OilSEEKER

A matrix stimulation engineering solution

Applications

Acid diversion during matrix stimulation of limestone and dolomite formations with or without high water cut

Benefits

Avoids formation damage and slow cleanup Allows preferential treatment of oil zones Improves zonal coverage during matrix stimulation Improves treatment success, ultimately increasing production

Features

Nonpolymeric, nonparticulate aqueous system Gelation in water-saturated matrix or fissure Nondamaging to the formation No nitrogen requirement Operational range from 75F to 250F [24C to 121C] Easy mixing and pumping

During standard acidizing treatments, the treating fluid favors the zones with higher water saturation and/or higher permeability. And you may see water cuts climb even higher if nonthief hydrocarbon-bearing zones are left untreated. Schlumberger OilSEEKER* acid diverter, engineered for both sandstone and carbonates, selectively plugs these zones with high water saturation, forcing the acid to enter the zones with high oil saturation. The result: the water cut drops and production goes up. OilSEEKER acid diverter contains none of the solids or polymers that make standard particulate diverters ineffective in treating hydrocarbonbearing formations. Neither does it require the nitrogen of foam operations, which makes your matrix stimulation operation easier and safer.

The near-wellbore area is cleaned first and the high water saturation zone is then plugged with OilSEEKER diverter. Next, acid is forced into the zones with high oil saturation. The end result is a preferential stimulation of your pay zone.

Stage 1 Inject a novel brine or acid preflush to create a region with 100% water saturation near the wellbore in the zone with high water saturation.

Damaged oil or gas zone

High water saturation or thief zone

Stage 2 Inject OilSEEKER diverter to form a viscous plug in that zone.

Damaged oil or gas zone

High water saturation or thief zone

Stage 3 Inject the main treating fluid, HCl and/or HF. It preferentially enters the target oil zone, taking the path of least resistance.

Damaged oil or gas zone

No.1

High water saturation or thief zone

Acid preflush Broken OilSEEKER diverter Viscous OilSEEKER diverter Acid

Laboratory tests
Laboratory tests were performed at 150F [66C] on cores before and after injection of OilSEEKER diverter to evaluate effectiveness in diverting fluid from a highly water-saturated or thief zone to a zone with high oil saturation. Before OilSEEKER injections, fluid predominantly entered the zone having a high degree of water saturation. After injection, fluid was diverted to the oil zone. Laboratory testing also demonstrated the superior OilSEEKER performance in diverting acid from 20,000-mD sandpack to 200-mD rock, an extremely unfavorable permeability contrast. Nearly 40% of the acid could actually be injected into the low-permeability zone after several stages of OilSEEKER injection. The near-wellbore area is cleaned first, and the zone with high water saturation is then plugged with OilSEEKER diverter. Next, acid is forced into the zones with high oil saturation. The end result is a preferential stimulation of your pay zone.

OilSEEKER fluid diverts acid from water-bearing zones to oil-bearing formations.

Acid

Diverter gel

Water-bearing zone

Core tests demonstrate OilSEEKER fluid diverts the acid treatment from the water zone to the oil zone.

100 90 80 70 60 Fractional flow (%) 50 40 30 20 10 0 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200 Time (min)
Laboratory core tests show how OilSEEKER fluid diverts the acid treatment from high- to low-permeability zones.

390 mD, 77% oil saturation (oil zone) 410 mD, 20% oil saturation (water zone)

Oil zone

Brine

Mutual solvent

Brine

Diverter

HCl

Water zone

100 90 80 70 60 Fractional flow (%) 50 40 30 20 10 0 0 20 40 60 80 100 Time (min) 120 140 160 180 200 200-mD core Mutual solvent Acid Diverting agent 40,000-mD core

Case history: Permian basin

A carbonate formation in the Permian basin was encroached by bottom water from highly porous grainstones. Even the newly drilled wells were producing with very high water cuts. Matrix stimulation using OilSEEKER diverter effectively plugged the bottom water zone, diverting the acid into the oil zone for an effective stimulation treatment. Subsequent oil and gas production improved substantially, and the water cut decreased, as shown in the figure. As seen on the pressure plot, the bottomhole pressure increased significantly when OilSEEKER diverter entered the thief zones.

Oil and gas production from this well increased significantly following a stimulation treatment of 15% HCl and OilSEEKER diverter.

250
Water cut

100
Oil (BOPD) Gas (Mscf/D)

200 150 Production rate (BOPD) 100 50 0 4/98 Matrix treatment with OilSEEKER acid diverter

75 50 25 Water cut (%)

5/98

6/98

7/98

8/98

9/98

10/98

0 11/98

The significant pressure increase indicates diversion caused by OilSEEKER fluid.

2500 2000 Pressure (psi) 1500 1000 500 0 Time (min) Pressure increase owing to OilSEEKER acid diverter

4.5 4.0 3.5 3.0 2.5 2.0 1.5 1.0 0.5 BHP (psi) 0

Injection rate (bbl/min)

Following treatments using OilSEEKER diverter, seven wells in the Permian basin averaged oil and gas production increases.

Before treatment After treatment

Production

Oil (BOPD)

Gas (Mscf/D)

Case histories: Deepwater Gulf of Mexico

Deepwater wells in the Gulf of Mexico are normally completed by gravel packs or FRAC-N-PAC* proppant exclusion systems to avoid potential sand production. If a fluid-loss-control pill is required after perforating, a matrix acidizing job will clean up drilling, perforating and pill damage before the pack installation. Because of the high permeability of these formations, acid diversion is a challenging task. Foam segregation can cause the acid to preferentially enter the layers having higher permeability, leaving the formation partially treated. Diverting agents containing solids can invade the matrix and cause additional damage.

OilSEEKER diverter was used in a Gulf of Mexico well to promote efficiency of the acidizing treatment. Increases in bottomhole pressure were seen during the treatment when the diverting agent exited the perforations, indicating increased flow resistance in the high-permeability zone as a result of increased viscosity. The pressure increased approximately 200 psi each time the diverting agent hit the formation. Gauges installed to measure bottomhole temperature in each zone throughout the acidizing process registered a decrease in temperature in each zone at different times, demonstrating that acid was diverted into a different zone at each stage. The production after the FRAC-N-PAC completion was

30,000 BOPD and 30 Mscf/D. The total skin after completion was +4, which is exceptionally low in these types of highly productive wells. A similar OilSEEKER treatment was performed in a second Gulf of Mexico well. The bottomhole temperature and pressure again indicated excellent OilSEEKER diversion efficiency. Well production was 18,000 BOPD and 109 Mscf/D after the FRAC-N-PAC completion. The total skin after completion was +2.5, which, again, is exceptionally low in these high-rate wells.

Changes in bottomhole pressures and temperatures during the treatment demonstrated efficient diversion.

12,000

8000 7000 6000 5000 Treating pressure (psi) Slurry rate (bpm) Temperature-01 Temperature-03 Temperature-04 Temperature-05 BHP-03 BHP calculated Diverter on perfs

32 28 24 20 16 12 8 4 0 23:63

210 195 180 165 150 135 120 105 90 BHT (F)

11,500

BHP (psi)

11,000

Treating pressure (psi)

4000 3000

BPM

10,500

2000 1000

10,000

0 23:03

23:13

23:23

23:33 Job time (min)

23:43

23:53

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TSL-2103-2 May 2003 Schlumberger *Mark of Schlumberger