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Collaborating Authors
Results
Identifying and Evaluating Surfactant Additives to Reduce Water Blocks after Hydraulic Fracturing for Low Permeability Reservoirs
Liang, Tianbo (The University of Texas at Austin) | Achour, Sofiane H. (The University of Texas at Austin) | Longoria, Rafael A. (The University of Texas at Austin) | DiCarlo, David A. (The University of Texas at Austin) | Nguyen, Quoc P. (The University of Texas at Austin)
Abstract Significant amount of fracturing fluid is lost after hydraulic fracturing, and it is believed that the loss of fluid into the matrix can hinder the hydrocarbon production. One way to reduce this damage is to use the surfactants. Robust surfactant formulations have been developed for chemical enhanced oil recovery (CEOR); similar ideas are introduced in this study to reduce water blocks in low permeability reservoirs. Here we present an experimental investigation based on a coreflood sequence that simulates fluid invasion, flowback, and hydrocarbon production within the rock near the fracture face. Different levels of IFT reductions are tested and compared in order to explore the best condition that maximizes the permeability enhancement. The effect of in-situ microemulsion generation to mobilize the trapped water is also studied. From this work, we recognize the mechanism responsible for the permeability damage in matrix and we suggest criteria to optimize the performance of surfactant additives so as to enhance the hydrocarbon production from low permeability gas/oil reservoirs after hydraulic fracturing.
- North America > United States > South Dakota > Williston Basin > Bakken Shale Formation (0.99)
- North America > United States > North Dakota > Williston Basin > Bakken Shale Formation (0.99)
- North America > United States > Montana > Williston Basin > Bakken Shale Formation (0.99)
Abstract Disproportionate permeability reduction (DPR) may provide field solutions to address high volumes of water production and efficiency of oil recovery in non-communicating layered reservoirs. This work evaluates the lab-scale DPR effectiveness at different formation wettability conditions using an environmentally friendly, water-soluble, silicate gelant. A robust, time/temperature stable and easy-to-design water-soluble silicate gelant system is utilized to conduct DPR treatments in oil- and water-wet cores using a newly established steady-state, two-phase chemical system placement. The experimental procedure is applied to ensure the presence of moveable oil saturation at which the injected DPR fluid (gelant) gels in the treated zone and to quantitatively control the placement saturation conditions in the formation. DPR treatments are conducted using a steady-state, two-phase (oil/gelant) placement to better control the water/oil saturation at which the silicate gel sets. The performance of water-soluble, silicate-based DPR treatments are evaluated using pre- and post-treatment two-phase (brine/oil) steady-state and unsteady state permeability measurements. Strongly water-wet Berea cores are chemically treated to alter their wettability to oil wet and measured phase effective permeability curves are used to characterize the newly established core wettability. Treatment design should include filterability/injectivity and rheological studies of the DPR fluid to evaluate gelant interaction with the formation as well as gelation time and kinetics. Single-phase DPR fluid injectivity through Berea cores is excellent. At relatively high watercuts in water-wet cores, two-phase DPR-fluid/oil injectivity is good and even better in oil-wet cores regardless the watrecut. At relatively low watercuts in water-wet cores, the injectivity is not as good as in higher watercuts and the mobility reduction keeps increasing with the co-injection of the DPR-fluid/oil. DPR-fluid/oil placement experiments conducted at the same saturation conditions and water/oil ratio (WOR) showed that the ultimate oil residual resistance factor in oil-wet cores is significantly lower than the one in water-wet cores. This is mainly due to more favorable oil-phase continuity and distribution in oil-wet media compared to the corresponding ones in water-wet formations. In water-wet cores, encapsulation of oil by gel may cause oil-phase discontinuities and porous medium conductivity reduction. Wettability tests have shown that silicate gel is strongly water-wet. Therefore, in oil-wet DPR treatments, formed gel in porous media yields a mixed-wet formation and a lower trapped oil saturation compared to the water-wet formation. In either wetting state, relative permeability hysteresis was insignificant during the post-DPR treatment imbibition/drainage cycles. This also reflects stable gels during post-DPR treatment floods. DPR treatments conducted at high WOR in oil-wet cores have shown a minor gel "erosion" during the post-treatment two- and single-phase (water) injection; gel "erosion" ceased during oil injection. DPR treatments conducted at high WOR caused an increase in residual resistance factor (RRF) of both water and oil phases regardless the core's wetting conditions; the DPR effectiveness was more pronounced in oil-wet cores than in water-wet ones.
- Europe (1.00)
- North America > United States > Texas (0.46)
- North America > United States > Alaska > North Slope Basin > Prudhoe Bay Field (0.99)
- Europe > Norway > North Sea > Northern North Sea > North Viking Graben > Block 30/6 > Veslefrikk Field > Statfjord Group Formation (0.99)
- Europe > Norway > North Sea > Northern North Sea > North Viking Graben > Block 30/6 > Veslefrikk Field > Dunlin Group Formation (0.99)
- (4 more...)