An evaluation of organic acids implementation in stimulating tight Saudi reservoirs: A case study on Sarah sandstone formation

Abstract

Sandstone formations are stimulated with mud acid when matrix acidizing is most competent. In terms of high-pressure, high-temperature (HP-HT) conditions, the corrosive impact of hydrochloric (HCl) acid prompted the need to explore other alternatives to mud acid. This study examines the efficiency of organic acids in stimulating Sarah sandstone, a tight gas formation of potential.The optimum injection of acid volume was tested on Berea cores. Besides, the mineralogy of outcrop rocks of Sarah formation was identified using X-ray diffraction (XRD) aided by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Formation mineralogy led to the selection of acetic-hydrofluoric (C₂H₄O₂-HF) and oxalic-HF (C₂H₂O₄-HF) as proper acids for stimulation experiments. Bentonite water-base mud was used to alter the permeability of three fresh Sarah sandstone core samples. The organic-HF acids were used to stimulate two core samples, while mud acid (HCl-HF) was tested in the third core for comparison. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDX) and SEM were utilized to study the impact of acids on porous media.Experiments conducted in Berea core samples led to the execution of five pore volumes (PV) of preflush and one PV of main treatment as the optimum volume during the acidizing trials. XRD and SEM identified pore-filling clay minerals causing the low permeability of Sarah formation. Furthermore, the water-base mud injected decreased the permeability further by 80%. Oxalic-HF and acetic-HF mixtures recovered the initial permeability of core samples by 46% and 35%, respectively. SEM-EDX results showed how organic acids have partially unblocked the pathways of the structural pores leading to permeability enhancement.This research not only recommends the use of oxalic-HF Acid for acidizing Sarah sandstone formation but also spotlights the ability of organic acids to employment as preflush in hydraulic fracturing operations.