Evaluation of the injection and plugging ability of a novel epoxy resin in cement cracks

Sustained casing pressure (SCP) is a crucial issue in the oil and gas production lifecycle. Epoxy resins, exhibiting exceptional compressive strength, ductility, and shear bonding strength, have the potential to form reliable barriers. The injectivity and sealing capacity of the epoxy resin is crucial parameters for the success of shallow remediation operations. This study aimed to develop and assess a novel solid-free resin sealant as an alternative to Portland cement for mitigating fluid leakage. The investigation evaluated the viscosity, compressive strength, and brittleness index of the epoxy resin sealant, as well as its tangential and normal shear strengths in conjunction with casing steel. The flow characteristics and sealing abilities of conventional cement and epoxy resin were comparatively analyzed in cracks. The results showed that the application of a viscosity reducer facilitated control over the curing time of the epoxy resin, ranging from 1.5 to 6 h, and reduced the initial viscosity from 865.53 to 118.71 mPa⋅s. The mechanical properties of the epoxy resin initially increased with a rise in curing agent content before experiencing a minor decrease. The epoxy resin containing 30% curing agent exhibited optimal mechanical properties. After a 14-day curing period, the epoxy resin's compressive strength reached 81.37 MPa, 2.12 times higher than that of cement, whereas the elastic modulus of cement was 2.99 times greater than that of the epoxy resin. The brittleness index of epoxy resin is only 3.42, demonstrating high flexibility and toughness. The tangential and normal shear strengths of the epoxy resin exceeded those of cement by 3.17 and 2.82 times, respectively. In a 0.5 mm-wide crack, the injection pressure of the epoxy resin remained below 0.075 MPa, indicating superior injection and flow capabilities. Conversely, the injection pressure of cement surged dramatically to 2.61 MPa within 5 min. The breakthrough pressure of 0.5 PV epoxy resin reached 7.53 MPa, decreasing the crack's permeability to 0.02 D, a mere 9.49% of the permeability observed following cement plugging. Upon sealing a 2 mm-wide crack using epoxy resin, the maximum breakthrough pressure attained 5.47 MPa, 3.48 times of cement. These results suggest that epoxy resin sealant can be employed safely and effectively to seal cracks in the cement.