Guidelines for Shale Inhibition During Openhole Gravel Packing With
Water-Based Fluids

Shenoy, Sudhir; Gilmore, Terence; Twynam, Allan; Patel, Arvind H.; Mason, S. F.; Kubala, Gregory; Vidick, Benoit; Parlar, Mehmet

doi:10.2523/103156-ms

Cited by 4 publications

(5 citation statements)

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“…Unstable shale in openhole sections may cause premature screenouts, reduction of the permeability of gravel packs, and inability to run completion tools and assemblies (Shenoy 2008).…”

Section: Case 3 Reactive Silt Shale Formation With Sandstone Lensesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Shale Inhibition: What Works?

Gómez

Patel

2013

All Days

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Understanding the behavior and responses of shale to shale inhibitor additives of drilling and completion fluids has been a challenge for many years because of the numerous and complex chemical and physical variations present in these type of formations. This paper presents the results of laboratory experiments that show how the integration of the geological aspects can help to understand the different responses of the shale to fluids and improve the selection of chemical additives for clay inhibition.Many of the chemical inhibitor additives have been developed in the laboratory through systematic methods with the use of "standard clay-rich rock samples". These rock samples have relatively simple geologic characteristics and predictable behaviors. The responses of these types of rock samples tend to be consistent and appropriate for evaluations where chemistry of the additives is manipulated constantly. However, the application of these additives goes beyond this approach. In the field, applications target formations that can vary significantly in composition and structure, and simplicity is an uncommon condition. Therefore the challenge for clay stabilization is to integrate many more aspects that can influence the response of the shale formation to fluids.The paper will present the preliminary process of analysis and understanding of the geologic characteristics of the rock samples and the importance of this fundamental step to achieve the chemical clay stabilization objectives. The paper will include various cases of the inhibitor selection process for shale samples with different characteristics. Chemistry and geology perspectives will be used to analyze the results of the experiments including cases with typical and atypical responses of shale samples. This approach is used to provide a more comprehensive and meaningful interpretation of the rock structural failures due to rock/fluid chemical interactions and, in the same manner, explain how chemical solutions can be used to minimize and control rock instability.

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“…Unstable shale in openhole sections may cause premature screenouts, reduction of the permeability of gravel packs, and inability to run completion tools and assemblies (Shenoy 2008).…”

Section: Case 3 Reactive Silt Shale Formation With Sandstone Lensesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Shale Inhibition: What Works?

Gómez

Patel

2013

All Days

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“…The ability to formulate an invert water-pack system provides advantages over traditional aqueous or water-based systems by reducing risks associated with: brine-sensitive shale rock, brine-sensitive sands, excessive ECD, and even the potential to reduce hydraulics without the addition of a friction reducer (Shenoy et al 2006). Kelkar et al (2001) warned that "high internal phase fractions would yield high densities at the expense of very high viscosity and low internal phase fractions would yield acceptable viscosity at the expense of reduced fluid densities."…”

Section: Water-packing Systemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

New Approach for Completion Applications With Higher Internal Phase Inverts Utilizing Innovative Surfactants

et al. 2011

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A new surfactant capable of providing stable emulsions to as low as a 20/80 oil/water ratio while still maintaining a continuous oil phase is now possible. The new surfactant works in a variety of brines allowing flexibility in formulations and applications. The high internal phase emulsion allows formulations of higher density with less total solids. These high internal phase emulsions are stable at high temperatures and provide manageable (adequate) low-end rheological properties suitable for drilling and completion applications. This system demonstrates relatively less syneresis than a conventional invert. Using a higher internal phase requires less oil and subsequently lowers costs both from initial base fluid cost and final disposal of the base fluid. This new surfactant can also be used to formulate systems for conventional alpha-beta gravel packing, whereby the rheology profile approaches Newtonian properties. This paper will detail the chemistry behind the new surfactant, initial laboratory assessments and the potential applications for this new technology.

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“…Useful work has been done on assessing clay behaviour where candidate well fluids are circulated at high rates through a shale core (Shenoy et al, 2006). Dynamic flow through tests (DFTT).…”

Section: Rock Mineralogymentioning

confidence: 99%

Sand Management: What Are We Sure Of?

et al. 2008

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Sand management is an issue pertinent to all those disciplines responsible for maturing a project. It requires leadership from the asset owner, expertise from the specialists and top quality equipment from the vendors. Excellence must span all the stages of field development for, like many aspects of well construction, "9 out of 10" is usually not good enough. For this reason guidance is proposed for management and design of sand related projects.The sand management team needs to define the tasks and activities to achieve established and shared objectives, those objectives being to achieve the required well productivity, longevity and functionality.Although these objectives are few, they can only be achieved through careful execution of the various tasks and associated activities. Many tasks are entwined between two or three objectives and need to be done in a particular order. This paper proposes a methodical workflow framework to achieve this.In many cases the answers to design questions are dispersed amoungst an unmanageable number of papers, manuals, guidelines, training and conference proceedings and this paper goes some way to draw the threads together for some of the common design issues. In some areas, work is still to be done by our industry to clarify equipment specification, standardising definitions, test methods, and modeling techniques. SPE 114781Sand managers are expected to advise on important questions for the field development: How should we design these wells? For how long will they perform? When will sand be produced and what will it do? Can we constrain future water or gas breakthrough?The industry demonstrates its recognition of these questions with at least two annual conferences dedicated to the subject, complemented by others such as the Formation Damage Symposium, APPEA, SPWLA and APOG. However, particularly to the newcomer, assimilating so much information is becoming impractical. At least 400 papers have been written on sand management with test procedures, guidelines, equipment and specifications being continually revised.When designing for sand, it will be seen that "the devil's in the detail". Unfortunately despite our learning, important testing procedures are inconsistent across the industry, concepts are understood in different ways, we work with legacy guidelines where the supporting background is obscure and with published specifications that don't withstand heavy scrutiny.With this challenge to acquire the knowledge, the aspiring sand manager may neglect the importance of an enabling environment and methodology. Therefore, this paper answers at least some questions regarding what we are sure of, proposing good practice for the management of a sand related project, the importance of which is often underestimated. Objectives, tasks and activities are placed within a recognized structure, thereby defining a methodology to progress a project. Certain selected test procedures, concepts, legacy guidelines and specifications are scrutinized.While strong in some areas of this discipli...

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Guidelines for Shale Inhibition During Openhole Gravel Packing With Water-Based Fluids

Cited by 4 publications

References 0 publications

Shale Inhibition: What Works?

Shale Inhibition: What Works?

New Approach for Completion Applications With Higher Internal Phase Inverts Utilizing Innovative Surfactants

Sand Management: What Are We Sure Of?

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