Group K

MSc. Petroleum Engineering

LONDON SOUTH BANK UNIVERSITY,UK.
Group K -members
 Ilya Pushkarev 2936077
 Mike Arhin 2935901
Musa Muhammed 2933794
 Samuel G. Emenogu 2933966
 Uzochukwu A. Morah 2922166
Contents
 Introduction
 Effects of Formation Damage
 Causes of Formation Damage
 Control and Remediation
 The Concept of Acid Stimulation
Introduction
 Formation Damage can be described as the reduction
in permeability in the reservoir rock due to the
infiltration of drilling or treating fluids into the area
adjacent to the well bore.
 It occurs in the near bore region of the formation
(reservoir) where radial flow is dominant.
 It results from a combined reduction in porosity and
permeability in the near well bore region of the
formation.
 Understanding and preventing Formation Damage
should be the responsibility of every Oilfield
professional because it is the main reason many Oil
and Gas wells produce at rates that fall far-short of
their theoretical capabilities. (Sub-optimal Oil
production)
 This phenomenon also impairs injection and disposal
wells, thereby limiting the efficiency of pressure
maintenance schemes and increasing operating costs.
Effects of Formation Damage
Swelling of clays
Mud filtrates and formation
fluids
Invasion
Well performance
Table 1
The swelling of clays reduces permeability
Formation of emulsions which reduces
permeability
Drill solids invade into the formation matrix
thereby causing skin effect and reducing
porosity.
Reduction in flow efficiency in the near well
bore formation during the various phase of oil
and gas production
Fig 1, Source: B. Bennion, 1999
The are four primary mechanisms of formation damage:
1. Mechanical 2. Chemical 3. Biological

4. Thermal
Mechanical Formation Damage
• Caused by a direct, non-chemical, interaction between the

equipment
• Changes or fluid
in the used and
properties the reservoir
of the formation.
fluids during
production operations.
• This result in a reduction in the permeability of the
formation.
 Mechanical Impairment Mechanism
1. Fines Migration
e.g. migration of potentially transportable materials (Clays).
2. External Solids Entrainment
e.g. Invasion of particulate matter suspended in drilling fluid.
Phase Trapping and Blocking
e.g. Capillary pressure and relative permeability effects.
Glazing/Mashing
e.g. Damaged caused by bit/heat into the formation face.
5. Geomechanics
6. Perforation Damage
 Chemical Formation Damage
Interactions between the introduced fluids and the rock formation.

• Clay swelling - Hydration of hydrophilic clays (e.g. smectite).

• Clay deflocculation - Kaolinite is a non-water sensitive clay.

• Chemical adsorption - Polymers and high molecular weight

materials present in fluids can bound to surfaces.

• Paraffins & Waxes - Low cloud point temperatures result in

crystallization of alkanes and waxes

• Emulsions - Water in oil emulsions exhibit high viscosity.

 Biological (Microbial) Formation Damage
• Plugging - Secretion of viscous polysaccharide polymers as a by-product
• Corrosion- Electro kinetic hydrogen reduction reaction can result in pitting and
H2 stress cracking on metallic surfaces downhole

• Toxicity- SRB reduce elemental sulphate which may be present in

formation/injection water and create H 2S
 

Thermal Formation Damage

Damage mechanisms which are associated with the high temperatures

• Mineral transformation - Above 180oC non reactive clay species may be

catalyzed and form hydratable reactive products
 
• Dissolution – Mineral solubility increases with temperature .
 
• Wettability alterations– Formations become more water wet as
temperature increases
 Control and remediation of formation
damage.
Ensure adequate formation evaluation;  

Use of specially design drill- in- fluids or work over and 
completion fluids thereby minimizing formation damage;

Use of formation heat treatment in the near wellbore region;

Sand control mechanism;

Use of improved perforation techniques (underbalanced 
perforation, removal of crushed zones and other perforating 
debris);

Hydraulic Fracturing.
 Control and remediation of formation
damage

Fig 2. Formation damage impairs productivity.
       Mueche, W. T. (1982) Principles of acid simulation
 ACID STIMULATION
• Acid stimulation is  the  process  by  which 
mineral  impairment  in  the  near  wellbore 
region  of  the  formation  is  removed  or 
reduced by the action of acid on the mineral 
deposit.  It  helps  increase  production  by 
improving flow into the wellbore.

• Impairment is caused by pore throat filling 
by  drilling  chemicals,  completion  fluids  and 
debris  jetting  into  perforation  channels  by 
perforation.
ACIDISATION MECHANISM
Mechanism  is  made  effective  by  spotting  the 
chemical  or  debris  down  hole  with  the  use  of  the 
coiled tube. The chemical is pumped through the pipe 
and jetted directly onto the damaged area.

  The  chemicals  dissolve  the  materials  restoring 

permeability  in  the  process  and  the  reservoir  fluids 
will flow into the wellbore cleaning out what is left of 
the damaging material.
 TYPES OF ACIDISATION
TYPES ACTIVITY

Mud Acid •Mixture of HF and

HCL.
•It dissolves silicate
material.
•Cannot be used in
carbonate
reservoirs because
of acid reactions.

HCL Acid wash •Uses HCL solution

to remove calcium
based deposits
around wellbore.

Fig 3. N.I. Al-Mulhem et al 2010

Table 2
 RECOMMENDATIONS

After in depth analysis the following course of

action is recommended :
• Reduction in the density of drilling fluids in order
to reduce fluid invasion into the formation during
completion operations.
• Improve drilling fluid rheology to provide better
fluid loss control, and thus better cleanup
potentials.
R.F Krueger: ‘An overview of Formation Damage and Well Productivity in Oilfield
Operations’: An update , SPE 17459, presented at the SPE California Regional
meeting held in Long Beach, California, March 23-25, 1988 (Accessed 13th May, 2011)

N.I. Al-Mulhem et al: ‘A Smart Approach in Acid Stimulation Resulted in

Successful Reviving of Horizontal Producers Equipped with ICD Completions:
Saudi Arabia Case History’ SPE 127318, presented at the 2010 SPE International
Symposium and Exhibition in Formation Damage Control held in Lafayette,
Louisiana, USA, 10 – 12 February 2010 (Accessed 6th May 2011)

Ismail Mohammed El-Haib; ‘Production Improvement of Formation Damaged

Wells by Proper Acid Treatment’; SPE 128433, presented at the SPE North Africa
Technical Conference and Exhibition held in Cairo, Egypt, 14-17 February 2010
(Accessed 6th May 2011)

Farouk Civan; ‘Reservoir Formation Damage’; Gulf Publishing’; Gulf Publishing

Company, Houston, Texas, 2000. (Accessed 31st May, 2011)

Bennion, D.B., et.al; ‘Remediation of Water and Hydrocarbon Phase Trapping

Problems in Low Permeability Gas Reservoirs.’ CIM Paper 96-80. (Accessed 31 st
May 2011).