OVERVIEW

Well Stimulation
Recently, I was pondering that question that I seem to be asking myself too often these days, Just what should I do next? The problem is not that I have to look very far or very hard for work that needs to be done; rather, it is a matter of trying to fit all of the work in while getting it done well and on time. It was at about this time that I realized that my deadline for getting this short introduction prepared for the JPT Well Stimulation feature was approaching rapidly. Yes, another item that suddenly moved from relatively low priority to high.

Additional Well Stimulation Technical Papers

Available at the SPE eLibrary:

Dusterhoft

www.spe.org
SPE 85337 Remarkable Results From Stimulation Treatment Using Deep-Penetrating DivertingAcid System in Marrat TightLimestone Formation: Case Histories from Humma Field, DZ-Kuwait, Saudi Arabia SPE 84118 High-Power/High-Frequency Acoustic Stimulation: A Novel and Effective WellboreStimulation Technology SPE 84925 Field Application of HCl/Formic-Acid System to Acid Fracture Deep Gas Wells Completed With Super Cr13 Tubing in Saudi Arabia [See JPT (March 2004) 59.] SPE 84516 Acid Fracturing HP/HT Gas Wells Using a Novel Surfactant-Based Fluid System

These days it seems that there is always more to do than there is time to get it done. It is for this reason that I admire people who are able to find the time and make the effort to write technical papers. Without these people who make the effort, it would be far too easy to get caught up in our own affairs, and much of the interesting and innovative work that is being done in our industry would go unnoticed. One thing that I think is very important when trying to evaluate the effectiveness of various stimulation technologies is an effort to apply more reservoir understanding during the interpretation of the results. In many cases, too much focus is placed on short-term productivity. This short-term focus may make us feel good or bad depending on the results, but in reality it means very little without factoring in some reservoir information to normalize the results. It is entirely possible to have cases in which the worst-performing well is actually the most effective stimulation, just performed in a lower-quality portion of the reservoir. I think a number of very good stimulation techniques do not get the attention they deserve because we have not taken the time to have a closer look at performance. Unfortunately, this closer look will require more time and effort in the interpretation, but I think the benefits of completing this important step are critical to understanding the real performance results of stimulation treatments and will help people make better decisions in the future. I have tried to select papers that cover a wide range of stimulation applications and represent locations around the world. I hope that you enjoy reading through the following summaries and that you may find the information helpful and useful in your work, wherever in the world that may be. JPT Ron Dusterhoft, SPE, is Technology Leader with Halliburton Energy Services specializing in stimulation techniques in a Global Business and Technology Solutions Team. He has worked in the petroleum industry for 20 years in several locations around the world. Dusterhoft holds a BS degree in mechanical engineering from the U. of Alberta and has authored and coauthored several technical papers. He serves on the SPE Editorial Review and the JPT Editorial Committee.

46

JULY 2004

Well Stimulation

Phosphonic Acid for Stimulating HF-Sensitive Reservoirs

Hydrofluoric acid (HF)-sensitive reservoirs that could not be hydraulically fractured or stimulated effectively have been a challenge to the petroleum industry. Experience shows that when such formations are stimulated with conventional acid systems based on HF or hydrochloric acid (HCl), production performance declines shortly after the treatments. Treatments with an organophosphonic acid complex have been performed in seven wells including oil producers, water injectors, and gas-injection wells in the Niger delta. Introduction Fluorine is a very reactive element, and because sandstone composition varies, many reaction products can form when sandstone formations are stimulated with HF HF-sensi. tive reservoirs that could not be hydraulically fractured or effectively stimulated have been left untreated, leaving the wells to produce at less-than-optimum rates. These reservoirs typically have swelling clays, feldspars, chlorite clays, and certain zeolites. An organophosphonic acid formulation that combines stimulation with skin and scale removal was used successfully to remove impairments in HF-sensitive reservoirs, leaving a water-wet and scale-inhibited environment. The organophosphonic acid offers the following benefits. Retarded reaction rate, hence the ability to get the acid deeper into the formation before it is completely spent. No fluoride in the formulation; therefore, no risk of damage or insoluble precipitates. The ability to remove and prevent scale deposition for several months after stimulation. The acid can be designed as a singlestage treatment with long pumping times and stage diversion without any harmful effects to the formation. Organophosphonic Acid Complex The new acid system does not contain HF or form HF in situ. Specific gravity is 1.015 to 1.10, and the presence of powerful adsorbing, chelating, dispersing, and antiscaling features in the formulation meets almost all requirements. The primary ingredients dissolve many minerals including calcite, hematite, siderite, chlorite, ankerite, and dolomite. The HCl in the formulation dissolves the acid-soluble materials, while the organophosphate removes the insoluble and damaging minerals by the process of sequestration and complexation. Because this formulation has no HF it can be used to , stimulate reservoirs that are sensitive to HF . Organophosphonic Acid Features The organophosphonic acid system derives its benefits from skin removal, scale inhibition, true stimulation, and easy placement. The ability of the system to remove skin damage caused by drilling, workover, completion, and poor well maintenance in combination with the removal of precipitates and insoluble minerals leads to a dramatic reduction in skin factor and increase in production.The formulation combines matrix acidizing, scale-inhibition technology, acid-soluble-scale removal, and prevention of reprecipitation. Design Considerations Successful matrix-acidizing treatments can be expected if the following reservoir conditions are met. Water cut of 0 to 40%. Permeability less than 1 md for gas wells and more than 20 md for oil wells. Reservoir pressure a minimum of 80% of depletion for oil wells and two times the abandonment pressure for gas wells. Mineral composition of the formation has to be known and the nature of skin damage established. Acid-response tests with suitable cores must be carried out. Design Recipe The phosphonic acid complex is designed to be a single-stage acid stimulation system with an optional displacement fluid. For some of the wells treated with this system, damage diagnoses indicated mostly oily residue, wax scales, clay swelling, and fines migration. A preflush or perforation wash with a blend of solvents was applied, followed by the single-stage main flush of phosphonic acid complex and an afterflush with 3% ammonium chloride (NH4Cl) brine containing mutual solvent. For wells
This article, written by Assistant Technology Editor Karen Bybee, contains highlights of paper SPE 89415, Phosphonic Acid Complex for Stimulating HFSensitive ReservoirsA Revolutionary Response, by Linus Nwoke, SPE, and Chike Uchendu, SPE, BJ Services; James Arukhe, SPE, Shell; Philippe Essel and Felix Ndinemenu, Total; and Alessandra Vecchio and Sylvester Fatusin, SPE, NAOC, prepared for the 2004 SPE/DOE Fourteenth Symposium on Improved Oil Recovery, Tulsa, 1721 April.

that have no indication of wax, pipe dope, or oily deposits, there is no need for solvent application and only the blend of phosphonic acid complex was used to remove the skin damage effectively. Appendix C in the full-length paper shows a typical detailed job program, and Appendix B shows a matrix-acidizing fluids-selection algorithm. Case Histories Case 1Water Injection. Severe impairment attributed to wax and scale deposition characterized the vertical water injector, resulting in a reduction in water injection from a peak of 14,500 BWPD to 4,718 BWPD at 2,250-psi injection pressure. Treatment of this well with the new acid system and solvent blend not only restored the peak injection rate but produced a large increase in water-injection rate. Post-treatment injection was 32,400 BWPD at 2,000 psi. The well was kicked off after the stimulation at 17,496 BWPD at 2,165 psi and is still injecting satisfactorily. The placement technique over the 30-ft completion interval was bullheading, comprising a treatment train of 62 bbl of phosphonic acid complex, 62 bbl of solvent, and 62 bbl of 5% HCl. Case 2Water Injection. The well was completed as a single water injector in the lower portion of this reservoir in October 2003. The reservoir consists of alternating Miocene sand deposits within thick KwaIboe shales forming a turbiditic channel-

JULY 2004

47

level-complex system. The well is deviated, S-shaped, and enters vertically into the reservoir to avoid sand plugging as a result of possible flowback. The well was newly completed with 41/2-in. tubing in 7-in. cased hole and perforated 170 ft in one zone. To reduce potential downhole pressure losses, no sand control was installed. Near-wellbore damage caused by drilling and workover operations characterize this injector. Pretreatment injection tests recorded 1,440 BWPD at 1,000 psi. After the phosphonic acid complex treatment, injection tests recorded 14,400 BWPD at 2,000 psi, a 10-fold increase. The treatment train executed by a high-rate bullhead technique over 170 ft of completion interval was a combination of 60 bbl of solvent to remove impairment caused by organic deposition and 90 bbl of phosphonic acid complex to inhibit scale and dissolve plugging materials left from drilling and completion activities. Case 3Gas Injector. This vertical well is in 1,622 ft water depth and will provide gas support for oil producers and serve as a gasdisposal well to comply with the zero flaring objective. The main target consisted of loose, poorly cemented sandstones. The well was re-entered to complete the oil well as a gas injector by perforating the B200 level within a 37-ft interval, and 51/2-in. 13 Cr tubing was installed. During the overbalanced perforation of this interval, some particles from completion activity were pushed into the near-wellbore region, causing damage. The calcium carbonate (CaCO3) pills pumped to control losses contributed equally to the damage, jeopardizing gas-injection optimization. Pipe dope applied to pin ends was suspected to have been transported to the perforations, drastically reducing productivity. No pretreatment injection test was performed to avoid causing further damage to the near-wellbore region. The treatment pumped through coiled tubing (CT) and a jetting tool was made up of 30 bbl of solvent to clean up pipe dope from the perforations, 50 bbl of phosphonic acid complex to remove drilling- and CaCO3-induced skin damage, and 140 bbl of 1.4-specific-gravity calcium chloride brine with mutual solvent to displace the acid into the near-wellbore region and keep the formation water-wet. Post-treatment injection was very good, and 14.14 MMscf/D of gas is being injected 4 months after the treatment. Case 4Gas Injector. This well was drilled in 1974 and completed as an oil producer and in 1987 was recompleted as a gas injector in a 37-ft perforation interval. It was

suspected that CASE STUDY 7 damage caused by drilling operations and per7,000 foration-tunnel 6,000 plugging by rust 5,000 and oil particles 4,000 from the injec3,000 tion network Acid System 2,000 were the causes of the impair1,000 ment. Previous 0 treatments with another acid improved injectivity slightly. A CT interFig. 1Production history for Case 7. vention with a jetting tool was performed with 25 bbl of solvent to pickle Various near-wellbore-damage mechathe injection tubing and remove oily nisms were suspected to be the cause of the deposits from the perforations, 60 bbl of flow impediment. Skin damage resulted in a phosphonic acid complex to remove near- 381 skin factor and a 0.5 bbl/(psi-D) prowellbore damage, and 100 bbl of 3% NH4Cl ductivity index (PI). CT was used to clean containing mutual solvent to displace the up the sediments and treat the interval with acid system into the formation. Gas-injec- 20 bbl of blended solvent, 30 bbl of phosphonic acid complex, and 30 bbl of 3% tion rate improved from 5 to 21 MMscf/D. NH4Cl containing mutual solvent. Oil proCase 5Oil Producer. The initial oil pro- duction increased to 1,488 BOPD on a duction was 1,460 BOPD but decreased to 20/64-in. choke, with an 11 skin factor and 650 BOPD within 2 months. Two scale- a 9.8-bbl/(psi-D) PI. removal treatments were conducted. First, mechanical scale removal was performed Case 7Oil Producer. This well was with 70 bbl of brine. This increased the rate completed as a single oil producer with a to 1,200 BOPD, but rapid rescaling reduced 66 maximum deviation at 4,277 ft total this almost immediately. This necessitated depth. The reservoir consists of alternatan additional treatment with conventional ing Miocene sands deposited within thick HCl. Scale was removed chemically, and Kwa-Iboe shales forming a turbiditic production increased to 1,275 BOPD, but channel-level-complex system. The perfothe calcite scale recurred. In 2 months, pro- ration interval is 140 ft long. The nearduction declined to 480 BOPD. wellbore skin damage is caused by waterAfter the second rate decline, phosphon- based-mud drilling fluid weighted with ic acid complex was pumped to remove CaCO3. The maximum potential of the scale and inhibit new scale growth. The new well was expected to be 6,000 BOPD on a acid system increased the rate to 1-in. choke. A single flush of 270 bbl of 1,230 BOPD, and the rate remained at near- phosphonic acid complex was pumped in ly 1,100 BOPD. The well was producing at six stages of 45 bbl each with a 5-bbl foam the increased rate with continuing scale diverter in between each two stages, folinhibition 3 months later. lowed by a final displacement with 25 bbl of 3% NH4Cl. After the acid treatment, the Case 6Oil Producer. This well was well came on stream at 2,000 BOPD with a drilled in 1981 and completed with an inter- 735-psi wellhead pressure on a 18/64-in. nal gravel pack as a dual-string multiple choke. Current production is 6,332 BOPD producer in 1995. The long interval with with 448-psi wellhead pressure on a 13 ft of perforations came on stream in 44/64-in. choke (Fig. 1). JPT January 1996 at 1,224 BOPD and reached peak production of 1,631 BOPD in July For a limited time, the full-length paper 1996 on a 24/64-in. choke. Production is available free to SPE members at gradually declined to 1,097 BOPD in www.spe.org/jpt. The paper has not November 2000 and declined sharply to been peer reviewed. 495 BOPD in December 2000. Production remained fairly constant until May 2002.
BOPD

48

25

28

/2 /0 00 3 9 30 /2 /0 00 9 3 02 /2 /1 00 3 0 12 /2 /1 00 3 0 17 /2 /1 00 0 3 18 /2 /1 00 3 0 21 /2 /1 00 3 0 25 /2 /1 00 0 3 29 /2 /1 00 3 0 03 /2 /1 00 3 1 15 /2 /1 00 1 3 18 /2 /1 00 3 1 /2 00 3

/0 9

JULY 2004

Well Stimulation

Acid Fracturing a Carbonate Reservoir

The Khuff formation is ideal for acid fracturing because of the heterogeneous nature of the formation. Several acid types were used to fracture this tight, dolomitic formation. A large database of acid-fracture treatments (more than 70 wells) was used to investigate acid/rock interactions to determine the relationship between lithology and acid type. The full-length paper correlates the acid treatment to openhole logs, core petrophysical data, and flowback samples collected after acid-fracture treatments. Introduction The Khuff formation is a deep carbonate gas reservoir that consists of dolomite and limestone sections underlying the giant Ghawar oil field in the eastern region of Saudi Arabia. The Khuff formation can have streaks of shale, anhydrite, or nonpermeable intervals within the layer that may constitute no-flow zones or fracture barriers. This heterogeneity of the Khuff formation makes it an ideal candidate for acid fracturing even though the reservoir temperature is between 280 and 300F . Acid fracturing the Khuff formation has resulted in the high gas-production rate required to start up the two new gas plants built for the Hawiyah and Haradh fields. In the beginning, the acid-fracture program consisted of pumping a viscous pad (hightemperature borate-gelled) followed by 28 wt% in-situ-gelled acid, and then a closed-fracture acid stage of 28 wt% hydrochloric (HCl) acid pumped below the closure pressure. Typically, the acid volumes ranged from 1,500 to 2,000 gal/ft. The results of the treatments were good, but optimization of the early treatments was difficult because of unavailability of long-term production data. Emulsified acids, in-situ-gelled acids, formic acid/HCl, and viscoelastic acids were introduced later with varying results. These acid formulations have resulted in high initial gas rates, but in some wells gas rates declined to less than 60% of the original cleanup rate within 6 months of production. In an attempt to offset this decline, Saudi Aramco began optimizing acid-fracturing treatments on the basis of reservoir characteristics such as permeability, porosity, and fluid leakoff. This optimization process has been limited to fluid selection, treatment volume, and number of stages. Stimulation Objectives Acid fracturing is one of the fundamental ways to stimulate carbonate reservoirs. The main factors contributing to improved production are etched-fracture conductivity and acid-penetration distance. Acid-penetration distance is a function of leakoff rate, fracture width, pumping rate, and volume. Fracture conductivity is a function of effective etched width at a certain position along the fracture that remains open and communicating with the well after closure occurs. When a fracture treatment is well designed and correctly implemented in the field, the benefits in terms of gas production and recovery time are readily experienced. A stimulated well produces at a high rate at early times and achieves ultimate gas recovery faster than an unstimulated well. Current Acids Currently, two acid programs are used in the Khuff formation. One consists of in-situgelled acid with stages of pad. The other consists of emulsified acid with in-situ-gelled acid in the later stages. Both treatments use closed-fracture acid (28 wt% HCl) pumped below the closure pressure of the formation. Analysis of Flowback Samples Chemical analysis of the fluids produced following acid treatment has been used to evaluate and improve acid treatments performed in several fields. To assess the performance of the acid-fracture treatments, samples of well flowback were collected and concentrations of key ions measured. Calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) concentrations were measured by inductively coupled argon plasma emission spectroscopy. Acid concentration was determined by use of acid/base titration. Dolomite and Calcite From Flowback Samples Flowback samples can be used to determine the nature of the treated zone and type of
This article, written by Assistant Technology Editor Karen Bybee, contains highlights of paper SPE 84130, Acid Fracturing of a Gas Carbonate Reservoir: The Impact of Acid Type and Lithology on Fracture Half-Length and Width, by K.M. Bartko, SPE, H.A. Nasr-El-Din, SPE, Z. Rahim, SPE, and G.A. Al-Muntasheri, Saudi Aramco, prepared for the 2003 SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, Denver, 58 October.

carbonate mineral dissolved by the acid. One method to determine acid reaction with the rock is to examine the Ca/Mg weight ratio in the flowback samples. The target zone contains calcite (CaCO3) and dolomite [CaMg(CO3)2]. The main source of Mg in the formation rock is dolomite. The weight ratio of Ca to Mg in pure dolomite is 1.67. The concentrations of Ca and Mg in the flowback sample can be used to determine the average calcite and dolomite content in the treated zone. All acids used in the fracturing treatments were prepared with low-salt-content water. Acids used in the fracturing treatments did not contain significant amounts of Ca or Mg ions. The first few measurements were excluded because they represented the overflush. The number of these samples was determined on the basis of the concentration of chloride in the flowback samples. This procedure can be illustrated by examining the results obtained from Well SA-1, where zone B was acid fractured. The first few samples contained low chloride ion. These samples represent the overflush. The next samples had much higher Ca concentrations. The source of the Ca is the calcium carbonate particles used during drilling the target zone. Following this initial peak, the Ca concentration drops to a fairly constant value. The Ca/Mg weight ratio indicates that the average calcite in the formation is 43.2 wt%, and the rest is dolomite. A similar trend was noted in wells where zone C was acid fractured. In these cases, the Ca/Mg ratio indicated that the average calcite content was 60 wt%.

JULY 2004

49

uated in several different ways. Variable combinations that were investigated consisted of porosity/height, initial production rate, total fluid volume, minimum and maximum pump rate, net reservoir height, acid type, and lithology. The best correlation found included the Fig. 1PI as a function of acid type and lithology. productivity index (PI). The PI then was normalized for differData Acid-Fracture Data. The acid-fracture data ences in reservoir quality by dividing PI by consisted of acid type, acid volume, and the permeability-thickness product, kh. The maximum and minimum pump rate. The value of h for the wells examined varied data excluded the pad stages used to initiate from 30 to 200 ft. This procedure assumes the fracture and the intermediate stages that wellbore radius and skin after treatment used to keep the fracture open. The 10,000 are constant for all wells. The PI/kh ratio gal of 28 wt% HCl closed-fracture acid stage measures performance of the acid-fracture was excluded from the analysis because all treatments, including poor acid coverage in treatments used the same volume and con- large gross intervals. centration. A spearhead acid is used in some wells to remove drilling-fluid filter cake. Pump Rate. Maximizing the pump rate This acid was not included because its func- during an acid-fracture treatment results in tion was to remove external damage, and, as deeper acid penetration. In a typical Khuff a result, it did not affect the permeability of acid-fracture treatment, the pump rate is continuously monitored along with the the formation significantly. The following acid systems were evaluated. nonreactive pad stages to keep the bottomhole pressure greater than the closure pres 15 wt% HCl/9 wt% formic acid. sure. It is evident when maximum pump In-situ-gelled acid. Emulsified acid with in-situ-gelled acid rate is plotted against PI/kh that higher maximum pumping rates increase the producstages. Emulsified acid with viscoelastic acid tivity of Khuff gas wells. stages. The emulsified-acid volume was based on Acid Volume. It has been observed that acid acid volume. The diesel volume (30 vol% of type has a significant effect on the created the total acid volume) was excluded. The fracture geometry either by retarding acid total acid volume included the later stages reaction with the carbonate rock or by reducing the leakoff rate of acid into the forof in-situ-gelled acid. mation. Recently, there has been some eviReservoir Data. Reservoir data were obtained dence that viscoelastic acids can improve by evaluating the openhole logs for lithology, fracture conductivity by reducing polymer determining the net reservoir height, and cal- residue left in the formation. When acid volume per net reservoir culating permeability on the basis of the Khuff height for the three acid types used in the porosity/permeability transform. Khuff formation is plotted against PI/kh, the Production Data. The data used in this optimum total acid volume is 1,000 to study consisted of the initial production flow 1,500 gal/ft. When only in-situ-gelled acid rate after cleanup. Final cleanup rate was data were plotted, optimum acid volume measured when the well produced less than was 800 to 1,200 gal/ft of perforations. For 10 vol% basic sediment and water. A emulsified acid, the optimum volume was 6-month rate was used as steady-state rate. 650 to 1,000 gal/ft of perforations. The data from nearly 70 wells were analyzed. Log Lithology and Acid Type The performance of each acid was evaluated Analysis of Acid-Fracture Treatments Because of the vast amount of data and the on the basis of lithology type. This was done uncertainty of log-quality interpretation and by comparing log-based lithology to the PI reservoir characteristics, the data were eval- and PI/kh of each acid type. Fig. 1 shows a

Fig. 2PI/kh vs. flowback mineralogy and acid type.

performance comparison of acid types to lithology. The data clearly show that emulsified acid is superior in a dolomitic lithology, which is different from what was originally expected. Laboratory results along with an earlier study indicated that emulsified acid should perform better in calcite rock. This study found that the in-situ gelled acids worked better in a calcite or calcite/dolomitic environment than in a dolomitic environment. The HCl/formic acid system appeared to perform better in a calcite formation than in a dolomitic or calcite/dolomite formation. When the acids are plotted against PI/kh, there is little difference in emulsified-acid performance in different lithologies, and the HCl/formic acid performed significantly better on calcite than on the other lithologies. Evaluation of acid type based on acidflowback (Fig. 2) analysis indicated emulsified acid preferentially dissolved dolomitic rock. However, the data also indicate that when the emulsified acid preferentially dissolved dolomite, the PI/kh was poor. The single emulsified-acid data point where there is a high percentage of calcite corresponds to an improved rate. Lithology did not affect performance of the in-situ-gelled acid and the HCl/formic acid system. Conclusions 1. There is evidence that maximizing pump rate will result in higher initial well performance. 2. Emulsified acid performed better than in-situ-gelled acid. 3. Emulsified-acid performance depends on the characteristics of the acid. 4. The HCl/formic acid mixture performed the best in a calcite lithology. JPT

For a limited time, the full-length paper is available free to SPE members at www.spe.org/jpt. The paper has not been peer reviewed.

52

JULY 2004

Well Stimulation

Coiled-Tubing-Conveyed Fracturing: an Alternative to Workover Rigs

In the high-pressure deep wells of the Hassi Messaoud field, proppant fracturing has increased production significantly, prolonging the economic life of many wells. The availability of coiled-tubing (CT) equipment in the field provides the means to stimulate the wells without a workover rig. When coupled with a mechanical isolation system, the CT fracturing technique protects the production tubing from high treating pressure and abrasive proppants. Introduction The Hassi Messaoud field is 490 miles southeast of Algiers in the central part of Algeria. The sandstone producing reservoir is at 10,825 ft and is naturally fissured with permeabilities from 1 to 1,000 md and a 5 to 10% porosity. Bottomhole temperature (BHT) is 244F Many of the candidates for . stimulation in the Hassi Messaoud field are older wells with tubular completion problems in which the producing tubing is not isolated from the annulus. Others are cemented between the 41/2-in. production tubing and the 7-in. casing. Economics In the past, a well with communication problems that also showed excellent potential for fracture treatment required a separate intervention operation before it could be stimulated. A workover rig was called to repair the leak in the tubing or casing and perform the fracture operation. There are not enough workover rigs in Algeria, and there is a work backlog. While the repair is made or completion changed, production is lost. The advantage of fracturing through CT is that rig expenses are not incurred and production is not lost. First Treatment The first fracture treatment through CT in Algeria was performed in October 2001 in the Sonatrach Hassi Messaoud field on Well OMP843. The completion is a 41/2-in. production tubing with a 41/2-in. cemented and perforated liner. Well OMP843 had communication between the 7- and 95/8-in. annulus, making it a candidate for fracturing through CT. The packer was placed at 10,660 ft. A total of 21,464 lbm of 20/40-mesh proppant was placed into the formation. The average surface pressure during the treatment was 8,600 psi. The well tubulars were isolated with 13,100 ft of 23/8-in. CT with a downhole packer that withstood 8,800-psi differential pressure at 9 bbl/min of conventional fracturing fluid. Prefracture production was 860 BOPD, and post-fracture production was 2,280 BOPD. The treatment, including all lost production, was paid out in 39 days. Current production is 2,088 BOPD. Fracturing through CT in the harsh environment of the Hassi Messaoud field was a learning experience. This was the deepest well fractured through CT worldwide, which meant much higher bottomhole pressures (BHPs) than previous wells, as well as a higher BHT. The packer released twice during the calibration injection treatment. Use of BHP gauges validated theoretical modeling of forces acting on the downhole tool. This information guided modifications that led to a successful fracture treatment. Packer Requirements A valid theoretical model of the forces acting on the packer is necessary for successful implementation of a fracture treatment through CT. Because forces encountered during fracture treatments often are substantially different from those of conventional treatments, a robust packer with an emergencyrelease system is essential. Forces exerted on a packer during fracture treatments often exceed the specifications of conventional tension-set packers and disconnect tools because the high pressure and high flow rates cause large forces at an anchored packer. For a tension-set packer to function reliably on CT, the packer must be capable of being released by cycling the force at the tool from tension to compression as well as by applying sufficient tension to activate an emergencyrelease system. Usually, the emergency-release system is activated by shearing a device to release the slips and free the packer. Fracture treatments induce forces that are not only excessive but also vary greatly during the job. For example, the friction initially may be negligible but as the flow rate increases, the force at the packer can cycle
This article, written by Assistant Technology Editor Karen Bybee, contains highlights of paper SPE 89446, CoiledTubing-Conveyed Fracturing Technique Provides Economic Alternative to Workover Rigs in Stimulation Campaign, by Achour Allouti, Bachir Ben Amor, and Ali Ferhat, Sonatrach, and Mark Oettli, Avel Ortiz, and Jodi Wood, Schlumberger, prepared for the 2004 SPE/ICoTA Coiled Tubing Conference and Exhibition, Houston, 2324 March.

from tension to compression because of high friction. Conversely, if the well is hot and the fracture-treatment flow rate causes the CT to cool down, the strain energy can induce sufficient force to shear a conventional emergency-release system. One solution to these problems would be to set the packer initially with adequate tension to prevent friction forces from shifting the packer into compression and also to use a shear device on the emergency-release system with a setting force that is much greater than any potential induced force. When all potential forces acting on a packer during a fracture treatment through CT are analyzed, it is apparent that use of higher settings and greater tension would require a CT injector that can pull with approximately twice the force of commercial injectors. The solution is to maximize the robustness of the packer and to use software to design the treatment. After the initial fracture treatment, the packer design was revised to have larger steel cross sections and a more robust J-type indexing feature. Tool Modifications Well MD321. The revised packer design was used in Well MD321 in March 2002. A conventional fracture stimulation was attempted on this well, and communication occurred between the production tubing and the annulus. The temperature log run after the calibration injection treatment showed that the majority of the fluid had gone behind the 7-in. casing. This well is completed with 41/2-in. production tubing

JULY 2004

53

cemented in place, so a workover to repair the communication was impossible. The closure pressure obtained during the calibration injection treatment in 1998 was 9,900 psi. Also, because the fluid was going behind the 7-in. casing, it was necessary to set the packer in the liner below the problem, which was 250 ft below the packer setting depth of the previous well. The calibration treatment was attempted with the packer set at 11,066 ft in the 41/2-in. liner. A 23/8-in. CT unit with a maximum working pressure of 10,000 psi was used for the operation. A maximum pump rate of 5.2 bbl/min could be obtained without exceeding the maximum allowable pressure of the CT. The predicted BHP was greater than 14,000 psi, but no formation breakdown occurred. The treatment was aborted. After the pressure was bled off, the packer could not be released to allow retrieval from the well. The CT was disconnected from the packer, and the packer was fished with a snubbing unit. Wellbore Difficulties Well MD11. A modified packer was used to fracture-stimulate Well MD11 in August 2002. This well had communication between the 41/2-in. production tubing and the 7-in. annulus. Similar to Well MD321, this well also was completed with a cemented 41/2-in. production tubing, making a workover operation impossible. A calibration treatment was performed with the downhole tool set at 10,900 ft. A maximum 10,000-psi treating pressure occurred while pumping the 15,000-gal calibration treatment of borate crosslinked fluid at 8 bbl/min. This treatment applied 7,200-psi differential pressure at the packer element. The calibration treatment was successful. The closure pressure was 9,748 psi. The pressure was bled off, the packer was released, and the tool was retrieved from the well so a temperature log could be run. Well MD11 had a 5-in. slotted liner, so a temperature log was essential in understanding the fracture-initiation point. The temperature log indicated that the fracture was growing slightly downward, but that it was initiating in the desired zone. The following day while running in the hole at 16 ft/min for the fracture operation, the packer tagged at 10,856 ft and could not be moved up or down. The packer was left overnight to allow the element to relax, but this was not successful. The CT was disconnected from the packer, and the packer was fished with a snubbing unit. Packer Failure Analysis Under extreme differential pressure, conventional slips may not be sufficiently strong to

withstand the radial and axial loading caused by the tubing forces. Although some features of the conventional packer were redesigned for Well MD321, the slips were standard. If the slips wedge too far into the casing or separate from the tool housing despite activation of the emergency-release feature, the packer will remain set. This happened on Well MD321. After Well MD321 and in preparation for Well MD11, many improvements were made to the packer. Slip specifications were revised to prevent cracking or internal shear. The indexing mechanism was better protected from wellbore fluids by encasing it in a housing and adding scraper rings to ensure sand would not interfere with its operation. An equalizing port was added to the packer so that after the fracture treatment, hydrostatic pressure could be equalized without causing fluid to pass over the element. Despite these modifications, a slip knocked against something during the trip in the hole in Well MD11. This dynamic loading caused a failure in the slips that wedged the tool. Additional refinements were made for the second attempt in Well MD11. Return to Well MD11 In January 2003, Well MD11 was successfully fracture stimulated. The packer was set at 7,200 ft. A small injection treatment was performed with linear gel to ensure that the same formation was taking fluid. The closure pressure was found to be 9,200 psi, which was within the range of the previous calibration treatment. The main fracture treatment was pumped at 7 bbl/min, placing 56,000 lbm of 20/40-mesh intermediate-strength proppant into the formation. The rate was slowed near the end of the treatment to allow for good packing of the proppant. The downhole packer was exposed to 5,800-psi differential pressure throughout the treatment. The pressure was bled off, and the packer was retrieved normally. This represented the first fracture treatment through CT in Algeria that was pumped successfully in 1 day. Production increased by more than 400 BOPD and has continued at this rate for 1 year. Tool Features and Modifications The most important refinement for the return run in Well MD11 was the addition of complex job-design software. This software can predict loading on the slips and emergency-release system during any stage of the treatment as well as expected surface loads and stress in the CT to allow jobdesign parameters to be varied until a successful treatment that does not result in excessive loads on the packer is found. The job design for Well MD11 was designed,

revised, and redesigned until an optimized treatment plan was found. Despite success at Well MD11, two new features were added to the packer to make it more robust, and the job-design software was made a real-time analysis tool. With the real-time feature, the software could be used to design fracture treatments, and treatment execution could be precisely monitored and adjustments made as needed. Two features added to the packer for the job on Well OML862 helped to prevent failures similar to those experienced in earlier attempts. The first was slip-area optimization. Software was used to design slips with minimal casing stress and internal shear stress. The new slips resided below the outside diameter of the tool and thus were better protected from impact against a casing anomaly during the trip in the hole. A pressure-balance piston was added to the emergency-release system. The new software and the new tool were used in Well OML862 where the tool functioned properly and in agreement with the job-design and -execution software. Well OML862 Well OML862 is an oil-producing well completed with 41/2-in. cemented production tubing and a 5-in. slotted liner. This well had communication between the 41/2-in. production tubing and the 7-in. casing and also between the 7-in. casing and the 95/8in. casing. The cemented production tubing made a workover impossible. A calibration treatment was pumped with the packer set at 10,220 ft. The calibration was pumped at an average rate of 6.6 bbl/min and included 10,000 gal of borate crosslinked fluid with a 9,400-psi surface treating pressure. The pressure was bled off, and the packer was released and retrieved normally to allow a temperature log to be recorded. The fracture was successfully pumped with the packer set at 10,186 ft. A total of 23,975 lbm of 20/40-mesh high-strength proppant was pumped. The fracture treatment was pumped at an average rate of 6.4 bbl/min. A screenout was observed 24 bbl before the end of the flush. The packer was released, and the underflushed proppant was reverse circulated out of the tubing before retrieving the packer. The packer was exposed to an average 5,500-psi differential pressure, and a 9,600-psi maximum differenJPT tial pressure at screenout.
For a limited time, the full-length paper is available free to SPE members at www.spe.org/jpt. The paper has not been peer reviewed.

54

JULY 2004

Well Stimulation

Acidizing a Horizontal Openhole Completion With Coiled Tubing

A sandstone acidizing treatment was performed on a 1,550-ft horizontal openhole gravel-packed completion to restore productivity following impairment by fines migration. The treatment was placed by use of coiled tubing (CT) on a floating production platform and pumped from a marine stimulation vessel. Pre- and post-job production logs were run to verify treatment effectiveness. The full-length paper focuses on problem identification, treatment design, and measurement of results. Introduction Hoover-Diana is a deepwater Gulf of Mexico (GOM) oil and gas development 160 miles south of Galveston, Texas, with blocks in East Breaks and Alaminos Canyon in water depths from 4,600 to 4,800 ft. In this intraslope salt withdrawal basin, the hydrocarbon accumulations lie primarily in two reservoirs, Diana and Hoover. The Diana discovery well was drilled in 1990, and 3D seismic was recorded in 1991. The Hoover field was discovered in 1997 and is 12 miles east of the Diana reservoir. Field Development Plan. The reservoir development plan is a hybrid drilling and completion program with six platform-type wells using dry surface trees at Hoover and nine remote subsea wells (Diana, Marshall, and Madison). The host facility is a deepdraft caisson vessel (DDCV) stationed over the Hoover field. The Hoover reservoir is an oil accumulation in the Pliocene horizon, at 12,700 ft subsea true vertical depth. The reservoir is approximately 3 miles long by 2 miles wide. The reservoir thickness varies from 25 to 150 ft gross with good sand quality throughout. The Hoover reservoir is an unconsolidated deepwater turbidite deposit with varying levels of sand-channel amalgamation. As is common in the GOM, sand control was a requirement for the completions. Hoover Drilling. The subject well was drilled and completed between September and December 2000. The casing program included 36-in. structural, 20-in. conductor, and 133/8-in. surface casing. A 12-in. intermediate hole was drilled. After 95/8-in. casing was set at the top of the pay zone, an 81/2-in. production hole was drilled. The length of the open-hole section was 1,550 ft with less than 7 ft of vertical-depth change over the entire horizontal length. Hoover Completion. Core samples were used to determine the sand-grain size and distribution. This was critical to designing the screen and the gravel size. The screen design was a premium mesh, with 41/2-in. 13 Cr base pipe with a nominal 175-m opening. The screen material, a nickel/ chrome alloy, was selected for its excellent corrosion resistance. Although the screen was designed for stand-alone service, all horizontal wells would be gravel packed by use of a water-pack technique. All wells are equipped with tubingretrievable surface-controlled subsurface safety valves, chemical-injection mandrels, and a downhole pressure and temperature (DHPT) gauge. The DHPT gauges are used for reservoir surveillance, pressure-buildup analysis, production optimization, drawdown control, and problem diagnosis. Production History Initial production rate in December 2000 was nearly 15,000 BOPD at less than 300-psi reservoir drawdown, resulting in a productivity index (PI) greater than 50 bbl/(psi-D). During much of January 2001, drawdown was held constant, yet PI began to decline. In early February 2001, drawdown was increased to 500 psi and initial production rates were restored; however, PI continued to decline. Between February and May 2001, drawdown was steadily increased to 1,000 psi in an attempt to maintain production rate, but production rate decreased and PI continued to decline. Drawdown was held constant near 1,000 psi between May and August 2001, while productivity continued to decline. By August 2001, production rate had fallen to nearly 4,000 BOPD. Problem Diagnosis Many potential causes were considered to explain the observed productivity impairment. Pressure-buildup analysis was perThis article, written by Assistant Technology Editor Karen Bybee, contains highlights of paper SPE 84129, Sandstone Acidizing Treatment of a Horizontal Openhole Completion Using Coiled Tubing From a Deepwater Floating Production Platform, by F.L. Hardin, SPE, M.D. Barry, SPE, and C.E. Shuchart, SPE, ExxonMobil, and R.D. Gdanski, SPE, D.W. Ritter, SPE, and D.V. Huynh, SPE, Halliburton Energy Services, prepared for the 2003 SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, Denver, 58 October.

formed on the basis of DHPT-gauge data. During the periods when drawdown was increased, skin increased constantly. Skin continued to increase after drawdown was held constant at 1,000 psi. Sidewall cores from the wells pilot hole showed significant percentages of silts and clays. Because of this and the observed relationship between increasing drawdown and increasing skin, the most likely damage mechanism was thought to be fines migration. Pump-In Tests. To confirm the theory of fines migration as the impairment mechanism, two bullhead pump-in tests were performed during June 2001. In the first test, 25 bbl of xylene and 95 bbl of diesel were pumped into the well at an average rate of 6 bbl/min. The xylene was included in the first test to address any potential paraffinic buildup in the tubing. A well test was performed before the pump-in test and following ramp-up after the pump-in test. The second pump-in test was performed much like the first, except that 150 bbl of diesel was used. The tests resulted in PI increases of 46% and 37%, respectively. These PI increases were short-lived, and PI returned to pretest levels within 1 week. Stimulation-Treatment Design Results from the pump-in tests indicated that the likely damage mechanism was fines migration and that a hydrofluoric acid (HF) treatment might restore well productivity by

56

JULY 2004

dissolving the plugging fines. Fluid selection and acid placement would be critical to the success of an HF treatment. Compatibility of stimulation fluids with formation mineralogy is one of the most important aspects of selecting the proper fluids for an HF treatment. Compatibility issues addressed included ion-exchange transformation of brines, decomposition of clays in hydrochloric acid (HCl), precipitation of fluosilicates, removal of carbonates to prevent precipitation of complex aluminum fluorides, silica-gel filming, colloidal silica-gel precipitation, and separation of various stages of the treatment in the formation matrix. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses of core samples from an offset well were dominated by quartz (39 to 67%) with a low clay content. Additional XRD analyses revealed that some core plugs had a higher zeolite content (1 to 5%) and occasional siderite. A mixture of organic acid containing a low HCl concentration was recommended as the HF acid preflush to remove carbonates and minimize zeolite degradation. The very high sodium feldspar content and the low temperature suggest that there may be a strong potential for fluosilicates precipitation during the secondary reaction of HF on clays and feldspar. On the basis of formation analysis, the following treatment sequence was proposed: an acid preflush consisting of 10% acetic acid, 5% HCl, corrosion inhibitor, and penetrating agent; HF acid consisting of 9% HCl, 1% HF penetrating agent, clay sta, bilizer, iron control, corrosion inhibitor, and surfactant; and an afterflush consisting of 5% ammonium chloride and a surfactant. Because of the critical nature of this treatment, flow tests using the entire treatment design were conducted on core-plug samples from an offset well. Four core plugs were taken from the whole core and tested. On the basis of these tests, the HF concentration was increased to 1.5%. Diversion. Diversion options such as nitrogen-foam stages between sequenced acid preflush, HF and afterflush stages were , reviewed. For a similar well in another field, nitrogen foam had been used for diversion with CT to aid in placement of an HCl treatment designed to remove carbonate filter cake. Because of the dry tree on this well, CT was a practical option for treatment placement. The desire to minimize exposure of the tubulars in the wellbore to acid plus the ability to place the open end of the CT at discrete points in the openhole completion made this option attractive. With this option, placement of the required sequential stages of the sandstone acid treat-

ment would be possible across discrete intervals of the openhole completion. Equipment Requirements The decision was made to use the platform drilling rig to support the CT-unit (CTU) operation because the substructure of the rig covered the well while over the position of the well currently being drilled. The major equipment challenge was dealing with the relative motion between the floating DDCV platform and the well. A high-pressure 2-in. CTU was mobilized to the DDCV and rigged up on the top (drilling) deck. A long riser extended from the top of the tree on the production deck to the rig floor, where CT blowout preventers (BOPs) were positioned. A tension lift frame (TLF), supported by the rig block, was used to install the CTU injector head and strippers and to suspend the long riser section and BOPs. The initial equipment rig-up required 21/2 days. The tension maintained on the block during the job was sufficient to support the weight of all equipment (riser, BOPs, strippers, injector head, TLF), the block weight, and the maximum anticipated pull on the CT, plus provide a safe overpull to counteract any instantaneous DDCV motion. Treatment Placement and Flowback The job was pumped by placing a three-part sandstone acid treatment over each of five 300-ft intervals of the lateral. Speed was adjusted so that CT traversed the full interval length once as each part of the treatment was pumped. The first interval treated was at the toe of the lateral. After treating the last interval at the heel of the lateral, an additional afterflush was pumped while moving CT from the heel to the toe and back to the heel of the lateral. The CT was displaced with nitrogen and pulled out of the hole while jetting the well in with nitrogen. The treatment was performed in 21/2 days. Flowback from the well was routed to rental surface tanks and production holding tanks. Samples of flowback were taken from the production stream for analysis before any chemical treatment. Returns were neutralized downstream of the sampling point then staged into the production system. Approximately 60% of the treatment fluids were recovered, and 2,500 bbl were returned when the well was flowed back for 1 day. Production Logging A comprehensive production-logging (PL) program was conducted both before and after the stimulation treatment. The PL and pressure-buildup data were fit quite well with a

simplified reservoir model developed for the well. Before stimulation, a majority of the production flowed from the heel of the horizontal well. The stimulation allowed the well to produce more evenly across the entire horizontal length. The well exhibited similar pressure-transient response upon initial completion and following stimulation, supporting the supposition that the initial inflow distribution may have been similar to the measured post-stimulation inflow profile. Acid-Returns Analysis. Analysis of spent HF returns has been shown to be a useful way to understand the acidizing chemistry occurring in the reservoir. The complex reactions of an HF treatment can be identified from well returns by the use of a fully kinetic radial-flow model. The results from matching spent-acid returns with the radial model can indicate whether excessive precipitation was avoided, confirm the composition of the reactive materials, and indicate the amount of mixing with formation brine. In brief, the returns analysis indicated approximately 40% recovery of the spent acid, no evidence of any excessive precipitation, and minimal dissolution of calcite. The radial penetration of the acid treatment was expected to be approximately 3 ft. Post-Stimulation Performance Initial post-stimulation rates were almost 12,000 BOPD while operating at approximately 200 psi drawdown, resulting in a PI of 60 bbl/(psi-D). The treatment returned the well to initial post-completion conditions. Drawdown was dramatically reduced, and PI increased. Because prestimulation well performance indicated that increasing drawdown aggravated fines migration, the decision was made to operate the well at a controlled drawdown after the treatment. While the treatment obviously improved impairment caused by fines plugging in the near-wellbore region, it is believed that continued production at prestimulation drawdown levels could cause further fines migration. Drawdown was held at 200 psi for the first 3 months following the stimulation, with the production rate from 10,000 to 12,000 BOPD. Between November 2001 and June 2002, drawdown was slowly increased to 300 to 350 psi, while the rate remained from 9,000 to 10,000 BOPD. JPT

For a limited time, the full-length paper is available free to SPE members at www.spe.org/jpt. The paper has not been peer reviewed.

JULY 2004

57