PRCI Report Of Investigations 5836

L41012e

United States Department Of The Interior - Bureau of Mines

Need: The effect of a water-repellent film in sandstone cores on the effective permeability-saturation relationship was investigated as part of a cooperative research program between the Bureau of Mines and Pipeline Research Council International, Inc. The repellent film was formed by the reaction of methyltrichlorosilane3 with the connate water in the core.

Result: The primary purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility of using silane to retard the influx of water into natural-gas storage wells and to determine the necessary requirements for achieving this result. The success or failure of silane treatment as a remedial measure depends on its effect on gas-production rate and attendant water production. Of 13 cores treated with silane, 6 showed an increase in effective permeability to gas. However, only one of the six showed a decrease in the effective permeability to water, and the other five showed increases. The remaining seven cores showed a decrease in effective permeability to gas. Four of these seven cores showed increases in the effective permeability to water, and three showed decreases.

Benefit: The effect of silane on Torpedo sandstone cores was investigated by determining effective permeability's to water and gas as a function of water saturation before and after treatment. This effect depends on the water saturation in the core at the time of injection, the core, the distribution of repellent film within and the amount of liquid silane injected. The use of silane as a remedial measure against water encroachment usually is limited to natural-gas storage wells, because storage wells are more likely to undergo periods of gas injection, during which the silane can be injected. These considerations make treatment by silane inadvisable. There is a chance that the well would be harmed, either by decreasing the productive capacity to gas or by actually increasing the productive capacity to water.

Product Details

Published:

10/01/1960

Number of Pages:

22

File Size:

1 file , 480 KB