IBP 1984 _06

TEMPORARY WELL CONTROL EMPLOYING A SYSTEM WITH

TABLETS FOR REDUCING RESERVOIR DAMAGE
David Velázquez Cruz 1, Miguel Angel Mendoza Herrera2, Diego
Bautista Pastrana 3, Gustavo Espinosa Castañeda 3 , Gustavo A. Santana
Torrellas 4

Copyright 2006, Instituto Brasileiro de Petróleo e Gás - IBP

This Technical Paper was prepared for presentation at the Rio Oil & Gas Expo and Conference 2006, held between September,
11-14 2006, in Rio de Janeiro. This Technical Paper was selected for presentation by the Technical Committee of the event
according to the information contained in the abstract submitted by the author(s). The contents of the Technical Paper, as
presented, were not reviewed by IBP. The organizers are not supposed to translate or correct the submitted papers. The material as
it is presented does not necessarily represent Brazilian Petroleum and Gas Institute’ opinion, nor that of its Members or
Representatives. Authors consent to the publication of this Technical Paper in the Rio Oil & Gas Expo and Conference 2006
Annals.

Abstract

Workover operations are major remedial operations sometimes required to maintain maximum oil producing rates. In
Sonda de Campeche, Gulf of Mexico fields operated by PEMEX, those operations are required due to the maturity of
the reservoirs and a gradually loss of pressure in wells. These types of operations in this kind of fields frequently
involve the use of salt in order to plug and control wells. The main purpose of this technique is isolate zone of shots
and provides a control system to carry out the repairs. Typically, a workover may last from a few days to several
weeks. Salt volume pumped into the well varies between 20 and 40 tons, according to the mechanical configuration
and length of interval to be isolated. Operation considers a mix of salt with a low density type fluid, called
WORKOVER FLUID (emulsion of diesel/water in the 80/20 proportion). Due to the size of the salt grain inevitably
some volume moves into the formation. Consequently, salts plug the formation and in some cases may produce some
formation damage. After workover the remaining volume of salt inevitably will generates delays in production times.
In this article we show a system developed and designed by the Instituto Mexicano del Petroleo (IMP) and Petroleos
Mexicanos (PEMEX) with salt tablets, considering the conditions of low pressure and loss of total circulation of the
mature deposits in the Sonda de Campeche. Our primary intention consists of diminishing until in a 90% the amount
of salt used in smaller repairs. Moreover, we present the design considerations for the tablets and a methodology for its
injection in low-pressure wells. Finally, we describe the experimental process by means of a modeling and lab
simulation. We present some results obtained in a field experience.

1. Introduction

Formation Damage can be defined as a reduction in permeability around a wellbore, which is the
consequence of drilling, completion, injection, attempted stimulation or production of that well. The physical
parameters needed in productive reservoirs - permeability and porosity - make the formation vulnerable to workover
fluid invasion, particularly where fluid pressure greatly exceeds reservoir pressure. Generally, for depleted conditions,
the longer that workover fluid occupy the wellbore section, the greater the depth of invasion.

Thus minimization of the damage consists of keeping the invasive fluids and solids within a tight radius of
the borehole axis, either by tight time constraints or careful workover practices. Experiments were conducted for
evaluating the feasibility of using other technologies in order to replace the traditional salt plug for controlling wells
during workover operations in Sonda de Campeche fields.

In order to fulfill this objective, a technological monitoring at international level was made by means of
which those technologies were identified that presented greater feasibility for its application in Sonda de Campeche.
______________________________
1
Master, Petroleum Engineer - Instituto Mexicano del Petróleo
2
Master, Petroleum Engineer – Petróleos Mexicanos
3
Petroleum Engineer – Instituto Mexicano del Petróleo
4
Ph.D., Mathematics – Instituto Mexicano del Petróleo
 Rio Oil & Gas Expo and Conference 2006

These technologies were the following ones:

♦ Gel plugs
♦ Particles
♦ Gelatins with particles
♦ Cement plugs
♦ Mechanical packers

The use of gels as temporary plugs are very frequent at international level, nevertheless its use depends on the
particular conditions of the oil fields, since normally they have been proven with effectiveness in formation not
fractured and under conditions of non severe pressure and temperatures. They have been developed to some gels that
could be used for the conditions of Sonda de Campeche field; nevertheless the main problem is in the positioning
methodology, since any error would cause the gelification of the product within tubulars or its lost total in the
producing zone. The used gelatins more in the oil industry are prepared with Guar gum, Xantana gum,
Carboximetilcelulose, Hidroxipropilguar, Hidroxiethilcelulose and Polycrilamides mainly, each one presents specific
properties.

The use of particles like temporary blocking agents, it is another technology of common use by the oil
companies, being used, the salt, calcium carbonate, leaflets of benzoic acid, and balls of neoprene. The salt use is a
well-known technology by PEMEX and it uses it like temporary plug, nevertheless, due to the problems that this
generating to him, it requires to replace it. The most novel technology is the use of neoprene balls, which are placed in
the shots by means of pressure and later retired depleting the well.

The gelatins with particles are another technology, normally used for the control of losses of circulation,
nevertheless, they present/display himself problem that the use of gelatins, since they have been only used to obturate
formation with reduced permeability’s and in few occasions based on fractures. The most common combinations when
using gelatins are made with carbonate of calcium and salt.

Another technology is the use of temporary cement plug with magnesium to block lost of circulation in
producing zones. This plug can be retired by means of the use of a solution of HCl. The magnesium cement is a
magnesium mixture and calcium oxides, carbonates and sulphates, which favors its dissolution. The cement slurry can
be prepared from a density of 1,5 gr/cc, which makes difficult its positioning in depleted deposits with zones of lost of
total circulation.

The recoverable mechanical packers are another detected technology used to isolate zones of temporary way. Of
the preliminary analysis we observed that these packers are elements that present disadvantages in their operation, in
some cases faults in the operations of installation and recovery have been registered, reason why the use of these
products requires of exhaustive tests before using them in the operations of well control.

According to the previous thing, a request to the companies was made on watch so that provided additional
information on the detected technologies, as well as samples of additives for the preparation and studies of products in
laboratory. All these technologies were analyzed and evaluated according to procedures previously established,
considering the conditions of operation, mechanical states and characteristic of the producing formation where they
are tried to use. Following all before exposed, one concludes that at the moment does not exist a technology able to
replace of efficient and safe way the salt plug, since all the existing ones present limitations when they are compared
with the existing conditions of operation in the Sonda de Campeche field.

2. Conventional Salt Plug.

With the purpose of analyzing and proposing a workover operation alternative we outline the standard salt
plug operation performed in wells in the region of Sonda de Campeche:

1. In a normal salt plug operation usually are involved up 8 floorhands (4 in the addition of salt to hopper and
four to approach the 50 kg sacks to the funnel). Of the four that approached the salt, one was in charge to
strike the salt sack to undo the rocks that form to him to the worn out salt due to the humidity.
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2. Salt sacks weight is 50 kg, they are difficult and heavy to handle during the entire operation time (3-4 hours –
as minimum).
3. The mixer tray that is placed between the funnel and the unit of discharge throws fluid of perforation with
salt to the personnel who add the salt to the funnel.
4. The salt that is added to the hopper enters the gloves and boots of the personnel who executes this operation.
5. The funnel that is used at the moment for the operations of plug of worn out salt can apply to the injection of
salt tablets, adding two valves to him, one in the entrance and another one in the exit of the same one, as well
as a derivation with its respective valve to bypass (bypass) the flow after the injection of the tablets and to
allow the continuous injection of the worn out salt. These adjustments will allow conducting the operation
surely, avoiding that a back pressure of the well arrives directly at the funnel. In addition, a structure would
settle to him type skid to assure it to the floor.

Figure 1. Personnel during the operation of positioning of the salt plug

With the implementation of salt tablets we reduce time and personnel effort during the operation; therefore
we reduce risk of incidents. Another advantage, since one would work with sacks of tablets of 25 kg, it will be reduced
the number of participant personnel (maximum 4), conducting the operation safe, reliable, and clean.

3. Salt Tablet.

From the analysis of the previous described operation, it was observed that the size of used grains of salt for
this intention present some disavantages, they are smaller than the diameters of the shots, reason why in most of the
cases the salt it penetrates to the formation, that of not being cleaned suitably, it reduces the productivity of the well.
Still more, sometimes, the used salt recovers when the well is put again in production, causing damage to the
superficial equipment. Given the previous condition the tablet use sets out of equal and/or greater size than the
diameter of the shots of the pipe, in such a way that its passage is avoided as far as possible towards the formation.
This will allow filling the zone of shots with this material (figure 2).

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Fluido
FAPX

Bridgesal
Bridgecarb Píldoras

Figure 2. Positioning of the proposed temporary salt plug

The methodology for pumping and setting the salt tablets is the following one:

a. Pumping of tablets of NaCl with workover fluid, considering a concentration that allows its displacement
without problem.

b. Once pumped salt tablets, to inject an additional volume of conventional workover fluid with means salt
grain (10-20 bls).

c. To move with workover fluid, repressing the well to seal the salt plug completely

d. To perform the programmed workover operations.

e. To wash the salt plug(or of conventional way with water of sea or by means of the injection of a solution of
HCL to 3%) until completely diluting to the product and salt tablets.

f. To restart the production of the well.

Figure 3. Funnel corrected with valves male, line of drag and bypass

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4. Tests of dissolution of the flowed tablets of salt using different.

The tests of dissolution of the salt tablets were performed in IMP labs located in Cactus, Chiapas. These tests
consisted of dissolving in static form to 24 hours the salt tablets using different types from fluid. In the following table
the dissolution tests are detailed that were done to him to the salt tablets:

Table 1. Static dissolution test

TIPO DE TIEMPO DE VOLUMEN PESO ANTES DE PESO DESPUÉS PESO

FLUIDO DISOLUCIÓN DE FLUIDO DISOLUCIÓN DE DISOLUCIÓN PERDIDO
(HRS) (LTS) (GRS) (GRS) (%)

Diesel 24 0.5 236 236 0.00

Fapx 24 0.5 236 225.92 4.27

Agua de mar 24 0.5 236 193.24 18.11

In the following figures the condition can be observed in which they were left the tablets after the test of static
dissolution:

Figure 4. Dissolution of the tablets with Diesel, workover fluid , and Sea Water

With the purpose of verifying dissolution of the salt tablets after carrying out the repair of the well, tests of dissolution
of the tablets of salt in the Laboratory took place, using fresh water for its dissolution. The tests took place at different
speeds from agitation and with different weights from tablets.

5. Conclusion

The technology using gels and gels with particles successful has been used to isolate producing zones during
workover operations of wells, nevertheless, due to the particular conditions of the Sonda de Campeche field (high
permeability based on fractures and depleted reservoir), its positioning would be very difficult every time the
reticulation of these products controls with the temperature and the concentration of additives, in addition to its high
dependency of the time. By the previous thing, any variation would put in risk it’s positioning in the place and
considered time.

It is shown that salt tablets effectively can isolate the zone were the shots are located and after workover
operations and corresponding wellbore cleaning restores the effective permeability of the core to oil to its undamaged

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condition in a relatively short period of time. This suggests that salt tablets may provide an effective method of
workover operations from the wellbore and the near wellbore region.

The most practical alternative, simple, reliable and safe it is to directly inject the tablets of well salt (shots of
½” or minors) by means of an additional hopper (equipment to shake - funnel) to the mouth of the well, using all the
equipment and accessories that are used conventionally, this is, discharge unit, tray and funnel of salt injection.

The funnel must have two valves, one in the entrance and another one in the exit of the same one, as well as a
derivation with its respective valve to bypass (bypass) the flow after the injection of the tablets and to allow the
continuous injection of the worn out salt.

These adjustments will allow conducting the operation surely, avoiding that a back pressure of the well
arrives directly at the injection funnel of the salt tablets. In addition, it will count on a structure type skid to hold it to
the floor.

6. References

J.M.TERRACINA, M.A. MCCABE, J.W. CRAMER, and J.E. LEGENZA, “Temporary Chemical Block Brings
Efficiency and Economy to Eastern U.S. Workover Operations”, SPE 19326, oct. 1989.

PATRICK H. HESS, C. O. CLARK, C. A. HASKIN, T. R. HULL, “Chemical Method for Formation Plugging”, SPE
3045,

H. ELHASSAN Y M ABDULRAHMAN, ADCO, Y M. SHAHEEN Y HADDAD, SCHLUMBERGER DOWELL,

“Rigid Gel Plug Utilization during Workover Applications - Special Cost Effective Technique”, artículo IADC 727
701, nov, 1998.
R.L. CLAMPITT, H.M. AL RIKABI and M.K. DABBOUS, “A Hostile Environment Gelled Polymer System for Well
Treatment and Profile Control”, artículo SPE 25629, abril 1993.

R.S. SERIGHT Y J. LIANG, “A comparison of different types of blocking agents”, artículo SPE 30120, may 1995.

Proyecto F.30081 “Evaluación de alternativas para la sustitución del tapón de sal empleado en el control de pozos
durante las operaciones de reparación”, Instituto Mexicano del Petróleo, Dirección de Exploración y Producción,
Perforación y Mantenimiento de Pozos, 2002.