Causes of Low Well

Productivity:
Wellbore
And/Or
Reservoir Issues
Iraj Ershaghi, USC

Outline

Increasing Number of Marginal Wells

Causes for low Productivity
Solution Approaches
Question of Economic Feasibility

More Than 60% of California Wells produce less than 15 Barrels per day

Source EIA

Energy to Produce Oil

Rate of production=(Productivity index)*(Pressure Drawdown)

Reservoir Pressure, P
Pressure
drawdown=p-pwf
Wellbore
Pressure, pwf

Drop in Pressure Drawdown

Loss of Reservoir Pressure
High Wellbore Pressure

Productivity Index

S)

Drop in Productivity Index

Decrease in Oil and Increase in Water or Gas Saturation

Increase in Wellbore Skin (Paraffin/ Asphaltene/scale)
Increase in Oil Viscosity (Loss of Light Components)
Collapsed Tubing
Collapsed Perforation
Poor Isolation of Zones

Need to
Understand the
Pore Structure

What Plugs the flow Channels?

Open Hole

Cased Hole Perforation

Damaged Interval

Gravel Pack Hole

Damage Affecting
all Types of
Completions

Major Causes of Formation Damage

Mechanical
Chemical
Biological
Thermal

Mechanical Damage
Fines Migration
External Solids Entrainment
Relative Permeability Reduction
Geomechnical Stresses-Collapsed Around the Well
Fracture/Propant Plugging
Propant Embedment
Glazing and Mashing

Collapsed Formation

Extraneous Solids Entrainment

Overbalanced Drilling, Completion, Kill and Stimulation
Fluids
Solids From Overbalanced Fluid Losses

Solid Types
Weighting Agents (barite, hematite, CaCO3)
Fluid Loss Agents
Bridging Agents (Cellulosic fibers, Oil soluble resins..etc)

Adverse Relative Permeability Effects

Trapping of Water based Filtrate
Trapping of Oil Based Filtrate
Entrapment of water of Condensation

Krw
Kro

Sw

Chemical Damage Mechanisms

Rock-Fluid Interactions
Fluid-Fluid Interactions
Wettability Alteration

Fluid-Fluid Damage Mechanism

Precipitates (organic and inorganic)
Scales
Paraffins
Asphaltenes
Hydrates
Diamondoids

Chemical Adsorption
Emulsions

Clay Swelling
Substitution of Water into a Clay Matrix

Near Wellbore Wettability

Alteration
Kro

Kro

Krw

Oil
Water

Krw

Biological Damage Mechanisms

Plugging
Corrosion
H2S Generation

Thermal Damage Mechanism

Mineral Transformations
Dissolutions and Re-precipitation
Fines Migration
Wettability Alteration

Diagnostic Techniques
Proper Analysis of In-situ Fluids and Properties
Framework Composition Study of Rock,
Wettability, Capillary Pressure and Relative
Permeability Character
Displacement Testing to Evaluate Different
Damage Mechanism because of past Drilling,
Completion,and production practices

Formation Damage
Can be a very complex process and is generally
reservoir and application specific
Several Mechanisms may be operative
Various Lab Screening or Down hole Surveys
May be necessary

Scale Buildup
Completion/Workover Fluids
Fluid Production (change of pressure, temperature,
pH)

Suitable for
Acidizing?

Suitable for Frac Pac?

Corrective Actions Can work

Case Study Data

Another Example

Example from a Service Company

Another Example

Well Testing-To
Diagnose Damage

Evidence of Skin from

Well Test Data

Diagnostic
Plots
Indicating
Skin

Production Data Diagnostic Plots

Well Operation history-Gross Vs. Net
Offset Well Comparison
Produced Fluid/Solid Samples

Check the History

One time Pressure Transient Test may not be
diagnostic of the source of the problem

Historical Perspectives
Use of Dirty Completion Fluids
Lack of Good Perforating Practice
Failure to Recognize Precipitating Oil Mixtures or
Incompatible Waters
Failure to Inhibit Fluids Against Clay Swelling in
Sandstone Formation
Use of Painted Tools and Rusty or Scaled Pipes
Excess Use of Thread Dope
Use of Impure Additives
Use of Fresh Water Buffer

Historical
Use of Corrosion Inhibitors
Use of Scale Inhibitors
Deposition of Asphalt
Plugging of Gravel Packs
Damage When Cutting Paraffin or Asphaltenes
Damage From Acidizing or Fracturing Fluids
Damage During Perforation
Damage During Casing or Cementing Operations
Damage During Drilling

Summary- Formation Damage

Drilling Damage-clays, Weighting Agents, Lost Circulation Agents

Drilling Fluid Filtrate
Cementing Damage
Perforation Damage
Completion and Workover Fluids Damage
Damage in Gravel Packs
Damage During Production
Fines Migration
Loss of Rock Compressive Strength
Precipitation of Organic or Inorganic Materials
Change in Wettability
Damage From Stimulation Fluids
Damage From Water Control Polymers

Formation Damage
Implications
Unrealized Production
Unrealized Stimulation Potential

Attitudes About a Marginal Well

Negative
Technologically Beyond Repair
Not Economical to Fix
Keep on With Reasonable Prices-Shut Down Otherwise

Positive
Still Much Oil Left to Be Produced
Explore Ideas
Seek Cost Share to Fix Wells

Drop in Pressure Drawdown

Loss of Solution Gas
Los of Gas Cap
Small Size or No Aquifer

Drawdown Corrective Measures

Pressure Maintenance
Water Injection
Gas Injection
Steam Injection

Blessings of Gravity Drainage

Investment in Risky Unexplored Areas vs.

Investment in a Secure Proven
Development Areas

Solution Strategy
Use Material Balance to Roughly Estimate
What may be left in the ground
(Do not use Decline Curve of Marginal Wells)
If If some fractional recovery of remaining oil
justifies investment, focus on both wellbore
cleanup and pressure maintenance
Study the history of the wells to assess the extent of
the damage

Partners

Producers
Government Support
Service Companies
Student Interns