Layer | Fill | Outline |
---|
Map layers
Theme | Visible | Selectable | Appearance | Zoom Range (now: 0) |
---|
Fill | Stroke |
---|---|
Collaborating Authors
Results
Polymer Stabilized Foam Rheology and Stability for Unconventional EOR Application
Griffith, Christopher (Chevron) | Jin, Julia (Chevron) | Linnemeyer, Harry (Chevron) | Pinnawala, Gayani (Chevron) | Aminzadeh, Behdad (Chevron) | Lau, Samuel (Chevron) | Kim, Do Hoon (Chevron) | Alexis, Dennis (Chevron) | Malik, Taimur (Chevron) | Dwarakanath, Varadarajan (Chevron)
Abstract It has been shownthat injecting surfactants into unconventional hydraulically fractured wells can improve oil recovery. It is hypothesized that oil recovery can be further improved by more efficiently distributing surfactants into the reservoir using foam. The challenge is that in high temperature applications (e.g., 240 F) many of these formulations may not make stable foams as they have only moderate foaming properties (short half-life). Therefore, we are evaluating polymers that can be used to improve foam stability in high temperature wells which has the potential to improve oil recovery beyond surfactant only injection.Surfactant stabilized nitrogen foams were evaluated using a foam rheometer at pressures and temperatures representative of a field pilot well. The evaluation process consisted of measuring baseline properties (foam viscosity and stability) of a surfactant stabilized foam without any added stabilizer. Next, conventional enhanced oil recovery polymers (HPAMs, modified-HPAMs, and nonionic polymers) were added at different concentrations to determine their impacts on foam stability. Our results demonstrate that inclusion of a relatively low concentration (0.05 wt% – 0.2 wt%) of polymer has a pronounced impact on foam stability. It was determined that reservoir temperature plays a key role in selecting astabilizing polymer. For example, at higher temperatures (>240 F), sulfonated HPAM polymers at just 0.2 wt% more than doubled the stability of the foam. The polymer that was selected from this lab work was tested in a foam field trial in an unconventional well. It is thought that improved foam stability could potentially help improve the distribution of surfactants in fracture network and further improve oil recovery.
- North America > United States > Texas > Fort Worth Basin > Barnett Shale Formation (0.99)
- 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)
Novel Application of Polyethylene Oxide Polymer for EOR from Oil-Wet Carbonates
Trine, Eric Brandon (Ultimate EOR Services, LLC) | Pope, Gary Arnold (Ultimate EOR Services, LLC) | Britton, Chris James (Ultimate EOR Services, LLC) | Dean, Robert Matthew (Ultimate EOR Services, LLC) | Driver, Jonathan William (Ultimate EOR Services, LLC)
Abstract The objective of this study was to test the performance of high-molecular weight polyethylene oxide (PEO) polymer in a low-permeability, oil-wet carbonate reservoir rock. Conventional HPAM polymers of similar molecular weight did not exhibit acceptable transport in the same rock, so PEO was explored as an alternative polymer. Viscosity, pressure drop across each section of the core, oil recovery, and polymer retention were measured. The PEO polymer showed good transport in the 23 mD reservoir carbonate core and reduced the residual saturation from 0.29 to 0.17. The reduction of residual oil saturation after polymer flooding using PEO was unexpected and potentially significant.
- Energy > Oil & Gas > Upstream (1.00)
- Materials > Chemicals > Commodity Chemicals > Petrochemicals (0.88)
Polymer Injectivity Enhancement Using Chemical Stimulation: A Multi-Dimensional Study
Chandrasekhar, Sriram (Chevron Technical Center, a division of Chevron USA Inc.) | Alexis, Dennis Arun (Chevron Technical Center, a division of Chevron USA Inc.) | Jin, Julia (Chevron Technical Center, a division of Chevron USA Inc.) | Malik, Taimur (Chevron Technical Center, a division of Chevron USA Inc.) | Dwarakanath, Varadarajan (Chevron Technical Center, a division of Chevron USA Inc.)
Abstract Chevron injected emulsion polymer in the Captain field, offshore UK in the last decade at various scales (Poulsen et al., 2018). Pilot horizontal wells had exhibited faster than designed injectivity decline and Jackson et al. (2019) documented the causes to include oleic phase damage from a) injection of produced water containing crude oil after imperfect separation, and b) entrainment of injected emulsion polymer’s carrier oil. The wells were remediated with a surfactant stimulation package (Alexis et al., 2021; Dwarakanath et al., 2016). The remediation boosted the water relative permeability near wellbore which enhanced injectivity and allowed higher processing rates for subsequent continuous polymer injection. In this work, we conducted a set of core floods in slabs of surrogate rock of varying dimension and patterns to demonstrate the beneficial effect of near wellbore stimulation in the general case. 0.04 PV of the remediation package was injected and we show consistent injectivity enhancement across the experiments. We demonstrate the dominant effect of well skin treatment on the pressure drop profile compared to flow resistance from a) residual oil saturation and b) viscous fingering. The result is an important reminder for injectivity maintenance for high polymer flood processing rates for the life of the project. Clean injection fluids were demonstrated to maintain injectivity. We show applicability of stimulation for injectors into viscous oil reservoirs with adverse viscosity ratio. The robust nature of the remediation package developed by Alexis et al. (2021) is also shown, working to efficacy on viscous oil, as well as in situ phase separated polymer. We estimated skin and stimulation depth for a line drive case with low chemical dosage finding that 0.04 pore volumes of surfactant injection at 0.33 oil saturation units gave injectivity improvement of 31%. Surfactant stimulation is thus broadly applicable to wells with oleic phase skin.
Screening of Topside Challenges Related to Polymer Presence in the Back Produced Fluids – Casabe Case Study
Mouret, Aurélie (IFP Energies Nouvelles) | Blazquez-Egea, Christian (IFP Energies Nouvelles) | Hénaut, Isabelle (IFP Energies Nouvelles) | Jermann, Cyril (IFP Energies Nouvelles) | Salaün, Mathieu (Solvay) | Quintero, Henderson (Ecopetrol) | Gutierrez, Mauricio (Ecopetrol) | Acosta, Tito (Ecopetrol) | Jimenez, Robinson (Ecopetrol) | Vargas, Nadine (Ecopetrol)
Abstract Polymer enhanced oil recovery (EOR) pilots were implemented in various mature oilfield reservoirs in Colombia with encouraging results. That chemical EOR technology is often considered as a promising process to faster recover oil. To increase the chance of success of such an industrial project it is important not to neglect the potential impact of residual polymer in back produced effluents. The objective of this work is to highlight the impact of back-produced EOR polymer at the laboratory scale on various topside equipment before deploying the polymer injection at wider scale in a heavy oil field (18° API). A topside facility review was first performed to collect operational conditions and parameters, to identify applied treatment technologies and to define relevant sampling locations for the laboratory study. The impact of the residual acrylamide/ATBS ter-polymer selected for the future polymer implementation was then explored in a set of experiments as part of a dedicated laboratory workflow representing the whole surface treatment chain. The scope of the study has covered primary separation, static gravity water clarifying, deep-bed filtration and heater fouling. Large residual polymer concentration and water cut ranges were investigated to anticipate some produced fluid composition change over time. In the case studied, the selected polymer does not stabilize tight water-in-oil emulsions, but it has a negative impact on the water quality. Some compatibility issues are observed with incumbent demulsifiers, which seems to be sensitive to both polymer concentration and water cut. The fouling risk of heat exchanger is very low in the testing conditions. In the water de-oiling side, filtration and gravity settling performance are reduced but the right chemical and equipment combination enables to obtain a better water quality and to meet injection specifications targets. Novel/Additive Information: This work illustrates that management of produced fluid containing EOR polymer has to be considered as early as possible in the project implementation. It also points out that laboratory experiments are useful to better appraise and mitigate the potential operational issues. All the results obtained in such a study are valuable guideline and input data for treatment facilities upgrade studies. In polymer flooding roadmap implementation, it is key to bond operational conditions and laboratory parameters in order to be as close as possible to the field conditions as each case is unique.
- South America > Colombia (0.67)
- North America > United States (0.46)
- Asia > India (0.46)
- Research Report > New Finding (0.68)
- Research Report > Experimental Study (0.48)
- Water & Waste Management > Water Management > Lifecycle > Treatment (1.00)
- Energy > Oil & Gas > Upstream (1.00)
- South America > Colombia > Santander Department > Middle Magdalena Basin > Yariguí-Cantagallo Field (0.99)
- South America > Colombia > Bolivar Department > Middle Magdalena Basin > Yariguí-Cantagallo Field (0.99)
- South America > Colombia > Antioquia Department > Middle Magdalena Basin > Casabe Field (0.99)
- (8 more...)
- Reservoir Description and Dynamics > Improved and Enhanced Recovery > Chemical flooding methods (1.00)
- Production and Well Operations > Production Chemistry, Metallurgy and Biology > Downhole chemical treatments and fluid compatibility (1.00)
- Health, Safety, Environment & Sustainability > Environment > Water use, produced water discharge and disposal (1.00)
Polymer Containing Produced Fluid Treatment for Re-Injection: Lab Development to Field Deployment
Pinnawala, Gayani Wasana (Chevron Technical Center, a Division of Chevron U.S.A. Inc) | Subrahmanyan, Sumitra (Chevron Technical Center, a Division of Chevron U.S.A. Inc) | Alexis, Dennis Arun (Chevron Technical Center, a Division of Chevron U.S.A. Inc) | Palayangoda, Sujeewa Senarath (Chevron Technical Center, a Division of Chevron U.S.A. Inc) | Linnemeyer, Harold (Chevron Technical Center, a Division of Chevron U.S.A. Inc) | Matovic, Gojko (Chevron Technical Center, a Division of Chevron U.S.A. Inc) | Kim, Do Hoon (Chevron Oronite a Division of Chevron U.S.A. Inc.) | Theriot, Timothy (Chevron Oronite a Division of Chevron U.S.A. Inc.) | Malik, Taimur (Chevron Technical Center, a Division of Chevron U.S.A. Inc) | Dwarakanath, Varadarajan (Chevron Technical Center, a Division of Chevron U.S.A. Inc)
Abstract Chemical Enhanced Oil Recovery operations involve injecting polymer and surfactants for enhanced recovery. Some of the polymer and surfactant are produced in the form of emulsions. The emulsions need to be treated to recover the oil and reuse water for mixing new polymer for injection. New treatment methods are required to effectively break these emulsions. While chemical treatment and other methods are effective in breaking emulsions formed by electric submersible pumps (ESP's), these methods are not successful in breaking emulsions formed by injected chemicals for CEOR. Reuse of produced water is important in off-shore as well as some on-shore fields. Produced water re-injection requires mixing of fresh polymer with fluid containing produced polymer and traces of oil, which can cause potential incompatibility. Ideally, removal of all produced polymer using a viscosity reducer followed by injection of fresh polymer will improve facility reliability and uptime. Sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl or bleach) was evaluated as a viscosity reducer (VR). Bleach can reduce the viscosity of any HPAM by breaking down the polymer. Polymer destruction fortuitously causes a breakdown of emulsions which releases oil from water and results in improved water quality. After destruction of HPAM, excess bleach was neutralized by chemical means using a neutralizer. After neutralization, the resulting water is free of excess bleach and can be reused for mixing fresh polymer for injection without the risk of degradation of newly mixed polymer. Activating the VR (acidic VR) by pH adjustment can enhance the performance of VR dramatically. Improved oil separation as well as polymer removal can be realized using this technique.
- North America > United States (0.68)
- Asia > Middle East > UAE (0.28)
- Asia > Middle East > Oman (0.28)
- Asia > China > Heilongjiang Province (0.28)
- Materials (1.00)
- Energy > Oil & Gas > Upstream (1.00)
- Water & Waste Management > Water Management > Lifecycle > Treatment (0.94)
- Europe > United Kingdom > North Sea > Central North Sea > Moray Firth > Moray Firth Basin > Block 13/22a > Captain Field > Captain Formation (0.99)
- Europe > France > Chateaurenard Field (0.99)
- Asia > Middle East > Oman > Dhofar Governorate > South Oman Salt Basin > Marmul Field > Al-Qalata Formation (0.99)
- (2 more...)
Abstract The objective of this paper is to present a critical review of best practices for conducting laboratory experiments to evaluate chemical EOR. Some legacy methods and procedures are outdated and need to be updated to address their inherent flaws. This paper presents the reasons improvements are necessary and serves to introduce or highlight better methods, while providing a good resource to review past studies. Common laboratory methods and procedures used to evaluate chemical EOR are critically reviewed and discussed for polymer flooding, surfactant-polymer flooding, alkaline-surfactant-polymer flooding, alkaline-co-solvent-polymer flooding specifically but also apply to similar processes. The laboratory methods for evaluating chemical EOR include surfactant phase behavior, coreflooding, chemical adsorption and retention measurements, polymer residual resistance factor measurements, polymer transport, polymer filtration ratio measurements, polymer stability. The best methods and procedures for these and other measurements should take into account how the laboratory measurements will be used for making field-scale performance predictions, the type of oil reservoir, the chemical EOR process and many other factors. Conducting corefloods with a low residence time is an example of a common mistake. New or improved methods are introduced or highlighted to bring best practices to the forefront. New methods that are highlighted include Residence Time Distribution Analysis to determine polymer retention and IPV, polymer transport in cores with two-phases present, and the addition of solvents/pre-shearing for improved polymer transport. The state-of-the-art laboratory methods and procedures discussed herein yield more accurate, more scalable data that are needed for reservoir simulation predictions and field-scale applications of chemical EOR. The recommended best practices will provide a better understanding needed to help select the appropriate chemicals and to determine the optimal chemical mass for field applications of chemical EOR.
- North America > United States > Texas (0.93)
- Asia > Middle East (0.67)
- Geology > Geological Subdiscipline (1.00)
- Geology > Rock Type > Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Rock (0.67)
- Materials > Chemicals > Commodity Chemicals > Petrochemicals (1.00)
- Energy > Oil & Gas > Upstream (1.00)
- South America > Suriname > North Atlantic Ocean > Guyana-Suriname Basin > Tambaredjo Field (0.99)
- South America > Guyana > North Atlantic Ocean > Guyana-Suriname Basin > Tambaredjo Field (0.99)
- Asia > India > Rajasthan > Rajasthan Basin > Barmer Basin > Rajasthan Block > Mangala Field > Fatehgarh Formation (0.99)
- (3 more...)
Re-Injection of Produced Polymer in EOR Projects to Improve Economics and Reduce Carbon Footprint
Ghosh, Pinaki (SNF Holding Company) | Wilton, Ryan R (SNF Holding Company) | Bowers, Annalise (SNF Holding Company) | O’Brien, Thomas (SNF Holding Company) | Cao, Yu (SNF Holding Company) | Wilson, Clayton (SNF Holding Company) | Metidji, Mahmoud Ould (SNF SA) | Dupuis, Guillaume (SNF SA) | Ravikiran, Ravi (SNF Holding Company)
Abstract Chemical Enhanced Oil Recovery (cEOR) flooding is one of the more attractive methods to improve oil recovery. However, during times of instability in the oil market, cost of specialized chemicals and necessary facilities for alkali-surfactant-polymer (ASP) or surfactant-polymer (SP) make this technology very expensive and challenging to implement in the field. In majority of cases, polymer flooding alone has proven to be the most cost-effective solution that has resulted in attractive and predictable return on investment. In recent times, challenging economic environment has operators looking for added economic and sustainable savings. The possibility of re-injection of produced polymer to offset injection concentration requirements can lead to reduced cost and longer sustainability of oil recovery; thus, offering a subsequent reduction in produced water treatment and a reduced full-cycle carbon footprint. This innovative approach is subject to conditions experienced in the surface facilities, as well as in the reservoir. As part of this study, different polymer chemistries were investigated for their mobility control in porous media and comparative effect on oil recovery trends in presence of produced fluid containing residual polymer. The initial fluid-fluid testing and lab characterization results were validated against a mature field EOR project for reduction in polymer requirement to achieve target viscosity. Monophasic flow behavior experiments were performed in Bentheimer and Berea outcrop cores, while oil recovery experiments were performed in Bentheimer outcrops with different polymer solutions – freshly made and combinations with residual produced polymer. In addition, comparative injectivity experiments with field and lab prepared solutions were performed in Bentheimer outcrop cores. Based on field observations and lab measurements, a 10-15% reduction in fresh polymer loading could be achieved through the re-utilization of water containing residual polymer in these specific field conditions. Similar screen factor measurements were obtained with increasing concentration of residual polymer solution. This agreed with the monophasic injectivity experiments in both outcrop cores that resulted in similar resistance factors for fresh polymer and blends with produced water containing residual polymer solution. Oil recovery experiments also resulted in similar oil displacement behavior (approximately 30-40% OOIP after 0.5 PV waterflood) for fresh and blends with sheared polymer solutions, validating no loss in recovery potential, with the added benefit of 10-15% polymer loading reduction.
- North America > United States (1.00)
- Asia (1.00)
- North America > Canada (0.93)
- Europe (0.68)
- Geology > Petroleum Play Type > Unconventional Play > Heavy Oil Play (0.47)
- Geology > Rock Type (0.46)
- Water & Waste Management > Water Management > Lifecycle > Treatment (1.00)
- Energy > Oil & Gas > Upstream (1.00)
- North America > United States > Louisiana > Pelican Lake Field (0.99)
- North America > Canada > Alberta > Western Canada Sedimentary Basin > Alberta Basin > Lloydminster Field (0.99)
- Europe > Austria > Vienna Basin > Matzen Field (0.99)
- Europe > Netherlands > North Sea > Dutch Sector > P09C License > Horizon Field > Vlieland Sandstone Formation (0.98)
- Reservoir Description and Dynamics > Improved and Enhanced Recovery > Chemical flooding methods (1.00)
- Health, Safety, Environment & Sustainability > Sustainability/Social Responsibility > Sustainable development (1.00)
- Health, Safety, Environment & Sustainability > Environment > Water use, produced water discharge and disposal (1.00)
- Health, Safety, Environment & Sustainability > Environment > Climate change (1.00)
Confirmation of Polymer Viscosity Retention at the Captain Field Through Wellhead Sampling
Johnson, Geoffrey (Ithaca Energy) | Hesampour, Mehrdad (Kemira Oyj) | Toivonen, Susanna (Kemira Oyj) | Hanski, Sirkku (Kemira Oyj) | Sihvonen, Stina (Kemira Oyj) | Lugo, Nancy (Ithaca Energy) | McCallum, Jennifer (Ithaca Energy) | Pope, Michael (Ithaca Energy)
Abstract The Ithaca-operated Captain field is located in Block 13/22a in the U.K. sector of the North Sea, 130 km northeast of Aberdeen, in a water depth of 360 ft. The Captain Field has an adverse mobility ratio across all the producing reservoirs and so has undergone improved oil recovery by polymer flooding since 2011 using Anionic polyacrylamide (HPAM) in liquid form. This paper presents recent offshore wellhead sampling from the Captain facility that confirms high polymer solution viscosity retention from a producing well, even after significant mechanical degradation through the Electrical Submersible Pumps (ESP), which is used for artificial lift. The continuing commercial success of the Captain Field polymer flood is underpinned by maintaining polymer viscosity throughout the system. High polymer returns, combined with declining oil rates, may result in the continued operation of these wells to be unattractive. This paper summarises the data used to shut-in mature wells that are producing polymer to the surface, to enable the polymer flood to continue displacing oil to offset production wells. Samples were collected from the wellhead in oxygen free conditions into pressurized cylinders. The measurements in laboratory were taken inside a glove box to avoid oxygen ingress. The absence of oxygen was confirmed through measurements of dissolved oxygen and redox potential. Viscosity of the solutions have been measured with Brookfield viscometer inside the glove box and the results were compared to the expected viscosity from fresh non-degraded polymer solution. The expected viscosity was determined using a concentration – viscosity curve of a fresh polymer in synthetic Captain brine. Polymer solution concentration is measured on-site using KemConnect™ EOR, a time resolved fluorescence method, the collected samples were subsequently confirmed with size exclusion chromatography (SEC) in the laboratory. The polymer concentrations measured from these wellhead samples with KemConnect™ EOR were in the region of 700-900 ppm. Previously collected downhole viscosity samples confirmed >70% viscosity retention prior to being produced through the ESP, while 50-80% of the original viscosity was found to be retained after production through the ESP to the surface facilities under anaerobic conditions for the range of concentrations sampled. These findings demonstrate the resilience of the polymer product to degradation in a real-world operational setting. It also provides data that may be used to estimate the expected downhole polymer solution viscosity from wellhead samples for defined operating conditions. The ability to estimate polymer solution downhole viscosity retention from wellhead samples provides a simpler and less expensive method of estimating viscosity retention than downhole sampling, which is especially useful for wells that do not have downhole access for sample collection.
Polymer Selection for Sandstone Reservoirs Using Heterogeneous Micromodels, Field Flow Fractionation and Corefloods
Borovina, Ante (OMV Exploration & Production GmbH) | Reina, Rafael E. Hincapie (OMV Exploration & Production GmbH) | Clemens, Torsten (OMV Exploration & Production GmbH) | Hoffmann, Eugen (HOT Microfluidics GmbH) | Wegner, Jonas (HOT Microfluidics GmbH) | Steindl, Johannes (OMV Exploration & Production GmbH)
Abstract Incremental oil recovery due to polymer flooding results from acceleration of oil production along flow paths and improving sweep efficiency. To achieve favorable economics, polymers should have a high viscosifying power and low adsorption. However, in addition, incremental oil production from various rock qualities needs to be maximized. We developed a workflow using a layered micromodel, corefloods and Field-Flow Fractionation (FFF) to determine the Molecular Weight Distribution (MWD) for the selection of polymers addressing heterogeneous reservoirs. We have designed micromodels consisting of two layers with different permeabilities, one four times larger than the other. The micromodel structure is based on the characteristics of a real sandstone core, with the dimensions 6 cm × 2 cm. These micromodels were used as preliminary screening of the polymers incorporating heterogeneity effects. Subsequently, single- and two-phase core experiments were performed to determine injectivity effects and displacement efficiency of the selected polymers. In addition, FFF was used to measure the molecular weight distribution, gyration radii and conformance of the polymers. Based on the workflow a polymer was selected. All polymers were tested at target viscosity at 7 1/s shear rate. Micromodel experiments showed that tested polymers are leading to improved sweep efficiency of heterogeneous structure. The displacement efficiency within the higher permeable layer was similar for the investigated polymers whereas the oil recovery from the lower permeable layer showed differences. FFF revealed that the MWD's of the tested polymers were different. The MWD of one of the polymers showed a large number of larger molecules compared with the other polymers. This polymer did not lead to the highest oil recovery in the micromodel. Injectivity and propagation of the higher MW polymer in both single- and two-phase core-floods was falling behind the other polymers. Measurements of the MWD of the core effluent showed that for all tested polymers the larger molecules are initially retained more than the smaller molecules. The polymer with the smallest molecules and narrow MWD showed the best propagation characteristics in the core. Owing to the good performance of this polymer in terms of sweep efficiency improvement, injectivity, and propagation, this polymer was selected for a field application. Therefore, the novelty presented here can be summarised as follow: Heterogeneous micromodels were used to screen polymers for one-dimensional displacement efficiency and sweep efficiency effects Single- and two-phase core floods in combination with Field-Flow Fractionation revealed the impact of the molecular weight distribution (MWD) on polymer injectivity, propagation and retention Selection of polymers need to include MWD to find the most effective polymer Polymer selection needs to take near-wellbore and reservoir effects (micro- and sweep efficiency in heterogeneous reservoirs) into account
- Europe (1.00)
- Asia (1.00)
- North America > United States > California (0.28)
- Energy > Oil & Gas > Upstream (1.00)
- Materials > Chemicals > Commodity Chemicals > Petrochemicals (0.46)
- North America > Canada > Alberta > Western Canada Sedimentary Basin > Alberta Basin > Pelican Lake Field (Wabasca Field) > Wabiskaw Sandstone Formation (0.99)
- North America > Canada > Alberta > Flood Field > Adamant Masters Flood 6-6-85-24 Well (0.99)
- Europe > Austria > Vienna Basin > Matzen Field (0.99)
- (3 more...)
- Well Drilling > Drilling Measurement, Data Acquisition and Automation > Measurement while drilling (1.00)
- Reservoir Description and Dynamics > Improved and Enhanced Recovery > Waterflooding (1.00)
- Reservoir Description and Dynamics > Improved and Enhanced Recovery > Conformance improvement (1.00)
- Reservoir Description and Dynamics > Improved and Enhanced Recovery > Chemical flooding methods (1.00)
Lab and Pilot-Scale Evaluation of Stable Foam for Drilling in High Temperature Environment
Griffith, Christopher (Chevron) | Linnemeyer, Harry (Chevron) | Kim, Do Hoon (Chevron) | Hahn, Ruth (Chevron) | Zhou, Jimin (Chevron) | Upchurch, Eric (Chevron) | Malik, Taimur (Chevron) | Wileman, Angel (Southwest Research Institute) | Beck, Griffin (Southwest Research Institute) | Bhagwat, Swanand (Southwest Research Institute) | Gutierrez, Luis (Southwest Research Institute)
Abstract Using foams to drill in low pore pressure reservoirs is attractive because of their low density, high viscosity, and ability to transport cuttings. However, in high temperature reservoirs (240 °F) with H2S gas present, there are concerns with the long-term stability of a foam drilling fluid. In this work, we highlight a lab program to develop a stable drilling foam for drilling in a low pore pressure, high temperature reservoir. The work also includes pilot-scale experiments to evaluate foam performance. Aqueous nitrogen-in-water foams were stabilized with a preferred foaming surfactant formulation, and the rheology and stability of the foams were measured at representative drilling conditions (temperature and pressure) at the lab and pilot-scale. The foams were also evaluated for their compatibility with current drilling fluids used on site and for stability in the presence of H2S gas (at 1900 psi and 140 °F). The drilling foam was also evaluated using a pilot-scale flow loop comprised of a rheology flow loop and a model drilling wellbore. The experiments included measuring the foam rheology, foam stability in the model wellbore, and gas migration tests to understand how the foam suppresses upwardly migrating gas bubbles. We successfully developed a surfactant stabilized foam designed for a high-temperature reservoir with H2S gas present. We found that H2S can negatively impact foam stability if proper surfactants are not selected. Our foam showed less than 10% liquid drainage after 12 hours at 240 °F and showed no significant degradation upon contact with 17 mol% H2S gas. Additionally, the foam was compatible with all drilling fluids (both water-based and oil-based) currently used at the drill site and demonstrated good stability in a model pilot-scale drilling wellbore. Interestingly, when the wellbore was angled at 30 degrees from vertical with the eccentric drill pipe rotating at 100 RPM, the foams were susceptible to degradation compared to an equivalent scenario of a vertical wellbore with concentric rotating drill pipe. The gas migration tests at the pilot-scale showed the foam was capable of significantly slowing down an upwardly moving gas bubble with and without pipe rotation.
- Well Drilling > Wellbore Design > Wellbore integrity (1.00)
- Well Drilling > Pressure Management (1.00)
- Well Drilling > Drillstring Design (1.00)
- (4 more...)