Unlocking the potential of graphene oxide as an early strength enhancer for geopolymer well cement in extreme downhole environment

Abstract

Geopolymer cement is being viewed as an environmentally sustainable substitute for Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) in oilwell cement. The study examines the impact of varying graphene oxide (GO) concentrations on the mechanical properties of the geopolymer cement. The optimal sodium hydroxide molarity, alkaline activator ratio and GO’s concentration were optimized using Response Surface Methodology based on Central Composite Design to obtain maximize compressive strength formulation. The results show that the highest concentration of GO or the highest molarity of sodium hydroxide can yield the highest strength. Besides, the GO concentration of 0.2% by weight of fly ash (bwof) demonstrate a non-settling and time-independent fluid behaviors at the average test temperature. The formulation results in a 22.9% lower filtrate volume compared to the reference design without GO. The study highlights GO as potential sustainable performance enhancer in geopolymer cement for elevated oilwell condition.

Keywords

• CCUS
• sustainability
• graphene
• well cementing
• compressive strength
• rheology