25°C. Left: Initial reading of the slurry; middle, curing of the slurry; right, final reading of the slurry.

The sealability performance of an expanding geopolymer (E-GP) is compared with that of an expansive commercial cement (EC) with regard to shear bond strength (SBS) and hydraulic bond strength (HBS) at curing conditions of 25°C and 34.5 bar. A neat Class G (NG) cement and a neat geopolymer (N-GP) were characterized alongside corresponding expansive versions. The effect of these expansive agents on cement and geopolymers was evaluated in terms of linear expansion using the annular ring test. The complete paper reveals that geopolymers can be deployed as an alternative to Portland cement upon optimization.

Geopolymer Characteristics and Use

In recent years, geopolymers have been receiving attention as a viable and environmentally friendly alternative for zonal isolation and plugging and abandonment (P&A) operations because of their robust features such as higher strength, lower permeability, and durability in high-pressure/high-temperature conditions.

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