Water Sensitive Porous Medium to Control Downhole Water Production and Method Therefor

Abstract

Water production produced from a subterranean formation is inhibited or controlled by consolidated water sensitive porous medium (WSPM) packed within the flow path of the wellbore device container. The WSPM includes solid particles having a water hydrolyzable polymer at least partially coating the particles. The WSPM is packed under pressure within the flow path of the wellbore device container to consolidate it. The WSPM increases resistance to flow as water content increases in the fluid flowing through the flow path and decreases resistance to flow as water content decreases in the fluid flowing through the flow path.

1 . A wellbore device for controlling a flow of a fluid through a flow path therein, the wellbore device comprising:
 a container comprising the flow path; and   a consolidated water sensitive porous medium (WSPM) packed within the flow path of the container, the WSPM comprising:
 solid particles; and 
 at least one water hydrolyzable polymer at least partially coated on the solid particles. 
   
     
     
         2 . The wellbore device of  claim 1  where the average particle size of the solid particles ranges from about 10 to about 100 mesh (about 2000 to about 150 microns). 
     
     
         3 . The wellbore device of  claim 1  where the WSPM is packed within the container at a pressure ranging from about 50 to about 2000 psi (about 0.3 to about 13.8 MPa). 
     
     
         4 . The wellbore device of  claim 1  where the ratio of weight of solid particles to weight of dry water hydrolyzable polymer ranges from about 10,000:1 to about 10:1. 
     
     
         5 . The wellbore device of  claim 1  where the water hydrolyzable polymer is crosslinked. 
     
     
         6 . The wellbore device of  claim 1  where the water hydrolyzable polymer has a weight average molecular weight greater than 100,000 and is selected from the group consisting of:
 homopolymers and copolymers of acrylamide, sulfonated or quaternized homopolymers and copolymers of acrylamide, polyvinylalcohols, polysiloxanes, hydrophilic natural gum polymers and chemically modified derivatives thereof; 
 crosslinked homopolymers and copolymers of acrylamide, crosslinked sulfonated or quaternized homopolymers and copolymers of acrylamide, crosslinked polyvinylalcohols, crosslinked polysiloxanes, crosslinked hydrophilic natural gum polymers and chemically modified derivatives thereof; 
 copolymers having a hydrophilic monomeric unit, where the hydrophilic monomeric unit is selected from the group consisting of ammonium and alkali metal salt of acrylamidomethylpropanesulfonic acid, a first anchoring monomeric unit based on N-vinylformamide and a filler monomeric unit, where the filler monomeric unit is selected from the group consisting of acrylamide and methylacrylamide; and 
 copolymers of vinylamide monomers and monomers containing ammonium or quaternary ammonium moieties, copolymers of vinylamide monomers and monomers comprising vinylcarboxylic acid monomers and/or vinylsulfonic acid monomers, and salts thereof, and these copolymers comprising a crosslinking monomer selected from the group consisting of bis-acrylamide, dialylamine, N,N-diallylacrylamide, divinyloxyethane, divinyldimethylsilane. 
 
     
     
         7 . The wellbore device of  claim 1  where the WSPM increases a resistance to flow as water content increases in the fluid flowing through the flow path and decreases a resistance to flow as water content decreases in the fluid flowing through the flow path. 
     
     
         8 . The wellbore device of  claim 1  where the solid particles comprise sand, glass beads, ceramic beads, metal beads, bauxite grains, walnut shell fragments, aluminum pellets, nylon pellets and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         9 . A method of constructing a wellbore device for controlling a flow of a fluid through a flow path in the wellbore device, the method comprising:
 mixing solid particles with at least one water hydrolyzable polymer in the presence of a fluid selected from the group consisting of water and brine to give a mixture;   at least partially drying the mixture;   packing the at least partially dried mixture into the flow path of a container of the wellbore device to form a consolidated water sensitive porous medium (WSPM).   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  further comprising:
 where in mixing the solid particles with the water hydrolyzable polymer, the mixing is in the presence of an amount of water effective to fully hydrolyze the water hydrolyzable polymer; and 
 crosslinking the water hydrolyzable polymer with at least one crosslinking agent. 
 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9  where the average particle size of the solid particles ranges from about 10 to about 100 mesh (about 2000 to about 150 microns). 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9  where the WSPM is packed within the wellbore device container at a pressure ranging from about 50 to about 2000 psi (about 0.3 to about 13.8 MPa). 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9  where the ratio of weight of solid particles to weight of dry water hydrolyzable polymer ranges from about 10,000:1 to about 10:1. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9  where the water hydrolyzable polymer has a weight average molecular weight greater than 100,000 and is selected from the group consisting of:
 homopolymers and copolymers of acrylamide, sulfonated or quaternized homopolymers and copolymers of acrylamide, polyvinylalcohols, polysiloxanes, hydrophilic natural gum polymers and chemically modified derivatives thereof; 
 crosslinked homopolymers and copolymers of acrylamide, crosslinked sulfonated or quaternized homopolymers and copolymers of acrylamide, crosslinked polyvinylalcohols, crosslinked polysiloxanes, crosslinked hydrophilic natural gum polymers and chemically modified derivatives thereof; 
 copolymers having a hydrophilic monomeric unit, where the hydrophilic monomeric unit is selected from the group consisting of ammonium and alkali metal salt of acrylamidomethylpropanesulfonic acid, a first anchoring monomeric unit based on N-vinylformamide and a filler monomeric unit, where the filler monomeric unit is selected from the group consisting of acrylamide and methylacrylamide; and 
 copolymers of vinylamide monomers and monomers containing ammonium or quaternary ammonium moieties, copolymers of vinylamide monomers and monomers comprising vinylcarboxylic acid monomers and/or vinylsulfonic acid monomers, and salts thereof, and these copolymers comprising a crosslinking monomer selected from the group consisting of bis-acrylamide, diallylamine, N,N-diallylacrylamide, divinyloxyethane, divinyldimethylsilane. 
 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 9  where the WSPM increases a resistance to flow as water content increases in the fluid flowing through the flow path and decreases a resistance to flow as water content decreases in the fluid flowing through the flow path. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 9  where the solid particles comprise sand, glass beads, ceramic beads, metal beads, bauxite grains, walnut shell fragments, aluminum pellets, nylon pellets and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         17 . A method for controlling a flow of a fluid through a flow path in a wellbore device within a wellbore, the method comprising:
 flowing the fluid through the flowpath in the wellbore device; and   controlling a resistance to flow of the fluid through the flow path whereby:
 resistance to flow increases as water content of the fluid increases, and 
 resistance to flow decreases as water content of the fluid decreases; 
   
       the wellbore device comprising:
 a container comprising the flow path; and 
 a consolidated water sensitive porous medium (WSPM) packed within the flow path of the container, the WSPM comprising:
 solid particles; and 
 at least one water hydrolyzable polymer at least partially coated on the solid particles. 
 
 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  where the average particle size of the solid particles ranges from about 10 to about 100 mesh (about 2000 to about 150 microns). 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17  where the WSPM is packed within the wellbore device container at a pressure ranging from about 50 to about 2000 psi (about 0.3 to about 13.8 MPa). 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17  where the ratio of weight of solid particles to weight of dry water hydrolyzable polymer ranges from about 10,000:1 to about 10:1. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 17  where the water hydrolyzable polymer is crosslinked. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 17  where the water hydrolyzable polymer has a weight average molecular weight greater than 100,000 and is selected from the group consisting of:
 homopolymers and copolymers of acrylamide, sulfonated or quaternized homopolymers and copolymers of acrylamide, polyvinylalcohols, polysiloxanes, hydrophilic natural gum polymers and chemically modified derivatives thereof; 
 crosslinked homopolymers and copolymers of acrylamide, crosslinked sulfonated or quaternized homopolymers and copolymers of acrylamide, crosslinked polyvinylalcohols, crosslinked polysiloxanes, crosslinked hydrophilic natural gum polymers and chemically modified derivatives thereof; 
 copolymers having a hydrophilic monomeric unit, where the hydrophilic monomeric unit is selected from the group consisting of ammonium and alkali metal salt of acrylamidomethylpropanesulfonic acid, a first anchoring monomeric unit based on N-vinylformamide and a filler monomeric unit, where the filler monomeric unit is selected from the group consisting of acrylamide and methylacrylamide; and 
 copolymers of vinylamide monomers and monomers containing ammonium or quaternary ammonium moieties, copolymers of vinylamide monomers and monomers comprising vinylcarboxylic acid monomers and/or vinylsulfonic acid monomers, and salts thereof, and these copolymers comprising a crosslinking monomer selected from the group consisting of bis-acrylamide, diallylamine, N,N-diallylacrylamide, divinyloxyethane, divinyldimethylsilane. 
 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 17  where the solid particles comprise sand, glass beads, ceramic beads, metal beads, bauxite grains, walnut shell fragments, aluminum pellets, nylon pellets and combinations thereof.