Synthesizing Dispersant for MTC Design and Its Effect on Slurry Rheology

Summary The dispersant's synthesis and its effect on slurry rheology are the basis of mud to cement (MTC) technique application. In this article are two methods to synthesize the dispersant by using fractions of C9, which are byproducts of the Daqing ethene production unit. The dispersant's production cost is reduced. Experimental work verifies that material produced by the new process can be used in a MTC design. The effect of the amounts of the dispersant and mud used on the rheology of MTC slurry are studied and discussed. The results show that the thickening time of a MTC slurry is clearly extended by mixing in the dispersant, thus improving the mobility of the slurry. We find that there is a low mobility or high consistency region when a MTC slurry is initially prepared. The appropriate measures for improving the quality of the MTC slurry are provided in this article. Moreover, the rheology of a MTC slurry is studied. We find that the Herschel-Bulkley model is the most accurate for describing the rheological properties of a MTC slurry. Last, the application of MTC technology in the Changqing field is introduced.