Technology Focus: Formation Damage (March 2023)

Abstract

Identification, prevention, and remediation of formation damage during the life cycle of oil and gas wells are key for our industry to allow wells to perform to their full potential. Increased awareness of potential damage mechanisms along with improvements in laboratory testing equipment and methodologies have proven to be instrumental in efficient prevention and remediation of formation damage in production and injection wells in conventional reservoirs. While the ongoing technical studies and technology developments in the area of formation damage are heavily focused on key damage-mechanism scenarios during drilling and production, such as drilling-fluid-induced damage, scaling, clay swelling, fines migration, and incompatibility of fluid/fluid and fluid/rock in conventional sandstone and carbonate reservoirs, there are new research activities and increased applications of learnings in low-permeability unconventional reservoirs and carbon capture and storage (CCS). In low-permeability unconventional reservoirs, hydraulic fracturing has proven instrumental for economic and successful development. Injection of a large volume of fracturing fluid water is necessary to place the required quantity of proppant to generate and maintain fracture conductivity, thereby increasing the risk of fracturing-fluid-induced formation damage. New laboratory studies and field trials to select suitable preventive additives in fracturing fluid and optimize flowback processes are being deployed to prevent formation damage not only from gelling materials, friction-reducer chemicals, and water blockage but also from scaling and paraffin during production. Identification and prevention of formation-damage mechanisms affecting injectivity during CO2 injection in subsurface for CCS and CO2 enhanced oil recovery are critical. Enjoy the papers chosen this year, some of which highlight my comments and the innovation and successes achieved by our industry in identification, prevention, and remediation of formation damage in conventional reservoirs, which is expected to bring success in area of unconventional-reservoir development and carbon reduction. Recommended additional reading at OnePetro: www.onepetro.org. IPTC 22543 Formation Damage in the Hollín Sandstone: Diagnosis, Evaluation, and Stimulation Practices From Laboratory to Field Implementation, Sacha Field, Ecuador by Alvaro Izurieta, Halliburton, et al. SPE 208852 Understanding Fluid Exchange as Screens Are Run in Hole—Mitigation of Formation and Completion Damage Risks by Michael Byrne, Axis, et al. SPE 210763 Near-Wellbore Damage Associated With Formation Dry-Out and Fines Migration During CO2 Injection by Liam Alchin, The University of Adelaide, et al.