Acid Design Fundamental -

Matrix

Section 8

Printed: 3/25/2006

EDC, Tomball, TX

Matrix Acidizing Design

O Pore & fracture pressure constraints
O Sandstone Matrix Acidizing
O Carbonate Matrix Acidizing
O Placement Techniques

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EDC, Tomball, TX

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 Pore & Fracture Pressure
Constraints
O Matrix acidizing is injecting the acid into
the formation matrix below frac pressure
to achieve radial penetration into the
formation porosity (intergranular, vugular
or fracture porosity).

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EDC, Tomball, TX

Pore & Fracture Pressure

Constraints (cont.)
O Stimulation is achieved by removing the
effect of reduced permeability (damage)
near the wellbore by enlarging pore
spaces and dissolving particles which
may be plugging pore spaces.

O Matrix acidizing is often used when

fracturing is undesirable.

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EDC, Tomball, TX

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 Pore & Fracture Pressure
Constraints (cont.)
O Normally, matrix acidizing will not give
any significant stimulation to an
undamaged well in either a sandstone or
carbonate formation.

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EDC, Tomball, TX

Matrix Acid Stimulation

Sandstone Carbonate
Wellbore

“Wormhole”

Single wormhole growth

(as with conventional HCl)

• Remove damage in pore space of • Multiple dominant wormhole

the rock
• Acid removes matrix blocking
materials, but not reduce grain-
structure integrity
growth is preferable
• Branching needs to be minimized
in the damaged radius and
maximized in the far field
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EDC, Tomball, TX

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 Sandstone Matrix Treatments
O Sandstone Acid History
O BJ’s Approach to Sandstone Acid
O Skin Removal
O Pumping Procedures

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EDC, Tomball, TX

Historical Breakthroughs
in Sandstone Acidizing
O 1933
³ First HF acid treatment in sandstone (King Royalty Co.,
TX)
³ Result: Prolific sand production
O 1939
³ Introduction of Mud Acid (12% HCl-3% HF)
O 1960s
³ Tapered acid treatments and organic acids introduced
³ Kinetics of HF reaction in sandstones
O 1984
³ McLeod Fluid Selection Guidelines

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EDC, Tomball, TX

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 BJ Approach to
Sandstone Acidizing
O Mature field enhancement
O Remedial needs – including acid
O Field-wide approach
O Simplified & selective treatments
O Candidate wells previously avoided
³ Long vertical completions
³ Horizontal completions
³ Multiple zones
³ Open–hole completions
³ High temperature formations
³ High water cut wells

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EDC, Tomball, TX

Skin Removal in Sandstone Acidizing

(Paccaloni & Tambini)

Maintain maximum pressure differential … maximum rate as skin is removed

dP = piw - pe = 141.2 qi Bµ/kh [(ln re / rw) + s]

Maximum matrix injection rate may not be enough

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EDC, Tomball, TX

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 Standard Conventional
Sandstone Acidizing Procedure
1. Tubing pickling stage

2. Solvent pre-treatment (optional) 10-50 gal/ft

3. Acid preflush (HCl / organic acid) 10-250 gal/ft

4. Main acid stage (HF solution) 20-250 gal/ft

5. Overflush stage (HCl / organic acid / NH4Cl) 10-250 gal/ft

6. Diverter stage

7. Repeat steps 2–6 (as necessary)

8. Repeat steps 2–5

9. Final displacement stage (NH4Cl / diesel) tubing volume +

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EDC, Tomball, TX

Simplified
Ideal Sandstone Acidizing Procedure

1. Injectable non-acid pickling / pre-treatment stage

2. Acid (HF) system * 25 to 500+ gal/ft

3. Displacement tubing volume +

* Mechanically placed; on-the-fly or self-diversion (surfactant)

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EDC, Tomball, TX

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 Carbonate Matrix Treatments
O Design Factors
O Commonly Used Acids & Acid Systems
O Wormhole Patterns
O Pumping Procedure

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EDC, Tomball, TX

Design Factors
O Determine presence and type of damage
O Determine appropriate fluids and volumes
³ Determine Frac Gradient
³ Determine Max. Surface Treating Pressure and
Rate
O Determine proper treatment additives
O Determine proper placement technique
O Insure proper treatment execution and QC
O Evaluate the treatment results
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EDC, Tomball, TX

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 Carbonate Formation
Composition
O Acid spends more rapidly in higher purity
carbonates
³ > 95% soluble
O Acid spends less rapidly in lower
solubility carbonates
³ ~ 65-85% soluble
³ Presence of relatively non-reactive siliceous
minerals

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EDC, Tomball, TX

Acid Dissolving Power

Pounds of Limestone Dissolved
O 15% HCl 1,840 lbs/1000 gal
O 10% Formic 920 lbs/1000 gal
O 10% Acetic 740 lbs/1000 gal

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EDC, Tomball, TX

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 Acids Most Commonly Used
O Hydrochloric (HCl)
O Acetic (CH3COOH)
O Formic (HCOOH)
O HCl-acetic; HCl-formic
O Acetic-formic blends

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EDC, Tomball, TX

Concentration Guidelines
O Damaged perforations 9% formic
10% acetic
15% HCl
O Deep wellbore damage 15% HCl
20 - 28% HCl
HCl-organic blends
Formic-acetic
Viscous (retarded) acids

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EDC, Tomball, TX

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 Acid Systems for Optimum
Wormhole Growth
O Achieved by reducing acid reaction
O Organic acids (acetic) - weaker than HCl
O Calcium-chelating agent (EDTA)
O Chemically retarded acid systems
(viscous)
O Viscous acids
O Dual-Phase acids

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EDC, Tomball, TX

Reservoir
Wormhole Patterns Stimulation
3rd Edition,
Economides

“Cat” Scans & Nolte

Page A16-5

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EDC, Tomball, TX

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 Reservoir
Stimulation

Optimum Injection Rate 3rd Edition,

Economides
& Nolte
Page A16-15

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EDC, Tomball, TX

Pumping Procedure
O Pickling
O Preflush
O Treatment Acid
O Overflush
O Flush

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EDC, Tomball, TX

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 Placement Techniques
O Mechanical Placement
³ Coiled tubing – RotoPulse / RotoJet tools
³ Selective acid and chemical treatment placement
³ Long, horizontal, and sand control completions,
injectors
³ Ball Sealers & Solid Particulate
O Chemical diversion
³ Foamed Acid
³ Divert S Acid systems – on-the-fly; self-diversion
³ Divert C surfactant gel stages
O ConformAcid treatments
³ Combined water control – acid stimulation
³ Relative permeability (RPM) options
³ Two-step and one-step treatment potential Slide 23

EDC, Tomball, TX

Section Summary
O Matrix Acidizing Design
³ Pore & fracture pressure constraints
³ Sandstone Matrix Acidizing
³ Carbonate Matrix Acidizing
³ Placement Techniques

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EDC, Tomball, TX

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