Reducing adsorption of hydroxypropyl guar gum on sandstone by silicon nanoparticles

Hydroxypropyl guar gum (HPG) is commonly used as the thicker of the fracturing fluid. It will be adsorbed on the sandstone that leads to decrease the permeability of the reservoir. Therefore, it is necessary to reduce the adsorption of HPG to decrease the permeability damage. The effect of silica nanoparticles (SNP) on the adsorption properties of HPG has been studied. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy is employed to confirm the interaction force between HPG and sandstone. It is clear that hydrogen bonds is an important force of adsorption between HPG and sandstone. SNP can break hydrogen bonds between HPG and sandstone by occupying the rock surface, while altering the wettability of the rock. This results in effectively reducing the amount of HPG adsorption and retaining larger pores of the core after flooding with fracturing fluids. Adding SNP to HPG is an effective method to reduce reservoir damage.