Systems and methods for decreasing compaction within a pyrolyzed zone

Abstract

Systems and methods for decreasing compaction within a pyrolyzed zone are disclosed herein. The methods include injecting a sealing fluid into the pyrolyzed zone and flowing the sealing fluid to a peripheral region of the pyrolyzed zone. The methods further include fluidly sealing the peripheral region of the pyrolyzed zone with a sealing fluid where fluidly sealing limits a fluid leakage from the pyrolyzed zone. Subsequent to the fluidly sealing, the methods further include pressurizing the pyrolyzed zone to a zone pressure. The systems include hydrocarbon production systems and/or components thereof that are formed using the methods.

1 . A method of decreasing compaction within a pyrolyzed zone of a subterranean formation, wherein the pyrolyzed zone includes a hydrocarbon fluid, the method comprising:
 sweeping at least a portion of the hydrocarbon fluid from the pyrolyzed zone;   injecting a sealing fluid into an interior region of the pyrolyzed zone;   flowing the sealing fluid from the interior region of the pyrolyzed zone to a peripheral region of the pyrolyzed zone;   fluidly sealing the peripheral region of the pyrolyzed zone with the sealing fluid, wherein fluidly sealing limits a fluid leakage from the pyrolyzed zone; and   subsequent to the fluidly sealing, pressurizing the pyrolyzed zone to a zone pressure with a pressurizing fluid, wherein the zone pressure is greater than a hydrostatic pressure within a region of the subterranean formation that defines the pyrolyzed zone prior to formation of the pyrolyzed zone, wherein the zone pressure is less than a lithostatic pressure within the region of the subterranean formation that defines the pyrolyzed zone prior to formation of the pyrolyzed zone, and further wherein the zone pressure is at least 50% of the lithostatic pressure.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the sweeping includes sweeping with a sweep fluid that is different from the sealing fluid. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the pressurizing fluid is different from the sealing fluid. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method further includes pyrolyzing a portion of the subterranean formation to generate the pyrolyzed zone, wherein the pyrolyzing includes generating the hydrocarbon fluid within the pyrolyzed zone, and further wherein the method includes producing the hydrocarbon fluid from the pyrolyzed zone. 
     
     
         5 . A method of decreasing compaction within a pyrolyzed zone of a subterranean formation, wherein the pyrolyzed zone includes a hydrocarbon fluid, the method comprising:
 injecting a sealing fluid into an interior region of the pyrolyzed zone;   flowing the sealing fluid from the interior region of the pyrolyzed zone to a peripheral region of the pyrolyzed zone;   fluidly sealing the peripheral region of the pyrolyzed zone with the sealing fluid to limit a fluid leakage from the pyrolyzed zone; and   subsequent to the fluidly sealing, pressurizing the pyrolyzed zone to a zone pressure.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the method further includes sweeping at least a portion of the hydrocarbon fluid from the pyrolyzed zone prior to the fluidly sealing. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein, prior to the injecting the sealing fluid, the method further includes injecting a sweep fluid into the interior region and flowing the sweep fluid from the interior region to the peripheral region to sweep the portion of the hydrocarbon fluid from the pyrolyzed zone. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the sweep fluid is the sealing fluid. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the sweep fluid is different from the sealing fluid. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the zone pressure is greater than a hydrostatic pressure within a region of the subterranean formation that defines the pyrolyzed zone prior to formation of the pyrolyzed zone. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the zone pressure is less than a lithostatic pressure within a region of the subterranean formation that defines the pyrolyzed zone prior to formation of the pyrolyzed zone. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the zone pressure is closer to the lithostatic pressure than to a hydrostatic pressure within the region of the subterranean formation that defines the pyrolyzed zone prior to formation of the pyrolyzed zone. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the pressurizing includes pressurizing with the sealing fluid. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the pressurizing includes pressurizing by injecting a pressurizing fluid that is different from the sealing fluid. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the pressurizing fluid is a solidification-initiating material that is selected to solidify the sealing fluid within the peripheral region of the pyrolyzed zone. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the method further includes pyrolyzing a portion of the subterranean formation to generate the pyrolyzed zone. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the fluidly sealing includes creating a flow barrier within the peripheral region, wherein the flow barrier resists fluid flow from the pyrolyzed zone into a remainder of the subterranean formation. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the fluidly sealing includes at least one of:
 (i) at least partially solidifying the sealing fluid to form the flow barrier; and   (ii) gelling the sealing fluid to form the flow barrier.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the flowing includes flowing radially outward from the interior region to the peripheral region. 
     
     
         20 . A hydrocarbon production system, comprising:
 a pyrolyzed zone that is present within a subterranean formation, wherein the pyrolyzed zone defines an interior region and a peripheral region that surrounds the interior region;   an injection well that extends between a surface region and the interior region;   a sealing material that is present within the peripheral region and forms a fluid seal between the interior region and a remainder of the subterranean formation, wherein the sealing material is located within a pore space that is defined by the peripheral region, and further wherein a chemical composition of the sealing material is different from a chemical composition of a formation material that defines the pore space; and   a pressurizing fluid that is present within the interior region.   
     
     
         21 . The hydrocarbon production system of  claim 20 , wherein the sealing material includes at least one of a viscous fluid, a fluid with a highly temperature-dependent viscosity, a shear thinning fluid, a polymeric fluid, polybutene, polysiloxane, polystyrene, a polymeric solid, bitumen, a particulate material, clay particles, silica, and sulfur. 
     
     
         22 . The hydrocarbon production system of  claim 20 , wherein the pressurizing fluid includes the sealing material. 
     
     
         23 . The hydrocarbon production system of  claim 20 , wherein the pressurizing fluid is different from the sealing material. 
     
     
         24 . The hydrocarbon production system of  claim 23 , wherein the pressurizing fluid includes at least one of a liquid, a gas, carbon dioxide, water, and brine. 
     
     
         25 . The hydrocarbon production system of  claim 20 , wherein a pressure of the pressurizing fluid is greater than a hydrostatic pressure within a region of the subterranean formation that defines the pyrolyzed zone prior to formation of the pyrolyzed zone, wherein the pressure of the pressurizing fluid is less than a lithostatic pressure within the region of the subterranean formation that defines the pyrolyzed zone prior to formation of the pyrolyzed zone, and further wherein the pressure of the pressurizing fluid is at least 75% of the lithostatic pressure. 
     
     
         26 . The hydrocarbon production system of  claim 23 , wherein the hydrocarbon production system further includes a production well that extends between the surface region and the pyrolyzed zone.