Open-Hole Completion Based Mechanical Diversion of Acid/Chemical Stimulation Operations:Design,Deployment and Field Trial Results

摘要

The ubiquitous challenge that is faced by chemical stimulation techniques,of any kind,has always been achieving an economic and efficient distribution of the stimulation solution across the exposed reservoir interval.Many have approached this problem from a chemical perspective and others from the use of additives for mechanical diversion;however the very nature of stimulation itself means that a changing injection profile will make efficient diversion by such techniques uncertain and unpredictable.Instead, rather than relying on serendipitous deployment techniques,the approach described and reported here places true mechanical diversion as part of the well construction process.This paper will completely describe the process and achievements to date,including successful application in a number of horizontal wells completed in the Austin Chalk,as part of an overall deployment plan. Essentially,this new completion system comprises of multiple pressure actuated assemblies,distrib- uted along the liner/casing.These assemblies,when activated,allow the lateral deployment of forty-foot needles,radially distributed at ninety-degree phasing around the casing,into the unstimulated reservoir. These subs can be precisely located across pre-selected intervals and thereby provide certainty of acid treatment distribution.The acid is pumped through the needles themselves during stimulation;however production takes place through a suite of ports.A bespoke debris basket may be run,after the stimulation treatment,in order to recover a suite of needle deployment indicators.This run,if performed,effectively establishes the success of the deployment. In order to demonstrate the concept and avoid the high-cost environment of the North Sea,a low cost field trial location was sought and identified.An Austin chalk operator was looked for that had an extensive horizontal candidate well set available for re-completion in open-hole.A number of candidate wells were then identified and the wells were recompleted and stimulated with this new system.This paper will present the entire suite of data related to these deployments,stimulation operations,lessons learned, production impact and potential.This novel technology was greatly assisted,supported and delivered via the Joint Chalk Research(JCR)council,comprising of some ten operating companies that encourage,fund and drive the development of carbonate completion and stimulation solutions.