Effects of reservoir fluids on sand packs consolidated by furan and epoxy resins: Static and dynamic states

Abstract

One of the most effective methods for sand control is the chemical consolidation of sandstone structures. In this paper, the impacts of crude oil and brine in the static state and the impact of the flow rates of the fluids in the dynamic state have been assessed at the reservoir conditions. The analyses in this research were Young's modulus, compressive strength, porosity, and permeability which were done on core samples after and before fluid contact. Samples made with two different resins showed good resistance to crude oil in both states. No considerable change was seen in the analyses even at high crude oil injection rates in the dynamic state. Conversely, brine caused a noticeable change in the analyses in both states. In the presence of brine at the static state, Young's modulus and compressive strength respectively decreased by 37.5% and 34.5% for epoxy cores, whereas these parameters respectively reduced by 30% and 41% for furan cores. In brine presence at the dynamic state, compressive strength reduction was 10.28 MPa for furan and 6.28 MPa for epoxy samples and their compressive strength reached 16.75 MPa and 26.54 MPa respectively which are higher than the critical point to be known as weak sandstone core. Moreover, Young's modulus decrease values for furan and epoxy samples were respectively 0.37 GPa and 0.44 GPa. Therefore, brine had a more destructive effect on the mechanical characteristics of samples in the static state than the dynamic one for two resins. In addition, brine injection increased permeability by about 13.6% for furan and 34.8% for epoxy. Also, porosity raised by about 21.8% for furan, and 19% for epoxy by brine injection. The results showed that the chemical sand consolidation weakens in the face of brine production along with crude oil which can lead to increasing cost of oil production and treating wellbore again.