Method to tailor geopolymer compositions for effective zonal isolation
A method including providing a geopolymer recipe comprising a geopolymer material, and a required compressive strength, using a compressive strength model of the geopolymer recipe to predict a compressive strength and comparing the required compressive strength to the predicted compressive strength output of the compressive strength model, preparing a geopolymer composition based at least in part on the compressive strength model, and introducing the geopolymer composition into a subterranean formation. The geopolymer material can contain an aluminosilicate source, a metal silicate source, an alkaline activator, and water.
1 . A method comprising:
providing a geopolymer recipe comprising a geopolymer material, wherein the geopolymer material comprises an aluminosilicate source, a metal silicate source, an alkaline activator, and water; and a required compressive strength;
using a compressive strength model of the geopolymer recipe to generate a predicted compressive strength output and comparing the required compressive strength to the predicted compressive strength output of the compressive strength model, wherein using the compressive strength model comprises correlating compressive strength to at least one of an atomic ratio of silicon to aluminum (Si/Al) of the aluminosilicate source, a ratio of a mass of the metal silicate source to a mass of the aluminosilicate source, and a ratio of the mass of the aluminosilicate source to a mass of a slurry of the geopolymer recipe;
preparing a geopolymer composition based at least in part on the compressive strength model; and
introducing the geopolymer composition into a subterranean formation.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein using the compressive strength model comprises correlating compressive strength to the atomic ratio of silicon to aluminum (Si/Al) of the aluminosilicate source, a temperature, the ratio of a mass of the metal silicate source to a mass of the aluminosilicate source, a ratio of a mass of water to the mass of the aluminosilicate source, the ratio of the mass of the aluminosilicate source to a mass of a slurry of the geopolymer recipe, and a duration of the geopolymer recipe reaction.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein preparing the geopolymer composition based at least in part on the compressive strength model further comprises, when the comparing indicates that the predicted compressive strength output of the compressive strength model is less than the required compressive strength, adjusting the geopolymer recipe to provide an adjusted geopolymer recipe, utilizing the compressive strength model to determine an adjusted compressive strength of an adjusted geopolymer composition, and comparing the adjusted compressive strength of the adjusted geopolymer composition with the required compressive strength.
4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein adjusting the geopolymer recipe further comprises adjusting a concentration of the water, the aluminosilicate source, the metal silicate source, the alkali activator, or a combination thereof, in the geopolymer recipe.
5 . The method of claim 3 further comprising repeating the adjusting the geopolymer recipe to provide an adjusted geopolymer recipe, utilizing the compressive strength model to determine an adjusted compressive strength of the adjusted geopolymer composition, and comparing the adjusted compressive strength of the adjusted geopolymer composition with the required compressive strength until the adjusted compressive strength output of the compressive strength model is not less than the required compressive strength.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the aluminosilicate source is selected from the a metakaolin clay, a calcined clay, a partially calcined clay, a kaolinite clay, a lateritic clay, an illite clay, a volcanic rock, a mine tailing, blast furnace slag, fly ash, rice husk ash, aluminum-containing silica fume, natural aluminosilicate, synthetic aluminosilicate glass powder, zeolite, bentonite, a derivative thereof, or a combination thereof.
7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the aluminosilicate source is present in an amount of about 5% to about 80% by weight of the geopolymer composition.
8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal silicate source is present in an amount of about 1% to about 80% by weight of the geopolymer recipe.
9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the alkaline activator comprises one or more of a metal hydroxide, ammonium hydroxide, sodium bicarbonate, sodium carbonate, lime, caustic soda, Portland cement, or hydrated lime.
10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the alkaline activator is present in an amount of about 1% to about 40% by weight of the geopolymer recipe.
11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the water is present in an amount of about 20% to about 95% by weight of the geopolymer recipe.
12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein introducing the geopolymer composition into the subterranean formation comprises introducing the geopolymer composition into an annulus between a wall of a wellbore and a conduit disposed in the wellbore.
13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the geopolymer composition further comprises one or more of a fluid loss control additive, a set retarder, or a set accelerator.
14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the aluminosilicate source is present in an amount of about 5% to about 80% by weight of the geopolymer recipe and/geopolymer composition, the metal silicate source is present in an amount of about 1% to about 80% by weight of the geopolymer recipe and/or geopolymer composition, the alkaline activator is present in an amount of about 1% to about 40% by weight of the geopolymer recipe and/or geopolymer composition, and the water is present in an amount of about 20% to about 95% by weight of the geopolymer recipe and/or geopolymer composition.
15 . A method of treating a subterranean formation, the method comprising:
providing a geopolymer recipe comprising a geopolymer material, wherein the geopolymer material comprises an aluminosilicate source, a metal silicate source, an alkaline activator, and water;
predicting a compressive strength of a slurry according to the geopolymer recipe using a geopolymer compressive strength model, wherein the predicting comprises modeling the compressive strength of a slurry of the geopolymer recipe as a function of at least one factor selected from an atomic ratio of silicon to aluminum (Si/Al) of the aluminosilicate source, a ratio of a mass of the metal silicate source to a mass of the aluminosilicate source, and a ratio of the mass of the aluminosilicate source to a mass of a slurry of the geopolymer recipe;
comparing the compressive strength of the slurry provided by the modeling to a compressive strength requirement;
when the compressive strength of the slurry according to the geopolymer recipe provided by the modeling meets or exceeds the compressive strength requirement, preparing a geopolymer composition according to the geopolymer recipe; and
placing the geopolymer recipe in a subterranean formation.
16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the predicting comprises modeling the compressive strength of a slurry of the geopolymer recipe as a function of the atomic ratio of silicon to aluminum (Si/Al) of the aluminosilicate source, a temperature, the ratio of a mass of the metal silicate source to a mass of the aluminosilicate source, a ratio of a mass of water to the mass of the aluminosilicate source, the ratio of the mass of the aluminosilicate source to a mass of a slurry of the geopolymer recipe, and a duration of the slurry of the geopolymer recipe reaction.
17 . The method of claim 16 further comprising, when the comparing indicates that the predicted compressive strength output of the compressive strength model is less than the required compressive strength, adjusting the geopolymer recipe to provide an adjusted geopolymer recipe, utilizing the compressive strength model to determine an adjusted compressive strength of an adjusted geopolymer composition, and comparing the adjusted compressive strength of the adjusted geopolymer composition with the required compressive strength.
18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein adjusting the geopolymer recipe further comprises adjusting a concentration of the water, the aluminosilicate source, the metal silicate source, the alkali activator, or a combination thereof, in the geopolymer recipe.
19 . The method of claim 17 further comprising repeating the adjusting the geopolymer recipe to provide an adjusted geopolymer recipe, utilizing the compressive strength model to determine an adjusted compressive strength of the adjusted geopolymer composition, and comparing the adjusted compressive strength of the adjusted geopolymer composition with the required compressive strength until the updated predicted compressive strength output of the compressive strength model meets the required compressive strength.
20 . A method comprising:
predicting a compressive strength of a slurry according to a geopolymer recipe using a geopolymer compressive strength model, wherein the geopolymer recipe comprises an aluminosilicate source, a metal silicate source, an alkaline activator, and water; and
introducing the geopolymer slurry into a subterranean formation during a wellbore servicing operation for which a required compressive strength is less than or equal to the predicted compressive strength,
wherein the compressive strength of the slurry according to the geopolymer recipe is predicted as a function of an atomic ratio of silicon to aluminum (Si/Al) of the aluminosilicate source, a temperature, a ratio of a mass of the metal silicate source to a mass of the aluminosilicate source, a ratio of a mass of water to the mass of the aluminosilicate source, a ratio of the mass of the aluminosilicate source to a mass of a slurry of the geopolymer recipe, and a duration of the slurry of the geopolymer recipe reaction.