Matrix Acidizing

Candidate Selection
Well Stimulation
• Stimulation is a chemical or mechanical method of increasing flow
capacity to a well.

• Wellbore clean-up -- Fluids not injected into formation

– Chemical treatment
– Perf wash
• Matrix stimulation -- Injection below frac pressure
– Matrix acidizing
– Chemical treatment
• Hydraulic fracturing -- Injection above frac pressure
– Acid frac
– Propped frac
Production Gap
• Reservoir performance
– Objective Potential
– Single well IPR = f (Q, Pwf)
– Parameters affecting performance
– Darcy’s law
– PVT Pwf
– Physical description
– Services
– Transient test
– Logs
Actual
– Remedial action/solution
– Stimulation - frac / matrix
– Perforate
Q
– Laterals
– Squeeze cementing
Darcy’s Equation: Steady State
Oil Well Gas Well

kh (Pe - P Wf) kh (P e 2 - P wf2 )

q= q=
141.2 b µ (In rrw
e - 0.75+ S)
1424 µzT (In rrwe
- 0.75+ S)

Pwf
Pe

rw re
Production Gap
• Flow conduit performance
– Objective
– Plumbing
– Parameters affecting performance
– Tubing & flow lines
Actual
– Restrictions
– Erosional velocity Pwf
– Services
– Calipers
Potential
– UltraSonic imager
– Production logging
– Remedial action / solution
– Chemical scale removal
– Scale removal with coil tubing
– New tubing
– Tubing coil completion
Reduction in Flow Capacity
• Wellbore: • Critical Matrix:
– Scale Damage – Drilling Mud Damage
– Sand Fill – Cement Damage
– Plugged Perforations – Completion Fluids
– Paraffin Plugging – Production
– Asphalt Deposits – Native Clays/Fines
– Etc..
Production Gap
RESERVOIR COMPLETION FLOW CONDUIT ARTIFICIAL LIFT
PERFORMANCE PERFORMANCE PERFORMANCE PERFORMANCE

OBJECTIVE OBJECTIVE OBJECTIVE OBJECTIVE

- Single well IPR = f (t, Np) - P = f (q) - Plumbing - Pwf Caused By Pumps
Bottom Hole Flowing Pressure

Bottom Hole Flowing Pressure

Bottom Hole Flowing Pressure

Potential 2spf
Actual
Actual
P Actual

12 spf
Actual
Potential
Potential Potential

Flowrate Flowrate Flowrate Flowrate

Parameters Affecting Parameters Affecting Parameters Affecting Parameters Affecting

Performance Performance Performance Performance
- Flow Mechanism/Darcy’s Law - Perfs - Tubing & Flow Lines - Lift System Problems (casing
- PVT - Sand Control - Traps pressure, inj. gas, mech. effic.
- Physical Description - Acid - Restrictions, deposits ESP, housing, shaft
- Skin, incl. turbulence - Design Problems (valve spacing,
+ Impact - Erosional Velocity
ESP depth, HP, etc)
- Zone Isolation - Roughness

Services Services Services Services

Need Definition Need Definition Need Definition Need Definition
Transient Test / Data Pump SPAN Calipers - TGS/MFCT Production Logging
Production Logging UltraSonic Imager Transient Test, Flowing/Static
RST• . TDT . MDT
RST . TDT Production Logging
Production Logging . FMI Gradients, Temp, Data Pump
Dipole Shear Sonic Imager UltraSonic Imager Collar Locator - Downhole multi-sensors
- Corrosion Log, CET - Well Watcher
Remedial Action / Solution Remedial Action / Solution Remedial Action / Soln Remedial Action / Solution
Stimulation - Frac / Acid Re-Perforate Acidizing - Optimize Lift System
Perforate Gravel Pack Scale Removal with Coil - Re-design
Laterals Squeeze Cementing Tubing
Squeeze Cementing Acidizing Coil Tubing completion
Gel Plugs Gel Applications Early Production Facility
- Jetting applications (scale, etc)
- Velocity Strings
Formation Damage
• Damage Definition :
– Partial or complete plugging of the near wellbore area which
reduces the original permeability of the formation.
– Damage is quantified by the skin ( S ).

vertical wells
 k  r
rs S    1 ln r s
k
 s  w
rw
horizontal wells
 
 k k
S 
H V  1 ln rs
 k k  rw
 HS VS 
Skin

ST = Sdrill + Scement+ Sperfs + Spp +Sgp +Dq + S(time)

Skin
• The total Skin (St) is the value that is obtained directly from a
well-test analysis.
• Formation Damage Skin:
– Mathematically defined as an infinitely thin zone that creates a
steady-state pressure drop at the sand face.
– S>0 Damaged Formation
– S=0 Neither damaged nor stimulated
– S<0 Stimulated formation
• Pseudo Skin:
– Includes situations such as fractures, partial penetration,
turbulence, and fissures.
• The Formation Damage Skin is the only type that can be
“removed” by stimulation.
Major Goal of Matrix Treatment
• Restore natural permeability
– By treating the critical matrix
5000 1.00
P laminar
4500 0.90
% of total

Fraction of Total Pressure Drop

4000 0.80
3500 0.70
Pressure (psi)

3000 0.60
2500 0.50
2000 0.40
1500 0.30
1000 0.20
500 0.10
0 0.00
0.1 1 10 100 1000 10000
Radius (ft)
Effect of Shifting an 80% Damage Collar

100
3-in collar
Percent of original productivity

6-in collar
80 12-in collar
rc-rx = collar thickness
Damage collar
60 rc

40 rx

Wellbore
20 re

0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
Inner radius of damage (ft)
Change in Damage Skin Factor
• Matrix acidizing
– Sandstone: skin can be reduced to zero at best
– Carbonate: can generate a negative skin
• Fracturing
– A negative skin is possible

Completion Skin PI
Fracture -6 to -2
StimPAC -2 to +4
Open hole 0 to +5
OH gravel pack +2 to +10
Cased hole +2 to +15
CH gravel pack +5 to +20
Applications For Matrix Treatment
• High Permeability Formation with Damage
• Mechanical Treating Limitations
• Water/Gas Cap
• Unproppable Formations?
• To Supplement Fracturing
Matrix Acidizing Challenges
• Proper diagnosis of the problem
• Treatment design
• Quality Control
• Tubing contamination
• Zone converage
• Precipitation of reaction products
• Damage removal
• Fines migration

Harry McLeod JPT (Dec. 1984)

Summary
• Damage in the critical matrix is the target of matrix
stimulation.
• Wells without a performance gap will not respond well to
matrix treatments.
• A successful stimulation treatment is one that yields the
predicted production and ROI/Pay Out.
– Damage characterization
– Fluid selection
– Placement
– etc.
 Matrix Acidizing

Candidate Selection Process

Candidate Selection
• “Good Wells Make the Best Candidates for Well
Stimulation” - Al Jennings

• Candidate Selection (Recognition) is the process of

identifying and selecting wells for treatment which have the
capacity for higher production and better economic return.
Candidate Selection Process
• Review numerous wells.
• Review of well logs/records, reservoir characteristics and
information on the completion/previous workovers.
• Map the productivity of each well.
• Establish reasonable upper production potential for
fracturing and matrix stimulation techniques.
• Evaluate potential mechanical problems.
• Focus on wells with the highest reward and lowest risk.
Production Gap: Reservoir Performance
• Objective
Potential
– Single well IPR = f (Q, Pwf)
• Parameters affecting
performance
Pwf
– Darcy’s law
– PVT
– Physical description
Actual

Q
Production Gap: Flow Conduit Performance
• Objective
– Plumbing
• Parameters affecting
performance
Actual
– Tubing & flow lines
Pwf
– Restrictions
– Erosional velocity
Potential
Establish Production Potential
Pressure

Gap
Flow Rate
 Data Sources
• Production History • Logs
– Oil/Gas/Water production – SP, Gamma, Porosity,
– Decline curve Production logs
– Drive mechanism – Reservoir characteristics
– Hydrocarbon
1000 – Homogeneous/Laminated
– Thickness
– WOC/GOC
Oil Rate, BOPD

100

offset well
10

1
0 20000 40000 60000 80000 100000 120000
Cumulative Oil, Bbls
Data Sources
• Workovers • Drilling records
• Well tests – Type of mud
– Kh – Losses
– Skin • Completion
– Pres – Openhole/Cased/Fractured
– Directional survey
– Tubing/Casing
– USIT
– Calipers
 Reduction in Flow Capacity
• Wellbore:
– Scale Damage
– Sand Fill
– Plugged Perforations
– Paraffin Plugging
– Asphalt Deposits
– Etc..
• Critical Matrix:
– Drilling Mud Damage
– Cement Damage
– Completion Fluids
– Paraffin and Asphaltenes
– Scale
– Native Clays/Fines

ST = Sdrill + Scement + Sperfs + Spp +Sgp +Dq + S(time)

Eliminate Mechanical Problems
• Perforations
• Partial completion
• Gravel pack
• Tubulars
• Low reservoir pressure
• Artificial lift problem
• Choke problem
• Below bubble point
• Fill
Candidate Selection
• “Good Wells Make the Best Candidates for Well
Stimulation” - Al Jennings

Cumulative Lower
Production B-1
(MMSCF) Net Height (ft)
selected
well
• Candidate Selection (Recognition) is the process of
identifying and selecting wells for treatment which have the
capacity for higher production and better economic return.
Review Well File and Reservoir
Characteristics
• Logs • Drilling records
– SP, Gamma, Porosity, – Type of Mud
Production logs – Losses
– Reservoir characteristics • Completion
– Hydrocarbon – Openhole/Cased/Gravel
– Homogeneous/Laminated Packed
– Thickness – Survey
– WOC/GOC
– Tubing/Casing
• Production History
• Workovers
– Oil/Gas/Water production
– Decline curve
– Drive mechanism
Map the productivity of each well

Cumulative Lower Canyon

Production B-1
(MMSCF) Net Height (ft)
selected
well

Lower Canyon Lower Canyon

B-2 A-3
Net Height (ft) Net Height (ft)

27 3226 0 50
MMSCF ft
Eliminate Mechanical Problems
• Perforations
• Partial completion
• Gravel pack
• Tubulars
• Low reservoir pressure
• Artificial lift problem
• Choke problem
• Below bubble point
• Fill
Establish Reasonable Production Potential
• Nodal Analysis
• Procedure for determining the flow rate at which an oil or
gas well will produce and then evaluating the effect of
various components, such as:
– tubing string size
– flow line size
– separator pressure
– choke sites
– downhole restrictions & safety valves
– well completion techniques
• These components are then combined to optimize the entire
system to obtain the most efficient objective flow rate.
The Total Producing System
Gas Sales

Horizontal Flowline
Flowing Wellhead
Pressure Separator

Stock Tank
Vertical or
Inclined Tubing

Flow through porous

Intake
media Pr, K, IPR
 Stimulation Decision Tree
WELL IS VALID CANDIDATE FOR STIMULATION

NEGATIVE SKIN REQUIRED TO SLIGHTLY POSITIVE SKIN

YIELD ADEQUATE PRODUCTION YIELDS ADEQUATE PRODUCTION

SANDSTONE OR CARBONTE? MATRIX TREAMENT

SANDSTONE CARBONATE SANDSTONE CARBONATE

PROPPED MATRIX TREATMENT TO REMOVE TREATMENT TO BYPASS
FRACTURE PROPPED FRAC DAMAGE DAMAGE
ACID FRAC

MECHANICAL MECHANICAL MECHANICAL

LIMITATIONS LIMITATIONS LIMITATIONS

ECONOMICS EVALUATION ECONOMICS EVALUATION

ECONOMICS EVALUATION
FOR:

DISQUALIFIED
MATRIX PROPPED FRAC ACID FRAC
CANDIDATE
TREATMENT
EVALUATE
MATRIX TREATMENT

DISQUALIFIED DISQUALIFIED DISQUALIFIED

EVALUATE EVALUATE EVALUATE
PROPPED FRAC MATRIX MATRIX
ACID FRAC ACID FRAC PROPPED FRAC
Candidate Selection Conclusions
• Candidate selection (recognition) is the process of
identifying and selecting wells for treatment which have the
capacity for higher production and better economic return.
• Review numerous wells
– “Good wells make the best candidates for well stimulation” -
Al Jennings
• Focus on wells with the highest potential production
increase.
• Focus on low risk wells