The Design of Buoyant Ball Sealer Treatments

Gabriel, G.A.; Erbstoesser, Steven R.

doi:10.2118/13085-ms

Cited by 20 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 2 publications

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“…This may be the reason why the field result (118 inclination) is similar to the results of 608 tests. Many researchers [for instance, Gabriel and Erbstoesser (1984)] use the following correlations. At low Reynolds number (N Re < 0.1), Stokes' Law gives…”

Section: Analysis Of Field Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A high injection rate is necessary for buoyant ball-sealer treatments to transport the buoyant ball sealers down the wellbore to the perforations. Gabriel and Erbstoesser (1984) proposed a field-tested design methodology to optimize the diversion efficiency of buoyant ball sealers. They presented several methods of controlling ball sealers' movement inside the wellbore during and after the operations.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the second category, the particle carries sufficient momentum to entrain and set into motion the surrounding fluid. For ball-sealer tracking, it is common to assume the first problem (Gabriel and Erbstoesser 1984;Li et al 2005). In this paper, we also assume ball sealers do not affect the flow field.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Experimental and Field Data Analyses of Ball-Sealer Diversion

Nozaki

Zhu

Hill

2013

SPE Production &Amp; Operations

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Diversion methods are routinely used in both matrix-acidizing and fracturing-stimulation treatments. The diversion methods are categorized into chemical diversion and mechanical diversion. In this study, we focus on one of the classical mechanical-diversion methods, ball sealers. Ball-sealer diversion is used in cased and perforated wells to divert stimulation fluids by temporarily blocking perforation holes in the casing with rubber-coated balls. This diversion method can be very effective, particularly with highrate injection, but no general methodology is available to design ball-sealer diversion, or to evaluate its effectiveness from the treating rate and pressure record.Although some design methodologies, such as the use of buoyant ball sealers to improve the ball-sealer efficiency, have been suggested, no model has been presented for determining how many balls seat on the perforations. In this paper, experimental data from an extensive series of full-scale flow experiments conducted by Bern (1993) and Bern and Lewis (1992a, b) were analyzed. We summarized several features of the ball sealers which are not presented in the literature. Also we used the procedure presented by Brown et al. (1963) to evaluate the statistical nature of the ball behavior in the experimental results. The experiments were designed to minimize the scatter of data. However, the seating process was found to still be statistical. We developed an empirical correlation for ball-sealer performance on the basis of the experiments.We also analyzed one field acid-fracturing treatment where ball sealers were used as a diversion method. The analyzed data were then compared to the experimental results. A similar trend in seating behavior was observed.

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Section: Analysis Of Field Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Experimental and Field Data Analyses of Ball-Sealer Diversion

Nozaki

Zhu

Hill

2013

SPE Production &Amp; Operations

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“…23,24,25 Different applications require the availability of different ball sealers. Ball sealers have different specific gravities and can be used as either sinkers or floaters.…”

Section: Biodegradable Ball Sealers (Bbs)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Optimizing Matrix Acid Treatments in a multi-layered reservoir in Russia by Applying Different Diversion Techniques

Pongratz¹,

Kontarev²,

Robertson³

2005

Proceedings of SPE European Formation Damage Conference

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TX 75083-3836, U.S.A., fax 01-972-952-9435. AbstractThe target reservoirs are several limestone layers separated by shales and extend over a vertical height of up to 100 m. The reservoirs are developed differently in almost every well, and natural fractures exist in some, but not in all, wells. The wells are completed with regular 13 3/8-in. casing to around 900 m, 9 5/8-in. casing to around 3400 m, and a 7-in. liner through the reservoir section at around 4100 m. Surface temperatures range from +20°C in summer to -50°C and lower in winter, with bottomhole temperatures (BHTs) around 50°C.Both for producers as well as injectors, a properly designed matrix acid treatment covering the entire reservoir proved to be the most successful production enhancement technique. Most of the wells were completed in a way that allowed the matrix acid stimulation treatments to be conducted in two stages. Both stages covered more than one perforation set. However, for the second stage the job team had to consider that the first stage covering the lower zones was already completed, and fluid would most likely be pumped into this lower zone. The challenge was to provide good diversion over the entire reservoir for one stage and, even more difficult, to divert the majority of the acid into the upper zone for the second stage. In addition, this reservoir oil has relatively high paraffin content, and paraffin deposition, hindering if not eliminating production, will occur below a certain temperature. This fact had to be considered in the matrix acid stimulation design.For a single-stage treatment, or the treatment of the lower zones, a combination of Insitu Crosslinked Acid (ICA) and maximum pressure/maximum rate technique (MPMR) proved to give excellent diversion over these intervals. ICA is a chemical diversion technique. It features a thin, gelled acid with a viscosity of approximately 25 cP that forms a highly viscous crosslinked gel when the acid spends on the formation to a pH of approximately 2. The crosslinked gel can

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“…Continual refinements of these early techniques have proven beneficial. [5][6][7] By the early 1990's we were also seeing coiled tubing (CT) operations developing practical fracturing techniques. [8][9] In more recent years, developments include faster, lower-risk, conventional mechanical-isolation tools, especially in wireline-set composite BP technology, [10][11] that allow multiple well interventions in a single day that can significantly lower stimulation-related costs but maintain the highest degree of zonal isolation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Review of Current Fracture Stimulation Techniques for Best Economics in Multilayer, Lower-Permeability Reservoirs

McDaniel

2005

All Days

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TX 75083-3836, U.S.A., fax 01-972-952-9435. AbstractCurrently, thousands of wells are being drilled every year in low-to moderate-permeability sandstone and carbonate reservoirs that have many distinct zones or layers that can contribute to production if adequately stimulated. In lowerpermeability reservoirs, and especially for CBM completions, well economics will limit how much can be spent on the stimulation portion of a completion program. Operators may have to execute a "balancing act" with the need to maximize return on investment (ROI) while trying to complete as many contributing zones as possible. This usually drives a well operator toward methods that can minimize the number of separate well interventions while maximizing the number of zones that can be effectively stimulated.This paper provides a State of the Art review on both old and newer completion/stimulation techniques that can help an operator accomplish production goals. When the fracturing treatments are pumped down the casing, different methods applied can vary from simple, single-stage fracturing treatments using "limited entry" perforating to multi-stage fracture treatments with bridge plugs (BP) or ball/baffle stage isolation. Additionally, there are various other techniques incorporating conventional tubing strings with or without packers or BP's, and even various methods for coiled-tubing (CT)-deployed treatments.A "scorecard" approach presented here may offer operators an improved understanding of when a certain completion method is appropriate or flawed, based on the operators' current understanding of specific reservoir characteristics of their field or well. Too often, a multilayer completion technique has been applied to several wells and later found to be a poor choice. The wrong choice may have been made because of a limited understanding of the completion method, or even of the reservoir itself. Often, an operator understands the variances of the reservoir, but does not realize the limitations that these variances should bring to the process of choosing the optimal simulation/completion method. In some cases, the choice has simply been made to take the low-cost completion/stimulation approach, and the resulting well(s) did not produce at (or sustain) economic levels.

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The Design of Buoyant Ball Sealer Treatments

Cited by 20 publications

References 2 publications

Experimental and Field Data Analyses of Ball-Sealer Diversion

Experimental and Field Data Analyses of Ball-Sealer Diversion

Optimizing Matrix Acid Treatments in a multi-layered reservoir in Russia by Applying Different Diversion Techniques

Review of Current Fracture Stimulation Techniques for Best Economics in Multilayer, Lower-Permeability Reservoirs

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