Magadova Lyubov’s research while affiliated with Gubkin Russian State University of Oil and Gas and other places

Hydraulic fracturing (HF) is currently the most widespread and effective method of oil production stimulation. The most commonly used fracturing fluid is crosslinked guar gels. However, when using these systems, problems such as clogging of the pore space, cracking, and proppant packing with the remains of the undestroyed polymer arise. Therefore, the efficiency of the hydraulic fracturing process decreases. In this work, compositions based on viscoelastic surfactants (VES) and synthetic polymers (SP) were considered as alternatives capable of minimizing these disadvantages. Most often, the possibility of using a composition as a fracturing fluid is evaluated using rotational viscometry. However, rotational viscometry is not capable of fully assessing the structural and mechanical properties of fracturing fluid. This leads to a reduced spread of systems based on VES and SP. This paper proposes an integrated approach to assessing the effectiveness of a water-based fracturing fluid. The proposed comprehensive approach includes an assessment of the main characteristics of water-based fracturing fluids, including an analysis of their structural and mechanical properties, which is based on a combination of rotational and oscillatory rheology and a comparative analysis of methods for studying the influence of fluids on the reservoir rock. The use of the developed approach to assess the technological properties of fracturing fluids makes it possible to demonstrate the potential applicability of new, unconventional fracturing fluids such as systems based on VES and SP.

Acid treatments are one of the methods for intensifying oil and gas production. Corrosion is a significant factor affecting the performance of oilfield equipment. There are many different methods of preventing corrosion, but corrosion inhibitors are most commonly used in industry. The protective effect of the inhibitor is directly determined by the effective adsorption of surfactants on the metal surface. For an indirect assessment of the adsorption of the inhibitor, a comprehensive research method is proposed based on the determination of the interfacial tension of acid compositions and steel plates’ contact angle of wetting after corrosion tests. It was found that in hydrochloric acid the adsorption of the inhibitor IC-1 reaches a maximum after 6 h, an increase in the acid concentration in the range of 5–15% wt. has a negative effect on the activity of the inhibitor. For sulfamic acid, the maximum adsorption of the IC-2 inhibitor is observed after 24 h, an increase in acid concentration has a positive effect on surfactants.