Long Term Evaluation of a New Liquid Resin Additives used for Fracture Conductivity Enhancement in a Gas Producer Screenless Completion, Jauf Reservoir, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

TX 75083-3836, U.S.A., fax 01-972-952-9435. AbstractJauf is a high pressure/high temperature gas producer sandstone reservoir, which exhibits a high sanding tendency in some zones throughout the reservoir. To combat the sanding tendency, Saudi Aramco has implemented two screenless sand control strategies by performing the indirect proppant fracturing process. The first or older strategy combines a number of techniques such as, indirect fracturing from oriented perforated thin consolidated zones, tip screenout design, use of a combination of resin coated proppant with fibers, forced closure, and a carefully controlled flowback procedure. The second strategy combines the indirect fracturing from oriented, perforated-thin consolidated zones, tip screenout design and the use of the new liquid resin additives.Although a solids-free high rate gas production has been achieved in the majority of wells for which the first strategy was implemented, a high reduction in fracture conductivity in the form of positive skin has been detected from pressure buildup tests conducted in a number of fractured wells. Al-Ghurairi et Al (SPE 98088) explained the reasons for the positive skin and it was associated with partial penetration, given that the interval from which a fracture is initiated is usually perforated in high Young's Modulus rock and limited to 30-40 feet; thus the fracture is initiated away from the high sanding tendency zones and extended vertically into such zones. The other main component for the positive skin was attributed to the fibers used for proppant flow back control purposes, since it is well known through extensive industry testing, that the combination of proppant and fibers can reduce fracture conductivity in treated wells.Supported by extensive lab testing showing that the combination of the two new resin additives, mixed with proppant, could provide effective solids and proppant flowback control without reducing fracture conductivity; the second strategy was implemented in the field, in December 2004. The initial outstanding results of this first pilot application were documented in the paper 1 SPE 98088. After the initial evaluation the well was closed, up to the second quarter of 2006, to finish the surface production facilities. This paper is a continuation of paper SPE 98088 and it discusses the long-term evaluation results and benefits of the new liquid additives used to improve and sustain the fracture conductivity.

Controlling Solids Flowback to Maintain Production of Hydrocarbons: A Review of Successful Chemical Technologies in the Last Decade

“…17,18,28,4,29,30,31,9,21 New LCR o date, more than 3,500 hydraulic fracturing nts using LCR systems were performed worldwide. 26,32,33,34,35,36,37,21,38 static mixer to form a homogeneous mixture just before injecting downhole by means of coiled tubing (CT) or jointed pipe before being placed into the perforated interval.…”