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Effect of Reservoir Mineralogy and Texture on Acid

Response in Heterogeneous Sandstones 
L. N. Morgenthaler; D. Zhu; J. Mou; A. D. Hill
Paper presented at the SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, San Antonio, Texas, USA,
September 2006.
Paper Number: SPE-102672-MS
https://doi.org/10.2118/102672-MS
Published: September 24 2006

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Abstract
A series of core flood experiments with the sequence of fluids typically used in
HCl/HF stimulation (HCl pre-flush, followed by HCl/HF main flush, followed by
NH4Cl post flush) have been conducted on a suite of cores from several Gulf of
Mexico Miocene turbidite reservoirs. Using thin section petrography and computer
tomography (CT) scans; the samples were characterized as more or less
heterogeneous. Samples ranged from reasonably homogeneous to highly laminated.
Sample mineralogy was assessed by X–ray diffraction (XRD). Core compositions
ranged from relatively clean (quartz rich) to relatively "ratty" (clay and feldspar rich)
and some cores contained abundant clinoptololite zeolite.

Acid response was assessed based on permeability change and effluent chemical
analysis and varied dramatically among the samples. In the poorer quality, more
laminated samples, channeling with significant permeability increase was observed
during HC1 treatment with little additional change during later stages of the
treatment. Selective pore enlargement with little alteration of the matrix
framework was observed in post treatment thin sections. In more homogeneous
sand samples, more general acid attack was observed. Core effluent indicated
carbonate dissolution during the HCl pre-flush, while HCl/HF clearly attacked
alumino-silicates and was roughly half spent during transit through the core.
Comparison of thin sections before and after acidization revealed changes in
sample quality. In the better quality samples, near complete (greater than 80
 percent) dissolution of carbonate and an extensive "cleaning" of clays and fines
from the pore space was apparent.

We used a fine-scale simulator of sandstone acidizing to match the responses

observed in these experiments. The model corroborates the effects of
heterogeneities in the permeability field and in the mineral distribution on the
sandstone acidizing process. These model results show how characterization of
fine-scale heterogeneity in sandstone can improve the design of matrix stimulation
treatments.

Keywords: structural geology, acidizing, flow in porous media, Fluid Dynamics,

heterogeneity, sandstone, Reservoir Characterization, Upstream Oil & Gas,
Simulation, mineralogy

Subjects: Reservoir Characterization, Reservoir Fluid Dynamics, Improved and

Enhanced Recovery, Formation Evaluation & Management, Acidizing,
Exploration, development, structural geology, Flow in porous media, Well
Operations, Optimization and Stimulation

Copyright 2006, Society of Petroleum Engineers

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