Experimental study demonstrates effective plugging and thermal stability of a thixotropic gel in fractured formations, indicating a viable strategy for lost circulation control.
Key Points
To synthesize and evaluate a nanomaterial-modified, thermally expandable thixotropic gel designed to resolve lost circulation in high-temperature fractured geological formations.
Synthesized a gel formulation combining a thixotropic nanomaterial with multifunctional monomers to facilitate multiscale network cross-linking and interfacial reinforcement.
Conducted systematic rheological and plugging performance evaluations below 150 °C across varied fracture sizes and salinity concentrations.
Demonstrated pronounced shear-thinning behavior during injection alongside rapid structural recovery under static conditions, preserving seal integrity.
Maintained stable thermal resistance below 150 °C while successfully sealing fractures across various scale dimensions.
Observed that moderate salinity enhances network strength, whereas high salt concentrations degrade structural stability and recovery.