Imidazolium-Based Polymeric Ionic Liquids with Short Alkyl Chains as Green Corrosion Inhibitors for Mild Steel in 1 M HCl: Experimental and Theoretical Investigations.

A novel polymeric ionic liquid (PDBA-IL-NH2) using imidazolium ionic liquids with short alkyl chains as monomers and two control ionic liquids (PDBA-IL-OH and PIL-NH2) were synthesized. Their inhibition properties and mechanisms were explored via surface analysis, weight loss tests, electrochemical studies, and adsorption isotherm analysis. The corrosion inhibition efficiency (CIE) of PDBA-IL-NH2 gradually increased with increasing concentration, and the largest efficiency was 94.67% at 100 ppm. At the same concentration (50 ppm), the corrosion inhibition abilities of inhibitors were in the order of PDBA-IL-NH2 > PDBA-IL-OH > PIL-NH2 > IL-NH2. Based on the experimental investigation, the synergistic effect of electrostatic interaction, protonation, and electron donor-acceptor interaction facilitated the intensive entanglement and coverage of PDBA-IL-NH2 with the reticulated form on the metal, and the generated densest films protected the metal from the corrosive media. Ultimately, the theoretical results of molecular dynamics simulations and quantum chemical study were in high agreement with the experimental data, which confirmed the proposed inhibition mechanisms on the microscopic scale. This study contributed valuable perspectives to the design of efficient and ecofriendly corrosion inhibitors.

Molecular Insights into the Dual Promotion-Inhibition Effects of NaCl at Various Concentrations on the CO2 Hydrate Growth: A Molecular Simulation Study.

Hydrate-based CO2 storage in the ocean is considered a potential method for mitigating the greenhouse effect. Numerous studies demonstrated that NaCl exhibited the dual effects of promotion and inhibition in the nucleation and growth processes of CO2 hydrate, whose mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, the effects of NaCl at various concentrations on the CO2 hydrate growth and crystal are investigated. The independent gradient model based on Hirshfeld partition, electrostatic potential, and binding energy is conducted to study the interaction between ions and water molecules. The motion trajectories of ions are observed at the molecular level to reflect the impact of ion motion on hydrate growth. The results show that the influence of NaCl on hydrate growth depends on a delicate balance of dual promotion-inhibition effects. NaCl can combine more water molecules and provide a transport channel of CO2 to promote hydrate growth at low concentrations. Meanwhile, the promoting effects shift toward inhibition with increasing NaCl concentrations. In a word, this paper proposes a novel mechanism for the dual promotion-inhibition effects of NaCl on hydrate growth, which is significant for further research on hydrate-based CO2 storage in the ocean.

Acylated Inulin as a Potential Shale Hydration Inhibitor in Water Based Drilling Fluids for Wellbore Stabilization.

Shale hydration dispersion and swelling are primary causes of wellbore instability in oil and gas reservoir exploration. In this study, inulin, a fructo-oligosaccharide extracted from Jerusalem artichoke roots, was modified by acylation with three acyl chlorides, and the products (C10-, C12-, and C14-inulin) were investigated for their use as novel shale hydration inhibitors. The inhibition properties were evaluated through the shale cuttings hot-rolling dispersion test, the sodium-based bentonite hydration test, and capillary suction. The three acylated inulins exhibited superb hydration-inhibiting performance at low concentrations, compared to the commonly used inhibitors of KCl and poly (ester amine). An inhibition mechanism was proposed based on surface tension measurements, contact angle measurements, Fourier-transform infrared analysis, and scanning electron microscopy. The acylated inulin reduced the water surface tension significantly, thus, retarding the invasion of water into the shale formation. Then, the acylated inulin was adsorbed onto the shale surface by hydrogen bonding to form a compact, sealed, hydrophobic membrane. Furthermore, the acylated inulins are non-toxic and biodegradable, which meet the increasingly stringent environmental regulations in this field. This method might provide a new avenue for developing high-performance and ecofriendly shale hydration inhibitors.

Interfacial Rheological Investigation of Modified Silica Nanoparticles with Different Alkyl Chain Lengths at the n-Octane/Water Interface.

The interfacial dilational rheology of silica nanoparticles (NPs) directly reflects the relationship between surface structure and interfacial behaviors in NPs, which has attracted significant attention in various industrial fields. In this work, modified silica nanoparticles (MNPs) with various alkyl chain lengths were synthesized and systematically characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectra, Zeta potential, and water contact angle measurements. It was found that the MNPs were successfully fabricated with similar degrees of modification. Subsequently, the interfacial behaviors of the MNPs in an n-octane/water system were investigated through interfacial dilational rheological experiments. The length of the modified alkyl chain dominated the hydrophilic-lipophile balance and the interfacial activity of the MNPs, evaluated by the equilibrium interfacial tension (IFT) variation and dilational elasticity modulus. In the large amplitude compression experiment, the balance between the electrostatic repulsion and interfacial activity in the MNPs was responsible for their ordered interfacial arrangement. The MNPs with the hexyl alkyl chain (M6C) presented the optimal amphipathy and could partly overcome the repulsion, causing a dramatic change in surface pressure. This was further confirmed by the variations in IFT and dilational elasticity during the compression path. The study provides novel insights into the interfacial rheology and interactions of functionally modified NPs.

Effect of Chemical Composition of Metal-Organic Crosslinker on the Properties of Fracturing Fluid in High-Temperature Reservoir.

To investigate the effect of the chemical composition of a metal-organic crosslinker on the performances of fracturing fluid in high-temperature conditions, four zirconium (Zr) crosslinkers and one aluminum-zirconium (Al-Zr) crosslinker with a polyacrylamide were used. The crosslinkers possessed the same Zr concentration, but they differed in component amounts and the order of the addition of the crosslinker components, leading to different chemical compositions in the crosslinkers. The fracturing fluids prepared by different tested crosslinkers were compared in terms of properties of rheological behavior, sand-carrying ability, microstructure, and gel breaking characteristics. The results showed that the fracturing fluids prepared by zirconium lactic acid, ethanediamine, and sorbitol crosslinkers offered the slowest viscosity development and highest final viscosity compared to the zirconium lactic acid crosslinker and the zirconium lactic acid and ethanediamine crosslinker. The zirconium sorbitol, lactic acid, and ethanediamine crosslinker exhibited a faster crosslinking rate and a higher final viscosity than the zirconium lactic acid, ethanediamine, and sorbitol crosslinker; the crosslinker showed crosslinking density and crosslinking reactivity, resulting in more crosslinking sites and a higher strength in the fracturing fluid. The Al-Zr-based crosslinker possessed better properties in temperature and shear resistance, viscoelasticity, shear recovery, and sand-carrying ability than the Zr-based crosslinker due to the synergistic crosslinking effect of aluminum and zirconium ions. The tertiary release gelation mechanism of the Al-Zr-based fracturing fluid achieved a temperature resistance performance in the form of continuous crosslinking, avoiding the excessive crosslinking dehydration and reducing viscosity loss caused by early shear damage. These results indicated that the chemical compositions of metal-organic crosslinkers were important factors in determining the properties of fracturing fluids. Therefore, the appropriate type of crosslinker could save costs without adding the additional components required for high-temperature reservoirs.

Fracturing Fluid Polymer Thickener with Superior Temperature, Salt and Shear Resistance Properties from the Synergistic Effect of Double-Tail Hydrophobic Monomer and Nonionic Polymerizable Surfactant.

To develop high-salinity, high-temperature reservoirs, two hydrophobically associating polymers as fracturing fluid thickener were respectively synthesized through aqueous solution polymerization with acrylamide (AM), acrylic acid (AA), 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid (AMPS), nonionic polymerizable surfactant (NPS) and double-tail hydrophobic monomer (DHM). The thickener ASDM (AM/AA/AMPS/NPS/DHM) and thickener ASD (AM/AA/AMPS/DHM) were compared in terms of properties of water dissolution, thickening ability, rheological behavior and sand-carrying. The results showed that ASDM could be quickly diluted in water within 6 min, 66.7% less than that of ASD. ASDM exhibited salt-thickening performance, and the apparent viscosity of 0.5 wt% ASDM reached 175.9 mPa·s in 100,000 mg/L brine, 100.6% higher than that of ASD. The viscosity of 0.5 wt% ASDM was 85.9 mPa·s after shearing for 120 min at 120 °C and at 170 s-1, 46.6% higher than that of ASD. ASDM exhibited better performance in thickening ability, viscoelasticity, shear recovery, thixotropy and sand-carrying than ASD. The synergistic effect of hydrophobic association and linear entanglement greatly enhancing the performance of ASDM and the compactness of the spatial network structure of the ASDM was enhanced. In general, ASDM exhibited great potential for application in extreme environmental conditions with high salt and high temperatures.

Effects of Micellization Behavior on the Interfacial Adsorption in Binary Anionic/Nonionic Surfactant Systems: A Molecular Simulation Study.

A surfactant interfacial adsorption process is highly associated with its micellization behaviors in the water phase, which is of great fundamental and practical significance in enhanced oil recovery. In this paper, the typical anionic surfactant 1-dodecanesulfonic acid sodium (DAS) and nonionic surfactants octylphenol polyoxyethylene ether-n (OP-n, n = 1, 5, and 10) are introduced to investigate their micellization behavior and interfacial adsorption process via molecular dynamics simulation. Number density profiles reveal that the additional OP5 molecules in the water phase generate the mixed micelle with DAS molecules and greatly promote its interfacial adsorption. Interaction energy calculation is employed to confirm the interaction of anionic/nonionic surfactants in the mixed micelle. Then, the radial distribution function, solvent-accessible surface area, and solvation free energy are calculated to further explore and verify the adsorption mechanism of the mixed micelle. It is found that the nonionic surfactant obviously decreases the hydrophilicity of the mixed micelle in the water phase, which should be responsible for its intensive tendency of the interfacial adsorption.

Effects of Modification Degrees on the Colloidal Stability of Amphiphilic Janus Graphene Oxide in Aqueous Solution with and without Electrolytes.

Colloidal stability of modified graphene oxide (GO) is fundamental for its practical applications. Meanwhile, most of the investigations mainly focused on the nanosheets modified by a certain amount of modifiers and neglected the effects of the modification degree, which could vary the physical and chemical properties of modified GO and significantly affect its stability in solution. To the best of our knowledge, this study initially investigated the impact of modification degrees on the colloidal stability of graphene-based amphiphilic Janus nanosheets (JGO) via both experimental and theoretical approaches. The prepared JGO, asymmetrically grafted by dodecylamine, exhibited a direct relation between the modification degree and nanosheet thickness, refractive index, electrostatic properties, hydrophobicity, and the ultimate colloidal stability. In addition, the ionic strength imposed distinctive influences on the aggregation behavior of JGO. Based on the comparison between experimental results and theoretical calculation, it was revealed that the JGO should be modeled as two-dimensional (2D) nanosheets in pure water and be treated as 3D spherical particles in electrolyte solutions for the prediction with the extended Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek theory.

pH-Switchable IFT variations and emulsions based on the dynamic noncovalent surfactant/salt assembly at the water/oil interface.

Additional HCl can facilely control the dynamic noncovalent interaction between anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (SDBS) and additional organic matter, 4,4'-oxydianiline (ODA), at the water/oil interface. At low HCl concentration (ODA/HCl molar ratio (r) = 1 : 1.5, [ODA] = 250 mg L-1), the ODA+ ions effectively enhanced the SDBS ability to reduce the water/oil interfacial tension (IFT) by about two orders of magnitude, while the (SDBS)2/ODA2+ gemini-like surfactants could be constructed at a relatively high HCl concentration (r = 1 : 4, [ODA] = 250 mg L-1), which could largely reduce the IFT to 1.19 × 10-3 mN m-1. Molecular simulation was employed to explore the interfacial activity of ODAn+ (ODA+/ODA2+) ions and the SDBS/ODAn+ interaction. The control experiments used another three surfactants to verify the proposed model. The pH-switchable gradual protonation of amino groups in ODA molecules determined the SDBS/ODA interfacial assembly, which was responsible for the reversal of IFT variations and the related emulsion behaviors.

Study on the Inhibition Mechanism of Hydration Expansion of Yunnan Gas Shale using Modified Asphalt.

Drilling fluids play an essential role in shale gas development. It is not possible to scale up the use of water-based drilling fluid in shale gas drilling in Yunnan, China, because conventional inhibitors cannot effectively inhibit the hydration of the illite-rich shale formed. In this study, the inhibition performance of modified asphalt was evaluated using the plugging test, expansion test, shale recovery experiment, and rock compressive strength test. The experimental results show that in a 3% modified asphalt solution, the expansion of shale is reduced by 56.3%, the recovery is as high as 97.8%, water absorption is reduced by 24.3%, and the compression resistance is doubled compared with those in water. Moreover, the modified asphalt can effectively reduce the fluid loss of the drilling fluid. Modified asphalt can form a hydrophobic membrane through a large amount of adsorption on the shale surface, consequently inhibiting shale hydration. Simultaneously, modified asphalt can reduce the entrance of water into the shale through blocking pores, micro-cracks, and cracks and further inhibit the hydration expansion of shale. This demonstrates that modified asphalt will be an ideal choice for drilling shale gas formations in Yunnan through water-based drilling fluids.

Preparation and Performance Evaluation of Ionic Liquid Copolymer Shale Inhibitor for Drilling Fluid Gel System.

An inhibitor that can effectively inhibit shale hydration is necessary for the safe and efficient development of shale gas. In this study, a novel ionic liquid copolymer shale inhibitor (PIL) was prepared by polymerizing the ionic liquid monomers 1-vinyl-3-aminopropylimidazolium bromide, acrylamide, and methacryloyloxyethyl trimethyl ammonium chloride. The chemical structure was characterized using fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and hydrogen-nuclear magnetic resonance (H-NMR), and the inhibition performance was evaluated using the inhibition of slurrying test, bentonite flocculation test, linear expansion test, and rolling recovery test. The experimental results showed that bentonite had a linear expansion of 27.9% in 1 wt% PIL solution, 18% lower than that in the polyether amine inhibitor. The recovery rate of shale in 1 wt% PIL was 87.4%. The ionic liquid copolymer could work synergistically with the filtrate reducer, reducing filtration loss to 7.2 mL with the addition of 1%. Mechanism analysis showed that PIL adsorbed negatively charged clay particles through cationic groups, which reduced the electrostatic repulsion between particles. Thus, the stability of the bentonite gel systems was destroyed, and the hydration dispersion and expansion of bentonite were inhibited. PIL formed a hydrophobic film on the surface of clay and prevented water from entering into the interlayer of clay. In addition, PIL lowered the surface tension of water, which prevented the water from intruding into the rock under the action of capillary force. These are also the reasons for the superior suppression performance of PIL.

A review of cellulose nanomaterial-stabilized Pickering foam: Formation, properties, and emerging oilfield applications.

The rapid development of the petroleum industry has led to increasing demands for high-performance oilfield working fluids, such as drilling fluids, fracturing fluids, and fluids for enhanced oil recovery. Liquid foam is widely utilized as the oilfield working fluids due to its advantages, including low density, high mobility, superior cutting suspending ability, excellent fluid diversion capacity, and outstanding sweep efficiency. However, the short lifespan of foam limits its broad application in the oilfield. Considering the advantages of environmental protection, renewability, high specific surface area, tailorable surface chemistry, and excellent rheological properties of cellulose nanomaterials (CNMs), Pickering foams stabilized by CNMs offer improved eco-friendliness and foam stability. In this review, the classification and preparation methods of CNMs are briefly introduced. Subsequently, the preparation methods, properties, and application prospects of CNM-stabilized Pickering foams as oilfield working fluids are summarized. Finally, the challenges and prospects of CNM-stabilized Pickering foam are outlined, aiming to pave the way for the development of petroleum industry in an eco-friendlier manner.

Cellulose derivatives as environmentally-friendly additives in water-based drilling fluids: A review.

The application of cellulose derivatives including carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), polyanionic cellulose (PAC), hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC), cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs), and cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) has gained enormous interest, especially as environmentally friendly additives for water-based drilling fluids (WBDFs). This is due to their sustainable, biodegradable, and biocompatible nature. Furthermore, cellulose nanomaterials (CNMs), which include both CNFs and CNCs, possess unique properties such as nanoscale dimensions, a large surface area, as well as unique mechanical, thermal, and rheological performance that makes them stand out as compared to other additives used in WBDFs. The high surface hydration capacity, strong interaction with bentonite, and the presence of a complex network within the structure of CNMs enable them to act as efficient rheological modifiers in WBDFs. Moreover, the nano-size dimension and facilely tunable surface chemistry of CNMs make them suitable as effective fluid loss reducers as well as shale inhibitors as they have the ability to penetrate, absorb, and plug the nanopores within the exposed formation and prevent further penetration of water into the formation. This review provides an overview of recent progress in the application of cellulose derivatives, including CMC, PAC, HEC, CNFs, and CNCs, as additives in WBDFs. It begins with a discussion of the structure and synthesis of cellulose derivatives, followed by their specific application as rheological, fluid loss reducer, and shale inhibition additives in WBDFs. Finally, the challenges and future perspectives are outlined to guide further research and development in the effective utilization of cellulose derivatives as additives in WBDFs.

Recent advances in nanomaterial-stabilized pickering foam: Mechanism, classification, properties, and applications.

Pickering foam is a type of foam stabilized by solid particles known as Pickering stabilizers. These solid stabilizers adsorb at the liquid-gas interface, providing superior stability to the foam. Because of its high stability, controllability, versatility, and minimal environmental impact, nanomaterial-stabilized Pickering foam has opened up new possibilities and development prospects for foam applications. This review provides an overview of the current state of development of Pickering foam stabilized by a wide range of nanomaterials, including cellulose nanomaterials, chitin nanomaterials, silica nanoparticles, protein nanoparticles, clay mineral, carbon nanotubes, calcium carbonate nanoparticles, MXene, and graphene oxide nanosheets. Particularly, the preparation and surface modification methods of various nanoparticles, the fundamental properties of nanomaterial-stabilized Pickering foam, and the synergistic effects between nanoparticles and surfactants, functional polymers, and other additives are systematically introduced. In addition, the latest progress in the application of nanomaterial-stabilized Pickering foam in the oil industry, food industry, porous functional material, and foam flotation field is highlighted. Finally, the future prospects of nanomaterial-stabilized Pickering foam in different fields, along with directions for further research and development directions, are outlined.

Preparation of Encapsulated Breakers for Polymer Gels and Evaluation of Their Properties.

A common problem associated with conventional gel breakers is that they can cause a premature reduction in gel viscosity at high temperatures. To address this, a urea-formaldehyde (UF) resin and sulfamic acid (SA) encapsulated polymer gel breaker was prepared via in situ polymerization with UF as the capsule coat and SA as the capsule core; this breaker was able to withstand temperatures of up to 120-140 °C. The encapsulated breaker was characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and thermogravimetric (TG) analysis. Meanwhile, the dispersing effects of various emulsifiers on the capsule core, and the encapsulation rate and electrical conductivity of the encapsulated breaker were tested. The gel-breaking performance of the encapsulated breaker was evaluated at different temperatures and dose conditions via simulated core experiments. The results confirm the successful encapsulation of SA in UF and also highlight the slow-release properties of the encapsulated breaker. From experimentation, the optimal preparation conditions were determined to be a molar ratio between urea and formaldehyde (nurea:nformaldehyde) of 1:1.8 for the capsule coat, a pH of 8, a temperature of 75 °C, and the utilization of Span 80/SDBS as the compound emulsifier; the resulting encapsulated breaker exhibited significantly improved gel-breaking performance (gel breaking delayed for 9 days at 130 °C). The optimum preparation conditions determined in the study can be used in industrial production, and there are no potential safety and environmental concerns.

Study on the Low-Temperature Rheology of Polar Drilling Fluid and Its Regulation Method.

Drilling fluid is the blood of drilling engineering. In the polar drilling process, the ultra-low temperature environment puts high demands on the rheological performance of drilling fluids. In this paper, the effects of temperature, ice debris concentration and weighting agent on the rheological properties of drilling fluids were studied. It was found that the lower the temperature and the higher the ice debris concentration, the higher the drilling fluid viscosity, but when the ice debris concentration was below 2%, the drilling fluid rheology hardly changed. Secondly, the low temperature rheological properties of drilling fluid were adjusted by three different methods: base fluid ratio, organoclay, and polymers (dimer acid, polymethacrylate, ethylene propylene copolymer, and vinyl resin). The results showed that the base fluid rheological performance was optimal when the base fluid ratio was 7:3. Compared with polymers, organoclay has the most significant improvement on the low temperature rheological performance of drilling fluid. The main reason is that organoclay can transform the drilling fluid from Newtonian to non-Newtonian fluid, which exhibits excellent shear dilution of drilling fluid. The organoclay is also more uniformly dispersed in the oil, forming a denser weak gel mesh structure, so it is more effective in improving the cuttings carrying and suspension properties of drilling fluids. However, the drilling fluid containing polymer additives is still a Newtonian fluid, which cannot form a strong mesh structure at ultra-low temperatures, and thus cannot effectively improve the low-temperature rheological performance of drilling fluid. In addition, when the amount of organoclay is 2%, the improvement rate of the yield point reaches 250% at -55 °C, which can effectively improve the cuttings carrying and suspension performance of drilling fluid at ultra-low temperature.

Novel Modified Styrene-Based Microspheres for Enhancing the Performance of Drilling Fluids at High Temperatures.

Ensuring wellbore stability is of utmost importance for safety when drilling in deep formations. However, high temperatures severely disrupt the drilling fluid gel system, leading to severe stability issues within ultra-deep formations containing micropores. This study focused on the development of a polymer-based plugging material capable of withstanding high temperatures up to 200 °C. A kind of microsphere, referred to as SST (styrene-sodium styrene sulfonate copolymer), was synthesized with a particle size of 322 nm. Compared to polystyrene, the thermal stability of SST is greatly improved, with a thermal decomposition temperature of 362 °C. Even after subjecting SST to hot rolling at 200 °C for 16 h, the particle size, elemental composition, and zeta potential remained stable within an aqueous dispersion system. The results of core displacement and NMR tests demonstrate that SST considerably reduces the pore diameter with a remarkable plugging efficiency of 78.9%. Additionally, when drilling fluids reach 200 °C, SST still enhances drilling fluid suspension and dispersion, and reduces fluid loss by over 36% by facilitating the dispersion of clay particles, improving the gel structure of the drilling fluid, resisting clay dehydration, and promoting plugging. The development of SST provides valuable insights into the preparation of high-temperature-resistant microspheres and the formulation of effective plugging agents for deep-well drilling fluids.

Effect of Low Gravity Solids on Weak Gel Structure and the Performance of Oil-Based Drilling Fluids.

Drilling cuttings from the rock formation generated during the drilling process are generally smashed to fine particles through hydraulic cutting and grinding using a drilling tool, and then are mixed with the drilling fluid during circulation. However, some of these particles are too small and light to be effectively removed from the drilling fluid via solids-control equipment. These small and light solids are referred to as low gravity solids (LGSs). This work aimed to investigate the effect of LGSs on the performance of oil-based drilling fluid (OBDF), such as the rheological properties, high-temperature and high-pressure filtration loss, emulsion stability, and filter cake quality. The results show that when the content of LGSs reached or even exceeded the solid capacity limit of the OBDF, the rheological parameters including the plastic viscosity, gel strength, and thixotropy of OBDF increased significantly. Furthermore, the filtration of OBDF increases, the filter cake becomes thicker, the friction resistance becomes larger, and the stability of emulsion of OBDF also decreases significantly when the concentration of LGSs reached the solid capacity limit of OBDF (6-9 wt% commonly). It was also found that LGSs with a smaller particle size had a more pronounced negative impact on the drilling fluid performance. This work provides guidance for understanding the impact mechanism of LGSs on drilling fluid performance and regulating the performance of OBDF.

Fabrication and property evaluation of calcium-oxide-loaded microcapsules during supplemental heat-based exploitation of natural gas hydrates.

The exploitation of natural gas hydrates (NGHs) by traditional methods is far lower than the commercial target. Calcium oxide (CaO)-based in situ supplemental heat combined with depressurization is a novel method for effectively exploiting NGHs. In this study, we propose an in situ supplemental heat method with the sustained-release CaO-loaded microcapsules coated with polysaccharide film. The modified CaO-loaded microcapsules were coated with polysaccharide films using covalent layer-by-layer self-assembly and wet modification process, with (3-aminopropyl) trimethoxysilane as the coupling agent and modified cellulose and chitosan as the shell materials. Microstructural characterization and elemental analysis of the microcapsules verified the change in the surface composition during the fabrication process. We found that the overall particle size distribution was within the range of 1-100 µm, corresponding to the particle size distribution in the reservoir. Furthermore, the sustained-release microcapsules exhibit controllable exothermic behavior. The decomposition rates of the NGHs under the effect of CaO and CaO-loaded microcapsules coated with one and three layers of polysaccharide films were 36.2, 17.7, and 11.1 mmol h-1, respectively, while the exothermic time values were 0.16, 1.18, and 6.68 h, respectively. Finally, we propose an application method based on sustained-release CaO-loaded microcapsules used for the supplemental heat-based exploitation of NGHs.

A Thermal-Responsive Zwitterionic Polymer Gel as a Filtrate Reducer for Water-Based Drilling Fluids.

It is crucial to address the performance deterioration of water-based drilling fluids (WDFs) in situations of excessive salinity and high temperature while extracting deep oil and gas deposits. The focus of research in the area of drilling fluid has always been on filter reducers that are temperature and salt resistant. In this study, a copolymer gel (PAND) was synthesized using acrylamide, N-isopropyl acrylamide, and 3-dimethyl (methacryloyloxyethyl) ammonium propane sulfonate through free-radical polymerization. The copolymer gel was then studied using FTIR, NMR, TGA, and element analysis. The PAND solution demonstrated temperature and salt stimulus response characteristics on rheology because of the hydrophobic association effect of temperature-sensitive monomers and the anti-polyelectrolyte action of zwitterionic monomers. Even in conditions with high temperatures (180 °C) and high salinities (30 wt% NaCl solution), the water-based drilling fluid with 1 wt% PAND displayed exceptional rheological and filtration properties. Zeta potential and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to investigate the mechanism of filtration reduction. The results indicated that PAND could enhance bentonite particle colloidal stability, prevent bentonite particle aggregation, and form a compact mud cake, all of which are crucial for reducing the filtration volume of water-based drilling fluid. The PAND exhibit excellent potential for application in deep and ultra-deep drilling engineering, and this research may offer new thoughts on the use of zwitterionic polymer gel in the development of smart water-based drilling fluid.