Minimizing Phase Trapping Damage Using Malaysian Diesel Oil

Abstract

The low permeability and tight gas reservoirs are problematic throughout of their development (drilling, completion, stimulation and production) around the wellbore. However, they required advanced improvement techniques to achieve flow gas at optimum rates. Phase Trapping or retention of fluids is a form of mechanical formation damage mechanism, which is caused by fluid invasion into formation, and also when liquid leak-off into formation during fracturing stimulation near the wellbore. Low permeability and tight gas reservoir are sensitive to water invasion damage results create water blocking and phase trapping damage due to high critical water saturation, relative permeability effects, capillary pressure and Interfacial tension between produced fluid and wellbore fluid. Proper evaluation of damage and its factors which influenced its severity is essential for prevention and optimizing well productivity. Thus, this study is presenting both laboratory experiments and simulation to evaluate phase trapping damage. In which, the core flooding was performed to evaluate permeability damage by using Malaysian diesel-oil drilling fluid in comparison with water based drilling fluid. Further, interfacial tension was tested between produced gas and wellbore fluids at different temperature and pressure conditions. The effect of interfacial tension on phase trapping damage was observed and validate with the result of core flooding experiments where the affect of water injection and diesel-oil injection on core permeability was studied and shown. Reservoir Simulation approach was also used to study the effect of relative permeability curves on phase trapping damage and its impact on well productivity. The result highlights the benefits of using Malaysian diesel-oil in drilling and fracturing the low permeability and tight gas reservoirs in meaning of 30% increment in well productivity compared with water based fluid.

Evaluation Of Damage Mechanisms In Tight Gas Reservoirs: Integration Of Laboratory Experiments And Field Data With Numerical Simulation

“…Designing proper hydrocarbon-based drilling/ fracturing fluid can result in minimal phase trapping potential, as it can avoid clay swelling. Also IFT between diesel-gas is less than gas-water as shown in Figure 5 (Lashari and Bahrami, 2013). Although a central pore space occlusion by oil can cause substantial reductions in permeability, in some cases the damaging effect of oil-based mud may overall be less than water-based mud (Bennion et al, 2006).…”