Synthesis of Cobalt nanocomposite hydrogel based on Acrylamide as an efficient chemical for sand control in the oil reservoir

Hypothesis: Sand production from oil reservoirs is marked by many problems, such as well productivity reduction, operating equipment corrosion, and an increase in production costs; therefore, sand control in unconsolidated reservoirs is crucial for operating companies. Chemical injection into the production vessel, in order to strengthen and reduce sand formation, would be one of the most important methods of sand control.Methods: In this study the effectiveness of a Co[AM-AMPS-AAC]/PEI-MBA(CO) hydrogel nanocomposite in sand control was investigated. The acrylamide-based nanocomposite is strengthened structurally and thermally by the addition of double crosslinkers and nanoparticles. Structural, morphological, thermal, rheological, compressive strength and flooding tests were carried out to define and assess its efficacy.Findings: According to X-ray diffraction test findings, nanoparticles are evenly distributed throughout the structure. Morphological tests demonstrated the production of a dense, homogenous, and porous structure and validated the presence of nanoparticles in the structure. According to the thermal gravimetric test, adding nanoparticles increased the starting temperature of degradation from 80 to 195°C. The strain and frequency sweep rheological tests investigated the behavior of the material under different strains and stresses; they confirmed the preservation of the strong structure and linear viscoelastic behavior at a temperature of 90°C, strains between 0.1 and 20%, and frequencies between 0.1 and 10 Hz. The injection of 0.5 PV (pore volume) of 1% (by wt) nanocomposite to the sand pack resulted in a 730% increase in the axial strength of the sand pack according to the compressive strength test and 90% reduction in sand production measured by the chemical flooding test. Considering the stability and proper efficiency in the reservoir's harsh conditions, having linear viscoelastic properties, increasing compressive strength, and reducing sand production, the hydrogel nanocomposite designed in this research is proposed as a new and optimal product to control sand production and migration.