Modelling a Series of Non-Aqueous Field Scale Inhibitor Squeeze Treatments in the Heidrun field

Vazquez, Oscar; Ommen, Theodor van; Chen, Ping; Selle, Olav Martin; Juliussen, Bjorn; Kolstoe, Erlend; Gustavsen, Øyvind

doi:10.2118/131496-ms

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…Squeezing is a well-established procedure in onshore and offshore oil production facilities (King et al, 1991;Mackay et al, 1998;Meters et al, 1985;Poynton et al, 2004;Bourne et al, 2000;Lopez et al, 2005;Vazquez et al, 2009Vazquez et al, , 2011Vazquez et al, , 2012. It comprises the injection of SI, normally as an aqueous solution, usually preceded by a smaller preflush, and followed by a larger overflush stage; finally, there will often be a shut-in stage, usually lasting from 6 to 24 hours.…”

Section: Scale Overviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The model considers one dimensional two-phase flow transport in radial coordinates (Vazquez et al, 2012). The model has been extensively used to simulate squeeze treatments in the field (Bogaert et al, 2007;Vazquez et al, 2011;Mackay and Jordan, 2003;Patterson et al, 2013;Jordan, 2013). Since the model is one-dimensional the SI propagation is radially around the wellbore, therefore it is necessary to evaluate how deep the SI propagates into the matrix to account fully the wormholing effect on the squeeze treatment lifetime.…”

Section: Specialized Near Wellbore Characterizationmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Scale Inhibitor Squeeze Treatment Design in an Acid Stimulated Carbonate Reservoir

Vazquez¹,

Mackay²,

Jordan

2015

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The aim of this paper is to describe a methodology to simulate scale squeeze treatments in acid stimulated carbonate reservoir. Acid stimulation treatments refer to matrix acidizing, which aims to improve productivity in tight carbonate reservoirs. They generally show a high porosity, but very low permeability. Matrix acidizing treatments have been applied successfully in numerous occasions, they consist of the injection of an acid, generally, hydrochloric acid, mainly because of the high reactivity with carbonate formations. When the acid is injected into the formation, a number of wormholes or highly conductive channels are formed, which are the result of two very distinctive, but interconnected processes. On the one hand, there are chemical reactions between the carbonate minerals and the acid and on the other hand, there are the fluid dynamics of the injected acid, i.e. the fluid loss from wormhole to formation and the fluid distribution in possibly highly complex wormhole geometries. There have been numerous studies investigating the geometry of the wormhole growth pattern in radial and linear laboratory experiments, as well as stochastic simulation. They concluded that wormholes grow in a certain pattern in both axial and angular directions. Although the exact wormhole pattern will strongly depend on the permeability anisotropy and heterogeneity, it is reasonable to assume that the dominant wormholes are expected to grow symmetrically, and that the region dominated by each wormhole is approximately 90°around the wellbore.To simulate squeeze treatments in an acid stimulated well with a corresponding wormhole pattern, as described above, a reservoir simulator is used. The reservoir simulator describes the pressure field and consequently the propagation of scale inhibitor (SI) along the wormholes, but also into the matrix. The final step is to determine how deep the SI propagates into the matrix, which was used to determine fully a specialized near wellbore model for scale treatment design.

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Section: Scale Overviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Specialized Near Wellbore Characterizationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Scale Inhibitor Squeeze Treatment Design in an Acid Stimulated Carbonate Reservoir

Vazquez¹,

Mackay²,

Jordan

2015

All Days

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Modelling the Application of Scale Inhibitor Squeeze Enhancing Retention Additives

et al. 2011

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The most common method for preventing scale formation is by applying a scale inhibitor (SI) squeeze treatment. In this process, a scale inhibitor solution is injected down a producer well into the near wellbore formation. In the last few years, several publications have presented experimental results, field data and treatment methods showing enhanced squeeze lifetime, due to use of squeeze enhancers. The main purpose of this paper is to model the effect of SI retention enhancing additives. These additives are normally deployed in reservoirs, where the SI shows poor retention in the formation matrix, in order to reduce the well intervention. In the last few years, a number of techniques to enhance the SI retention have been reported in the literature, such as precipitation squeezes using calcium and/or pH increasing additives, use of additive package that enhances SI adsorption by cross-linking and the injection of non-damaging concentrations of kaolinite, calcium carbonate and organosilane (a solids fixation agent). Specifically the effect of the SI retention enhancer is modelled as a function of the adsorption level of the additive. A sensitivity study is then presented of the effect of deploying the additive in the different stages; normally they are deployed in the preflush stage. However, the aim of this paper is to investigate how the treatment could be optimized to achieve the longest squeeze lifetime with a fixed amount of additive. Example of modelling a specific field treatment injecting organosilane is included. The results are compared with the field return profiles and clearly demonstrate the value such modelling can bring to the interpretation and design of field squeezes.

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Introducing Novel Chemistry for Scale Inhibitor Squeeze Treatments on the Heidrun Field - Challenges Faced and Lessons Learned

et al. 2016

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Heidrun is recognised as a challenging field for scale management due to the combination of water injection, high barium and clay content, and unconsolidated sandstone formations. A selection and qualification process for scale inhibitor squeeze in this field followed the standard laboratory testing protocols. A novel scale inhibitor chemistry was qualified and field trialled; however, introducing the new scale inhibitor chemistry to the field was more challenging than anticipated. The technical qualification was successful but the field trial resulted in lost productivity, halting field-wide implementation. The field trial started in Well I and indicated good scale protection but gave considerable loss of productivity. This paper presents the lessons learned through an extensive laboratory investigation to identify specific factors influencing the issues observed with the field trial. Furthermore, work completed to qualify a solution for iron-rich formations is described. It was determined that the inhibitor was leaching iron from minerals in the reservoir and forming an insoluble complex with the metal, particularly at mildly acidic pH. While elevated iron concentrations were seen in flow-back samples from other wells across the field, these did not approach the levels observed for Well I which was producing from a geological formation rich in iron-bearing minerals. The field trial was successful in less iron-rich formations and the product was implemented field-wide for such reservoir zones. The scale inhibitor was designed to offer strong chelation, a property suited to scale inhibition and reservoir retention, but this was also a significant factor in the productivity loss. This important finding dictated that Product A should be regarded as unsuitable for reservoir zones containing iron-rich minerals. Subsequently, an alternative scale inhibitor was technically qualified and has since been successfully field trialled and implemented in the iron-rich formation. This selection exercise for Heidrun posed challenges in terms of reservoir retention and iron compatibility for field-wide implementation of new chemistry. Overcoming these issues gave valuable insights for future qualifications of the novel scale inhibitor chemistry.

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Modelling a Series of Non-Aqueous Field Scale Inhibitor Squeeze Treatments in the Heidrun field

Cited by 3 publications

References 19 publications

Scale Inhibitor Squeeze Treatment Design in an Acid Stimulated Carbonate Reservoir

Scale Inhibitor Squeeze Treatment Design in an Acid Stimulated Carbonate Reservoir

Modelling the Application of Scale Inhibitor Squeeze Enhancing Retention Additives

Introducing Novel Chemistry for Scale Inhibitor Squeeze Treatments on the Heidrun Field - Challenges Faced and Lessons Learned

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