Polymer-Cement Composites with Self-Healing Ability for Geothermal and Fossil Energy Applications

Sealing of wellbores in geothermal and tight oil/gas reservoirs by filling the annulus with cement is a well-established practice. Failure of the cement as a result of physical and/or chemical stress is a common problem with serious environmental and financial consequences. Numerous alternative cement blends have been proposed for the oil and gas industry. Most of these possess poor mechanical properties, or are not designed to work in high temperature environments. This work reports on a novel polymer-cement composite with remarkable self-healing ability that maintains the required properties of typical wellbore cements and may be stable at most geothermal temperatures. We combine for the first time experimental analysis of physical and chemical properties with density functional theory simulations to evaluate cement performance. The thermal stability and mechanical strength are attributed to the formation of a number of chemical interactions between the polymer and cement matrix including covalent bonds, hydrogen bonding, and van der Waals interactions. Self-healing was demonstrated by sealing fractures with 0.3-0.5 mm apertures, 2 orders of magnitude larger than typical wellbore fractures. This polymer-cement composite represents a major advance in wellbore cementing that could improve the environmental safety and economics of enhanced geothermal energy and tight oil/gas production.