Abstract
The recovery of oil and gas from underground reservoirs has a pervasive impact on petroleum-producing companies’ financial strength. A significant cause of the low recovery is the plugging of reservoir rocks’ interconnected pores and associated permeability impairment, known as formation damage. Formation damage can effectively reduce productivity in oil- and gas-bearing formations—especially in sandstone reservoirs endowed with clay. Therefore, knowledge of reservoir rock properties—especially the occurrence of clay—is crucial to predicting fluid flow in porous media, minimizing formation damage, and optimizing productivity. This paper aims to provide an overview of recent laboratory and field studies to serve as a reference for future extensive examination of formation damage mitigation/formation damage control technology measures in sandstone reservoirs containing clay. Knowledge gaps and research opportunities have been identified based on the review of the recent works. In addition, we put forward factors necessary to improve the outcomes relating to future studies.
Highlights
IntroductionDespite significant achievements in reducing the costs of renewable energy technologies and their recent embracement, oil and gas still account for more than 75% of overall energy utilised—especially in developing countries [1]—and 60% of global energy used [2]
Despite significant achievements in reducing the costs of renewable energy technologies and their recent embracement, oil and gas still account for more than 75% of overall energy utilised—especially in developing countries [1]—and 60% of global energy used [2].the total energy consumption is expected to rise at 1.5% per year in energy demand over 2015–2040 [3]
If these sulphatereducing bacteria (SRB) are indigenous and feed on nutrients contained in reservoir drilling fluid (RDF) or injected water, this means that the associated formation damage reactions will extend beyond the near-wellbore region, reaching rather deep into the sandstone reservoir [34]
Summary
Despite significant achievements in reducing the costs of renewable energy technologies and their recent embracement, oil and gas still account for more than 75% of overall energy utilised—especially in developing countries [1]—and 60% of global energy used [2]. Economic failure during the development of these oil fields may occur due to well abandonment or the shortened lifespan of fields, unless the physicochemical changes due to interaction between drilling fluids and varying clay minerals causing the reduction in permeability are adequately understood and mitigated. Formation damage can significantly reduce the productivity in both oil- and gas-bearing formations, especially in sandstone reservoirs endowed with varying clay minerals [12,13,14]. These clay minerals are highly unstable, reactive and, for the most part, have habits/morphology that are outcropped as pore-lining, pore-bridging, and pore-filling along the micropore structural walls, and are inevitably in contact with drilling fluids (both solids and filtrates) that have invaded the micropore structure. We proffer solutions regarding technology related to the formation damage mitigation/formation damage control (FDM/FDC) measures that can be used to overcome these challenges in sandstone reservoirs with varying clay minerals
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