Controlling the reactivity of HCl is the most viable approach to successfully stimulate a high-temperature carbonate reservoir. It is essential to retard the HCl-carbonate rock reaction to achieve the optimum balance between total fluid used and enhancing well production. However, drawbacks intrinsic to the technology architectures have prevented the industry-wide adoption of these inventions. For instance, the conventional emulsified acid is well documented to exhibit high friction pressure, is cumbersome to prepare, and performance is sensitive to a multitude of parameters. The recently developed singleaqueous-phase retarded acid (SAPRA) represents one big step toward the right direction, but there is certainly ample room for improvement. This paper presents the next generation of SAPRA system and its laboratory findings. In this system, the HCl reactivity is regulated and retarded by a single, potent low-dosage additive, which is compatible with selected acid corrosion inhibitors, non-emulsifiers, H2S scavengers, and other commonly used additives, and if necessary, friction reducers as well.

The purpose of acid stimulation of carbonate formations is to increase production. The essential component for these stimulation fluids is the carbonate-dissolving agent, which creates conductivity channels connecting the reservoir with the wellbore. Controlling the reactivity of hydrochloric acid (HCl), the most-used dissolving agent due to its high dissolving capacity, wide availability, and low unit cost, is the most viable approach to successfully stimulate a high-temperature carbonate reservoir. It is essential to retard the HCl-carbonate rock reaction to achieve the optimum balance between total fluid used and enhanced well production. It is well documented that the conventional emulsified acid exhibits high friction pressure, is cumbersome to prepare, and performs with sensitivity to a multitude of parameters. These drawbacks have prevented the industrywide adoption of this method. The recently developed single-aqueous-phase retarded acid (SAPRA) designed for primarily 15–25% HCl solutions represents a significant step forward. The first successful field implementation of SAPRA took place offshore the Malaysian state of Sarawak in early 2021. At Sarawak, the HCl reactivity was regulated and retarded by a single potent low- dosage additive, which is compatible with selected acid corrosion inhibitors, nonemulsifiers, H2S scavengers, other commonly used additives, and if necessary, friction reducers. Improving Acid Stimulation Efficiency The technical approach behind SAPRA is based on chemical technology that enables the reduction of the reaction rate and allows the control of the diffusion/mass transfer mechanism. This is key in designing the acid treatment to optimize chemical program cost and well production and has been extensively studied (Al Moajil et al. 2020; Czupski et al. 2020; Daeffler et al. 2018; and Abdrazakov et al. 2018). The technology was developed utilizing a surface barrier concept where transiently adsorbed retarder molecules adhere to a carbonate surface and thus, delay the hydrogen ion carbonate reaction over a range of acid concentrations and operating temperatures. Due to the complexity of the chemical interactions among all the additives in the acid fluid system, the selected additives must be screened to ensure mutual compatibility before conducting performance testing such as corrosion rate, calcite solubility capacity characterization, and coreflow measurements. Incompatible chemistry could lead to severe corrosion issues such as the examples shown in Table 1.