The Gulf of Mexico (GoM) presents an array of complex challenges, including ultra-deepwater depths, narrow pressure window environments, low permeability, and elevated temperature zones. Operators in the GoM frequently experience highly reactive, unstable shales while drilling long, heterogenous open hole lateral wells. While traditional Reservoir Drill-in Fluids (RDF) and breakers are well known for use in production wells, the filter cake cleanup can often be non-uniform, corrosive to completion assemblies, and result in variable drawdown. This disparity in pressure drawdown across the reservoir section can ultimately result in the creation of positive skin damage. Injector wells offer a more extreme scenario in comparison to production wells because no flowback occurs, which can make it more difficult to deliver sustainable uniform injection. The solution to these challenges lies in the development of RDF and breakers specifically tailored to provide uniform, time delayed coverage, minimal corrosivity, and effective removal of the RDF filter cake. In order to successfully maximize injection and maintain performance for the scope of the field life, an RDF was customized in tandem with an optimized, delayed-release filter cake breaker to limit formation damage and provide complete uniform filter cake removal. This paper will discuss how the learnings from Eastern Hemisphere operational activities directed at optimizing treatment designs for more difficult injector wells can be tailored for efficient use in the GoM. Results from laboratory testing and global field applications of the new RDF and breaker designs will be presented, as well.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.