Well acidizing

Abstract: Matrix acidizing refers to one of two stimulation processes in which acid is injected into
the well penetrating the rock pores at pressures below fracture pressure. Acidizing is used to either stimulate
a well to improve flow or to remove damage. During matrix acidizing the acids dissolve the sediments and
mud solids within the pores that are inhibiting the permeability of the rock. This process enlarges the natural
pores of the reservoir which stimulates the flow of hydrocarbons. Effective acidizing is guided by practical
limits in volumes and types of acid and procedures so as to achieve an optimum removal of the formation
damage around the wellbore.

Acidizing is used to either stimulate a well to greater than ideal matrix reservoir flow or to remove damage.
These are two distinct and different purposes, the field applications and results of which are often merged or
confused. Basically, there are two types of acid treatments that are related to injection rates and pressures.
Injection rates resulting in pressures below fracture pressure are termed "matrix acidizing," while those
above fracture pressure are termed fracture acidizing.

Introduction: Oil and gas operators have used acid treatment (acidizing) to improve well
productivity for almost 120 years. Acidizing predates all other well stimulation techniques, including
hydraulic fracturing which was not developed until the late 1940s. However, until the early 1930’s,
acidizing use was limited by the lack of effective acid corrosion inhibitors to protect the steel tubulars in
the wells. With the development of effective corrosion inhibitors, the use and further development of acid
treatment (acidizing) of oil and gas wells proliferated, leading to the establishment of the well stimulation
services industry. Today, acidizing is one of the most widely used and effective means available to oil and
gas operators for improving productivity (stimulation) of wells. Acidizing is commonly performed on new
wells to maximize their initial productivity and on aging wells to restore productivity and maximize the
recovery of the energy resources.

Acidizing Basics:

Acidizing involves pumping acid into a wellbore or geologic formation that is capable of producing oil and/or
gas. The purpose of any acidizing is to improve a well’s productivity or injectivity. There are three general
categories of acid treatments: acid washing; matrix acidizing; fracture acidizing.

In acid washing, the objective is simply tubular and wellbore cleaning. Treatment of the formation is not
intended. Acid washing is most commonly performed with hydrochloric acid (HCl) mixtures to clean out
scale (such as calcium carbonate), rust, and other debris restricting flow in the well. Matrix and fracture
acidizing are both formation treatments.

Formation type:
Knowing the type of formation being acidized and details of its composition (mineralogy) is
critical to achieving positive results. In carbonate formations, the acid job design is typically
based on the use of hydrochloric acid (HCl). The objective when acidizing carbonate
formations is to dissolve carbonate based materials to create new or clean existing pathways or
channels that allow the formation fluids (oil, gas, and water) to flow more freely into the well. In
sandstone formations, the acid job design is typically based on the use of hydrofluoric acid (HF),
also known as mud acid, in combination with HCl. Sandstone minerals are not appreciably
soluble in HCl alone but are much more so in mixtures containing HF. The objective when
acidizing sandstone formations is to dissolve fine sand (quartz), feldspar, and clay particles that
are blocking or restricting flow through pore spaces, thereby allowing the formation fluids to
move more freely into the well. Ifa sandstone formation contains appreciable carbonate
minerals, then HCl may be added to the treatment.

Geologic formations are rarely completely homogeneous. They contain impurities and can be
highly variable in their composition. As a result, designing an effective acid job can be complex.
Most simple acid job designs use blends of HCl and HF to respond to the heterogeneous nature
of geologic formations. The strengths of the acids and their volumetric ratios (HCl:HF) are based
on the detailed mineralogy of the formation being treated. Other additives that are commonly
used in an acid job include a corrosion inhibitor to protect the well tubulars and related equipment
that is exposed to the acid, an emulsion blocker (surfactant) to prevent formation of oil-water
emulsions, and an “iron-control agent” to retain any dissolved iron (e.g., rust) in solution. Other
more specialized additives and different types of acids may also be used based on the case
specific conditions or needs.

Formation Permeability:

Formation permeability determines the pumping pressure required to place the acid into the formation. In
general, the lower the permeability, the higher the pumping pressure. In high permeability formations the
acid can be pumped into the matrix of the formation at relatively low pumping pressures. If the pumping
pressure is below the formation fracture pressure, the treatment is called “matrix acidizing.” In lower
permeability formations the acid cannot be pumped into the formation matrix as readily, but is pumped
through existing or induced fractures at higher pumping pressures. If the pumping pressure is above that
which will part or fracture the formation, the treatment is called “fracture acidizing” (or “acid fracturing”).

There is not an absolute value of formation permeability that separates matrix and fracture acidizing,
however the range of values where this may typically occur is between 0.1 millidarcies and 10 millidarcies,
depending on the case specific situation. There are two subsets of fracture acidizing. The first type is
performed as a preliminary step in a hydraulic fracturing operation, such as in shale or extremely low
permeability sandstone or carbonate formations. In this case, acid (HCl or HCl/HF blend) is pumped ahead
of the fluid carrying the proppant that will hold the fractures open once the pump pressure is released. The
purpose of the acid job in this case is to provide the cleanest possible formation face to enable easier
fracture creation and maximize the performance of the proppant once it is placed. The second type is a
fracture acid job, primarily applicable in carbonate formations, where the acid is pumped alone or following a
fracturing fluid stage – with the intent of creating new or opening existing fractures, and dissolving formation
material to create irregular facture surfaces that create new flow paths or enhance existing flow paths into
the wellbore when the fractures close

Operational Considerations:

As mentioned above, acidizing oil and gas wells is a routine practice that has been used for a very long
time. As a result, oil and gas operators and their service providers have considerable expertise and
experience in safely and effectively conducting this work. Similarly, regulators that steward oil and gas
operations have developed a well-founded regulatory framework to manage this work, protect the
environment, and protect public health and safety.

The volume of acid used in an acid job is generally determined by the length of the formation (footage) being
treated in the well. Acid volumes used per foot of formation can vary depending on the design objectives and
the characteristics of the specific formation. Typical acid volume ranges are between 10 and 500 gallons per
foot. While a volume of 500 gallons per foot may appear
to be large, in a matrix acid job, assuming 25% porosity, the acid would be displaced less than 20 feet from
the wellbore. In fracture acid jobs, the acid will be displaced further, but is still limited by the fracture length.
Fracture lengths are usually a few hundred feet at most.

When acidizing, the acid is chemically consumed and neutralized as the target material is dissolved. In
carbonate formations the reaction is relatively simple and occurs in a single step. The hydrochloric acid
(HCl) reacts with the carbonate to form a salt, carbon dioxide, and water. When acidizing sandstones with
HF the reactions are more complex, occurring in three stages. In the primary stage, the mud acid reacts with
the sand, feldspar and clays to form silicon fluorides and aluminum fluorides. In the secondary stage the
silicon fluorides can react with clay and feldspar to release aluminum and silicon precipitates, however with
proper design, formation of these damaging precipitates, which can restrict flow of oil or gas through the
formation, can be avoided. In the final stage the remaining aluminum fluorides react until all the remaining
acid is consumed.

Geologic formations are rarely homogeneous (pure carbonate, sandstone, or shale) but will be a blend of
carbonate, sandstone, and clay minerals. As a result, most acid jobs are composed of both hydrochloric and
hydrofluoric acid, with the ratios and strengths depending on the mineralogy and temperature of the
formation being treated. Other types of acids can be used in more specialized situations (e.g., organic acids
such as acetic and formic acid as alternatives to hydrochloric acid).

Additionally, specialized additives can be included in cases where specific chemical reactions are
anticipated to be particularly severe and require control or mitigation.

A challenge in performing acid jobs is ensuring the acid goes where it can do the most good. To facilitate
placement of the acid across the entire target interval in the well, operators often use coiled tubing units. A
coiled tubing unit is a specialized piece of equipment that utilizes a reel mounted tubing string that can be
run concentrically inside the well’s production tubing to the point directly across the interval that is targeted
for treatment. The acid is pumped through the coiled tubing and into the productive formation. This
equipment allows precise placement and pumping of the acid. It also provides the added benefit of not
exposing the production tubing to the acid.

When pumping any fluid into a well it will have a natural tendency to follow the path of least resistance and
flow into those parts of the formation with the highest permeability. In an acid job, this is not the most
desired result since the objective of an acid job is to improve the permeability of a well by dissolving
material from lower permeability or plugged areas. To direct acid to the lower permeability parts of the
formation, either chemical or physical flow diverters can

be used. Use of diverters forces the acid into those lower permeability sections and thereby provides the
potential for the most positive results.

In all cases, once the acid job has been pumped the well is brought on production. When this is done, the
spent acid is produced along with the oil, gas, and water in the formation. Since the acid is chemically
consumed when it contacts the formation, the recovered fluid is relatively benign.

Process:
1.fracture acidizing:

(1) injecting into the formation via the casing (and/or workover tubing string) and through the casing and
cement perforations at a pressure below fracture pressure an acidic polymer solution comprising aqueous
solution of a mineral acid, such as hydrochloric acid, having dissolved therein a small amount of a
vinylpyrrolidone polymer;

(2) continuing the injection of the aqueous solution of step (1) into the formation while gradually increasing
the pressure and therefore the entry rate into the formation, and

(3) finally injecting the aqueous solution of step (1) at a pressure sufficient to fracture the formation.

During step (1) the pressure applied against the formation by the fluid should, preferably, be no greater than
to overcome the formation pressure and slowly force the acidic solution into the formation.

Example of preparing the aid:

A total of 400 cc of xylene, 5 g of powdered potassium hydroxide and 65 g of terpolymer consisting of

repeating units of vinylpyrrolidone, vinyl acetate and 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid (number
average molecular weight of about 270,000) in particulate form are added to an autoclave and stirring is
commenced in order to form a slurry or dispersion of the terpolymer and catalyst in the xylene. The
autoclave and contents are then heated to a temperature of 120° C. In the terpolymer the weight percent of
vinylpyrrolidone units is about 65, the weight percent of vinyl acetate units is about 16 and the balance is 2-
acrylamide-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid units. Ethylene oxide in the amount of 42 g is added to the
autoclave under nitrogen pressure over a 1.1 hour period during which time the temperature of the autoclave
is maintained at 125° C. Next, the autoclave and contents are allowed to cool to room temperature after
which the autoclave is vented. The reaction mixture is then stripped of volatiles using a nitrogen purge. The
resulting water-soluble product is the vinylpyrrolidone-vinyl acetate-2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic
acid terpolymer alkoxylated with about 39 weight percent of ethylene oxide.

In carrying out the method of this invention a solution of from about 3 to about 30 percent by weight of the
non-oxidizing mineral acid dissolved in water is first prepared. An inhibitor to prevent corrosion of acid on the
metal equipment associated with the well is usually added with mixing in the next step. The vinylpyrrolidone
polymer in an amount within the stated concentration range is then admixed with the aqueous acid solution
employing a blender. The polymer dissolves rather rapidly in the acid solution and the thus-prepared
composition is forced, usually via a suitable pumping system, down the well bore, through the casing and
cement pack perforations and into contact with the formation to be treated. As those skilled in the art will
readily understand, the pressure employed is determined by the nature of the formation, viscosity of the
fluid, and other operating variables. As previously pointed out, the acidization method of this invention may
be carried out at a pressure sufficient merely to penetrate the formation or it may be of sufficient magnitude
to overcome the weight of the overburden and create fractures in the formation. Propping agents, to prop
open the fractures as created, for example 20 to 60 mesh sand, in accordance with known fracturing
procedures, may be employed in admixture with the aqueous acidic solution. Generally, it is advisable to
allow the aqueous acidic polymer solution to remain in contact with the formation until the acid therein has
been substantially depleted by reaction with the acid-soluble components of the formation. After this, the
substantially spent treating solution is reversed out of the well, i.e., it is allowed to flow back out or to be
pumped out of the formation. Further, as those skilled in the art will understand, the concentration of the
polymer and acid should be chosen to provide an acidizing fluid of the desired rheological properties.
Similarly, the appropriate molecular weight polymer is selected on the same basis.

2.stimulation

Same as fracture but with different acids and no intention of fractures.

Environmental Management Considerations:

As already mentioned, the oil and gas industry has been using acids for well treatment for well over 100
years. As a result, the industry has a great deal of experience with the safe and environmentally sound
handling and management of these fluids both before and after their use. Operator, service companies,
and regulatory agencies have sound procedures in place that protect both workers and the public.
Acids must be transported and used with proper precautions, safety procedures, and equipment.
Transportation of the acid and related materials must be done in USDOT (or equivalent) approved
equipment and containers, properly labeled, and follow approved routes to the work site. Personnel
working directly with the acids must utilize the personal protective equipment (PPE) specified in the Safety
Data Sheet (or equivalent) and be properly trained and experienced in the use of these materials.

All equipment used in pumping the acid should be well maintained and all equipment components that will
be exposed to pressure during the acid job should be tested to pressures equal to the maximum anticipated
pumping pressure plus an adequate safety margin prior to the start of pumping operations, in accordance
with industry standards and pressure pumping service provider operating guidelines. The operator should
consider the use of barricades to limit access to areas near acid and additive containers, mixing and
pumping equipment, and pressure piping.

After the acid job is successfully pumped and the well is brought to production, the operator should consider
using separate tanks or containers to isolate the initial produced fluids (spent acid and produced water). The
fluids that are initially recovered will contain the spent acid (acid that is largely chemically reacted,
neutralized, and converted to inert materials) and it will typically have a pH of 2-3 or greater, approaching
neutral pH. These fluids can be further neutralized to a pH>4.5 prior to introduction into the produced water
treatment equipment, if necessary. Once neutralized, the spent acid and produced water can be handled
with other produced water at the production site. Most produced water, including spent acid, is treated as
needed and then injected via deep injection wells that are permitted by the jurisdictional regulatory authority.

Acidizing to remove damage:

A matrix treatment restores permeability by removing damage around the wellbore, thus improving
productivity in both sandstone and carbonate wells. Although the acid systems used in sandstone and
carbonate differ, the same practices apply to both. In the absence of damage, the large volume of acid that
is required to improve the formation permeability in the vicinity of the wellbore may not justify the small
incremental increase in production, especially in sandstone. In carbonate rock, hydrochloric acid enlarges
the wellbore or tends to bypass damage by forming wormholes. The permeability increase is much larger in
carbonate than in sandstone.

Severe damage (kD/k less than 0.2) is usually close to the wellbore, within 12 in. More moderate damage
(kD/kgreater than 0.2) may occur much deeper (3 ft from the wellbore or more. Oilwell flow behavior is
greatly affected by the geometry of radial flow into the wellbore; 25% of the pressure drop takes place within
3 ft of the wellbore if no damage is present. Because of the small flow area, any damage to the formation at
that point may account for most of the total pressure drop (drawdown) during production and, thereby,
dominate well performance.
Acidizing to enhance productivity:
Matrix acidizing is applied primarily to remove damage caused by drilling, completion, and workover fluids
and solids precipitated from produced water or oil (i.e., scale or paraffin). Removal of severe plugging in
carbonate or sandstone can result in very large increases in well productivity. On the other hand, if there is
no damage, a matrix treatment seldom increases natural production more than 50%, depending on the size
of the treatment and the penetration depth of live acid. [1]

Wormholes
Wormholes are small, continuous channels formed by acid preferentially enlarging pores in carbonate,
usually around 2 to 5 mm in diameter. In radial flow, wormholes form a dendritic pattern, like the roots of a
tree. Gdanski[3] developed a practical model for wormholing during matrix acidizing in carbonates, which
shows that practical limits for effective penetration of hydrochloric (HCl) acid varies from about 1 to 5 ft.
Penetration is limited by injection rate and volume. The maximum rate allowed is a function of the carbonate
permeability. Radial penetration is so limited in low-permeability carbonate that it is a better candidate for
fracture acidizing.

Improper or poorly executed acid treatments

When there is no damage present, improper or poorly executed acid treatments can reduce the natural
formation permeability and reduce well productivity, as in new wells with low reservoir permeability.
Gidley[4] presented the results of an extensive statistical review of one company's acidizing success in
sandstone reservoirs in the U.S. He found that only 54% of 507 wells increased in production following
hydrofluoric (HF) acid stimulation. More recently, Nitters et al. stated that past programs resulted in only
25% success.

Evaluation and quality control

Where better evaluation and quality control have been implemented, the percentage of successful
treatments has improved to 75 to 90%. Such a program was developed by Brannon et al. who successfully
acidized 35 of 37 wells (95% success) for an average production increase of 343 BOPD. Other areas and
formations still suffer from poor acidizing responses, which implies that opportunities for technology
development still exist.

Conclusions:

• Oil and gas operators have safely and successfully used acid to improve productivity of oil
and gas wells for nearly 120 years. Today, acidizing is one of the most widely used
processes for stimulating oil and gas wells.

• Two types of acids are most commonly used; hydrochloric acid in all formation types and
hydrofluoric acid in sandstones and certain shales. Other types of acids, such as organic
acids, may also be used in specialized situations.

• Since geologic formations are never homogeneous, blends (particularly for sandstone
formations) of HCl and HF are usually pumped with the blend ratios based on the formation
mineralogy.
• All aspects of the regulatory framework surrounding the use of acid in oil and gas wells are well
developed and mature as are the operational and safety practices employed by operators and service
providers.

• When the acid reacts with formation materials it is largely consumed and neutralized.

• Spent acid that is recovered when a treated well is brought on production is treated and safely
disposed of in essentially the same way as produced water.

References:
Schlumberger acidizing process and cautions.

Us3319714a well acidizing method by john a knox.

Process for acidizing using retarded acid formation by Shawn remassa et al.

Acidizing basics Google.

Done by : Hassan jaber 9534426