Study on Plugging Microfracture by Using High-Temperature Emulsified Bitumen

A new kind of modified emulsified bitumen used to plug a microcrack was studied. The sizes of high-temperature emulsified bitumen were fit for the sizes of the microcrack, which were approved by the scanning electron microscope and laser particle size analyzer. Some tests have been designed to demonstrate that the polymer could be used to promote the softening point of modified asphalt, and the high-temperature emulsified bitumen has also shown an excellent performance in terms of static filtration, the viscous coefficient, and extreme pressure lubrication, as well as to inhibit ting shale expansion. The permeability recovery could reach 88.26%, which meets the specification requirements. The mud cake, which was formed by high-temperature emulsified bitumen as an additive, was thin, tough, and dense, which was proved by the scanning electron microscope. The process used to obtain this additive was simple, and the performance of the plugging microfracture was excellent, so this kind of plugging agent could have a better application future.