Gelling Agents

Organic and inorganic gels are used to seal formations with high permeability. Sealing can be permanent or temporary. In this way, undesirable flows in the formation can be suppressed. Gelling agents are mainly used for water shutoff and limiting sand production; some agents can be used also for primary plugging of surface and flow strings, as well as for eliminating lost circulation. However, the high prices often limit wide applications.

Flow-deflecting technologies based on gel-forming agents are effective in highly water-invaded multizone reserviors. Redistribution of the folw is achieved by equalizing the injectivity profile of the injection wells and reducing the content of produced water in the producing wells. Redistribution also reduces the consumption of electricity, demulsifiers, and fuels used for oil treating in the field. To broaden the use of gel technologies, it is necessary to solve certain problems of developing and manufacturing mobil units for preparing and injecting large volumes of gel compositions in wells and for producing non-freezing agents for year-round stimulation treatments.