Thixotropic slurry with enhanced reliability for use in a wellbore
A thixotropic slurry material can be used in a wellbore during a wellbore operation. The wellbore operation can include a drilling operation, a cementing operation, or any other suitable operation that may include injecting a liquid material into the wellbore. The thixotropic slurry material can be a mixture of a cement, a clay mineral, and a suspending agent and can be injected into a wellbore during the wellbore operation.
1 . A thixotropic slurry material comprising:
a hydraulic cement;
a blend of a clay mineral, a suspending agent, and amorphous silica;
water; and
wherein the clay mineral is present in an amount of 14.9 weight percent to 20 weight percent of the blend, the suspending agent is present in an amount of 2 weight percent to 2.1 weight percent of the blend, the amorphous silica is present in an amount of 78 weight percent to 83 weight percent of the blend, and the thixotropic slurry material has a 10 second gel strength of between 8 lbf/100 ft 2 to 20 lbf/100 ft 2 and a rheology including a yield point of between 3 lbf/100 ft 2 to 9 lbf/100 ft 2 at each of 3 RPM and 6 RPM, at a temperature of 130° F.
2 . The thixotropic slurry material of claim 1 , wherein the clay mineral is sepiolite, the suspending agent is diutan gum, and the amorphous silica is silica fume.
3 . The thixotropic slurry material of claim 2 , wherein the hydraulic cement is Class G cement.
4 . The thixotropic slurry material of claim 2 , further comprising at least one of a set retarder, a foaming agent, a defoaming agent, glass beads, barite, calcium carbonate, manganese tetroxide, or any combination thereof.
5 . The thixotropic slurry material of claim 2 , wherein a weight percent ratio of the water to the hydraulic cement and the blend, collectively, is 3:4.
6 . The thixotropic slurry material of claim 5 , wherein a weight percent ratio of the hydraulic cement to the blend is 2:1.
7 . The thixotropic slurry material of claim 5 , wherein the thixotropic slurry material has a density of 10 ppg.
8 . The thixotropic slurry material of claim 5 , wherein the thixotropic slurry material has a 10-minute static gel strength of between 83 lbf/100 ft 2 to 128 lbf/100 ft 2 at 80° F.
9 . The thixotropic slurry material of claim 5 , wherein the thixotropic slurry material reaches a compressive strength of 100 psi at 150° F. is reached in a time of between 7 hours and 9 hours.
10 . The thixotropic slurry material of claim 1 , wherein the thixotropic slurry material is usable as a lost circulation material during a drilling operation, a cementing operation, or a combination thereof.
11 . A method comprising:
providing a base material comprising a hydraulic cement and a blend of a clay mineral, a suspending agent, and amorphous silica, wherein the clay mineral is present in an amount of 14.9 weight percent to 20 weight percent of the blend, the suspending agent is present in an amount of 2 weight percent to 2.1 weight percent of the blend, and the amorphous silica is present in an amount of 78 weight percent to 83 weight percent of the blend;
adding water to the base material to generate a thixotropic slurry material having a 10 second gel strength of between 8 lbf/100 ft 2 to 20 lbf/100 ft 2 and a rheology including a yield point of between 3 lbf/100 ft 2 to 9 lbf/100 ft 2 at each of 3 RPM and 6 RPM, at a temperature of 130° F.;
contacting a permeable zone in a wellbore with the thixotropic slurry material; and
performing a wellbore operation within the wellbore.
12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein generating the thixotropic slurry material further includes: adjusting the base material, and wherein adjusting the base material comprises adding at least one of an amorphous silica, a set retarder, a foaming agent, water, a defoaming agent, glass beads, barite, calcium carbonate, or manganese tetroxide to the base material.
13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the thixotropic slurry material has a density of 10 ppg.
14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the clay mineral is sepiolite, the suspending agent is diutan gum, and the amorphous silica is silica fume.
15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the hydraulic cement is Class G cement.
16 . The method of claim 14 , wherein a weight percent ratio of the water to the hydraulic cement and the blend, collectively, is 3:4.
17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein a weight percent ratio of the hydraulic cement to the blend is 2:1.
18 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the thixotropic slurry material has a 10-minute static gel strength of between 83 lbf/100 ft 2 to 128 lbf/100 ft 2 at 80° F.
19 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the thixotropic slurry material reaches a compressive strength of 100 psi at 150° F. in a time of between 7 hours and 9 hours.
20 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the wellbore operation is a drilling operation, a cementing operation, or a combination thereof.