SPE 81731

Is Acid Placement Through Coiled Tubing Better Than Bullheading?

Wayne P. Mitchell, CNOOC Southeast Sumatra Ltd, SPE, Dario Stemberger, BJ Services, SPE and A.N. Martin, BJ
Services, SPE

Copyright 2003, Society of Petroleum Engineers Inc.

The wells operated by the NBU (North Business Unit) of
This paper was prepared for presentation at the SPE/ICoTA Coiled Tubing Conference held in CNOOC tend to be very high water cut (averaging 96%),
Houston, Texas, U.S.A., 8–9 April 2003.
relatively high permeability sandstones (Talang Akar
This paper was selected for presentation by an SPE Program Committee following review of
information contained in an abstract submitted by the author(s). Contents of the paper, as
formation). All sandstone wells are completed with screens
presented, have not been reviewed by the Society of Petroleum Engineers and are subject to and some kind of sand control, usually a gravel pack. All wells
correction by the author(s). The material, as presented, does not necessarily reflect any
position of the Society of Petroleum Engineers, its officers, or members. Papers presented at are produced using electric submersible pumps (ESP’s) for
SPE meetings are subject to publication review by Editorial Committees of the Society of
Petroleum Engineers. Electronic reproduction, distribution, or storage of any part of this paper
artificial lift, as reservoir pressures tend to be low.
for commercial purposes without the written consent of the Society of Petroleum Engineers is
prohibited. Permission to reproduce in print is restricted to an abstract of not more than 300
words; illustrations may not be copied. The abstract must contain conspicuous
acknowledgment of where and by whom the paper was presented. Write Librarian, SPE, P.O.
Box 833836, Richardson, TX 75083-3836 U.S.A., fax 01-972-952-9435.
BORNEO

Abstract SUMATRA
It has long been postulated that placing acid into a well
through coiled tubing provides for better stimulation
treatments than those achieved by simply bullheading. JAVA SEA
Common sense suggests that having the stimulation fluid enter
the well via a dedicated conduit, adjacent to all points along
the length of a treatment interval, will produce more uniform Jakarta
stimulation of that interval. However, the opposing argument
is that, irrespective of the delivery method, all fluid follows JAVA
the path of least resistance and will, therefore, flow into the
areas of highest permeability, the ones generally least in need
of stimulation. Diversion techniques, employed to improve
Figure 1 – Area of the Java Sea operated by CNOOC
treatment distribution, can often be applied to regular bullhead
Southeast Sumatra Ltd
treatments as easily or even more easily than they can with
coiled tubing. This is not necessarily so when pumping As 90% of CNOOC’s producing intervals have a sand
stimulation fluids through SSD’s or through the ESP itself. control completion, the predominant form of stimulation is
Controlled tests to compare bullheaded and coiled tubing matrix acidizing, using both HF- (hydrofluoric acid) and HCl-
delivered treatments are difficult, as no two wells are identical. (hydrochloric acid) based systems. CNOOC and its
This paper evaluates 19 wells to provide statistical evidence of predecessors have a significant history of stimulation
which delivery system does generally provide for the best end successes1-3. The case histories presented, however, deal only
results. The paper suggests what the underlying reasons for the with HF-based acid systems.
spread of results might be and suggests criteria as to when coil As every well is producing via an ESP, there is a major
is, and is not, the best probable choice. It also discusses decision to be made when selecting and proposing a well as a
innovative methods to improve treatment distribution in wells, candidate for acid stimulation. Can a workover be justified?
thereby maximizing stimulation efficiency. Or, alternatively, is it nearly as effective to bullhead the
treatments down the existing production string?
Introduction Compared to most offshore operators, CNOOC is usually
The Chinese National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), in a much better position to perform a workover. Running a
operates a number of fields offshore in the Java Sea, located in large scale ESP operation necessarily involves a continuing
a block to the southeast of the island of Sumatra (see Figure series of pump replacements, and so CNOOC usually has
1). CNOOC, together with previous operators of this block between 3 and 5 workover barges servicing wells at any given
(Maxus, YPF and Repsol) have for many years been using time. Nevertheless, the expense of pulling and re-installing the
acid stimulation to enhance the production from their wells. completion still has to be justified. Hence, all coil tubing acid
Many different types of treatments have been performed, and stimulations were combined with pump repairs. Another
many different methods for placing the acid have been used. mitigating factor in the decision to pull the pump, is that due
2 SPE 81731

to contractual obligations with the ESP provider, whenever a successful, there is no way to assess how successful they were
pump is pulled, it must be replaced with a new guaranteed compared to the bullheaded treatments.
pump. This then, necessarily adds to the costs involved, in Thomas and Milne6 compared the results of coiled tubing
deciding whether to use coil tubing on a producing well. and bullheaded treatments for 11 treatments performed in
The choice of whether or not to perform a workover has a horizontal wells in carbonate reservoirs. This paper showed
dramatic implication for the stimulation treatment. If the that the 6 wells treated conventionally with bullheaded
workover cannot be justified, then the acid stimulation has to treatments averaged an increase in injectivity index of 61
be bullheaded down the completion. Whenever possible, the bfpd/psi, whilst the 5 coiled tubing treatments average an
treatment is routed through a sliding side door (SSD) placed in increase of 120 bfpd/psi. However, it is clear from the results
the completion and above the ESP. However, most of the presented that the coiled tubing treatments were performed on
NBU completions do not incorporate SSD’s so the treatment the poorest wells – i.e. those with the greatest skin factors7 and
must be bullheaded through the ESP. hence the most to be gained from dissolving away near
If a workover can be justified - either through the expected wellbore damage.
gains from the treatment or because the ESP has failed and the
well needs to be re-completed anyway – then the options for Geology
placing the acid stimulation are significantly improved. The producing horizons in the Widuri field are characteristic
CNOOC have the option of either running in hole with a of other fields in the northern Asri Basin, even though the
packer and RBP on a treating string, and selectively treating reservoir names may be different. They represent the last
discrete intervals, or the treatment can be placed with coiled Talang Akar formation sands deposited in the Asri Graben,
tubing. CNOOC’s predecessors were so convinced that coil when the area was submerged in early Miocene time. The
tubing was the obvious choice for placement, that whenever a Widuri field produces from six sand reservoirs, interbedded
pump failed this became the standard stimulation placement with shales and coals in a 350’ thick clastic sequence loosely
technique. The advantages and disadvantages of both methods called the Gita member. The geological age is late Oligocene-
will be discussed later. early Miocene. The depositional setting changes up through
This paper compares the results from 19 different the sequence from fluvial environments in the lower units to
treatments performed in the Talang Akar formation, using marginal marine in the upper units. The deeper, fluvial 36 and
both coiled tubing and bullheading through the ESP as the 35 series sands are widespread, poorly consolidated quartz
placement technique. The first of these treatments was sandstone, medium to coarse grained and pebbly in some
performed in July 1999, and they are still ongoing. It has often layers, with high porosities (27-33%) and permeabilities in the
been stated that the most important part of coiled tubing is multi-Darcy range. The units range up to 80’ thick in parts,
“the hole down the middle” – this paper provides evidence to reflecting the stacked sandbodies present. The overlying 34
justify this statement. series sands are deltaic and more confined; the sands are finer
grained, but porosities and permeabilities remain high.
Background Sandbody thicknesses approach 60’ in some areas. The more
A survey of the literature surrounding coiled tubing treatments confined reservoir in the shallower 34 sand (34-1) has a weak
reveals that very little work has been published to compare the water drive, similar to the overlying isolated 33 series sands.
results of bullheaded and CT-based treatments. Indeed, a paper The 33 series sands at the top of the sequence reflect a low
search on the SPE website4 yields +/- 270 papers with “Coiled energy depositional setting, with fine-grained sands possessing
Tubing” in the title, most of which are concerned with similar porosities but lower permeabilities (in the 100s to few
fracturing through coiled tubing, drilling with coiled tubing, Darcies range). Sandbodies are usually not stacked, and are
metal fatigue, the effects of tubing geometry changes and normally thinner than 30’. In the Asri Basin this productive
stress analysis. In short, there is a considerable body of work interval is sealed by 50-100’ of shale, coal and limestone
concerned with the mechanical aspects of coiled tubing interbeds that marks the top of the Gita member.
operations. There are also a significant number of papers that
have been published to celebrate the successes achieved in Description of Treatments
specific situations, or to overcome specific challenges. Most formations in the NBU suffer from slight to acute forms
Most of these papers are, no doubt, valuable and have of fines migration damage. Scale and paraffin deposition
contributed to the sum of knowledge surrounding coiled usually represents only a minor damage factor; however, as
tubing and its operations. However, very little work has been water cuts have increased even farther, it does appear that the
published that compares the successes (or failures) of scaling tendency has also increased. Scale composition is
treatments performed with and without coiled tubing. typically CaCO3.
Taylor and Plummer5 discussed the advantages of using Because the damage mechanism is primarily due to fines
coiled tubing for gas well stimulation, for treatments migration, HF-based stimulation fluids have been incorporated
performed in several different Willcox fields in Texas. Of the and have proved very successful. Typical fluid sequences are
22 treatments presented, only 2 were bullheaded, and both of slightly larger HCl preflushes (as compared to HF acid
these treatments were performed on wells which were “Off volume), HF main acid treatment, HCl post flush, followed by
Production” prior to the treatments (making a quantitative ammonium chloride brine overflushes.
assessment of the treatment’s success very difficult). Whilst
the 20 coiled tubing treatments seem to have been very
SPE 81731 3

Diversion Techniques controlled rotating jetting nozzle, which has proven to inject
Regardless of whether the stimulation fluid is bullheaded or fluids deeper into the formation than regular jetting nozzles.
pumped through coiled tubing, fluid diversion options are very All coiled tubing stimulation treatments were done with this
limited. The main reason for this limitation with coiled tubing, jetting nozzle. Treatment design was such that all fluids were
are the small nozzles typical of coiled tubing BHA’s. Solid nitrified in order to produce back the spent acid as quickly as
particulates such as benzoic acid flakes are too coarse to pump possible. Foam was used in all treatments at 75% quality.
through the nozzles. One of the easiest and most convenient Coiled tubing was reciprocated along the entire wellbore
diversion fluids is foam (brine with a foaming agent plus during the stages while evenly squeezing the treatment fluids
nitrogen) or foamed gel (brine plus gelling agent, plus foaming into formation. Typical injection rates are lower than
agent, plus nitrogen). Typical foam qualities were usually kept bullheaded treatments at 1 to 1.5 bpm.
at 75%.
Cost Differential
Treatment Placement Techniques via Bullheading In general the difference in cost between bullheaded
The majority of wells in the NBU, are completed with high treatments and coiled tubing placed treatments is the cost of
rate ESP’s typically producing at 10,000 to 20,000 bfpd or the CTU itself. Treatment volumes were designed on a per
even higher. The completion string is usually IPC (internal foot basis and as such placement techniques did not factor into
plastic coated), typically requires a surface packer with total volumes pumped. It must be said that although all the
injection port, is in the range of 4.5” to 5.5” and typically does coiled tubing treatments were done only on wells where the
not incorporate an SSD. Bullhead treatments are thus pump had already failed, the cost of the pump and time to
necessarily forced through the pump vanes and become rate- replace it should not be taken into consideration here. The
limited treatments due to the pressure drop across these vanes. pump would have been replaced regardless of whether or not a
However, the pumps are typically quite large and the stimulation treatment was performed.
maximum rate acheivable by bullheading is still in excess of If one normalizes the costs involved in the 6 coiled tubing
that achieved through 1-1/2”coiled tubing. stimulations versus that in the 13 bullhead operations, by
Typical treatments begin with pumping nitrogen down the omitting pump replacement costs and the barge time required
annulus until stabilized injection rates are obtained. This helps to pull and rerun the pump, then the average cost of the coiled
to ensure treating fluids do not U-tube up the annulus. The tubing increased the overall average cost of the treatment by
treatments are then usually broken into stages as follows: USD 25,000.

1. Solvent Preflush Results

2. 7.5 to 10% HCl preflush (1.25 to 1.5 times volumes of
retarded HF acid treatment volume) As can be seen from figures 2 and 3, the longer term effects of
3. HF Main Acid (75 to 150 gpf on vertical wells and 10 to stimulation via coiled tubing are clear. The average 30 day
50 gpf on horizontal wells – depending on treatment aim
(to clean up screens only or for deeper penetration). 2400 2250
4. 7.5% to 10% HCl postflush (volumes typically same as
main acid volume). 2000
5. 3% NH4Cl overflush (volume dependent on depth of BWPD BOPD
penetration desired). 1600
6. Foam Diversion. 1365
BFPD

1200
The total number of stages is then determined by total 957
treatment interval and splitting the areas up into 15 to 30 foot 800
sections. The intent is to allow for a more uniform fluid
diversion over the entire interval. It is generally believed that
400
the diversion stages would block permeable sections, forcing 199
69
the acid to penetrate into new unstimulated areas, thereby 10
0
increasing production. It is also believed that more diversion All Bullhead CTU
stages would lead to improved acid penetration of
Treatment Method
unstimulated reservoir. Typical injection rates range from 2 to
3 bpm.
Figure 2 – Comparison of average production gains 30
Treatment Placement Techniques via Coiled Tubing days after treatment
Coiled tubing placement of stimulation fluids has always been post CTU placed treatment production, results in an average
considered more effective, but due to the added expense of the oil production increase of 199 bopd, whilst the bullhead
coiled tubing unit (CTU), not necessarily an economic choice treatments increase was only 9 bopd. This equates to a P.I.
in many instances. Due to the belief that coiled tubing increase in 14.9 bfpd/psi compared to 2.9 bfpd/psi for
placement was indeed justified, all workovers with stimulation bullhead treatments.
incorporated the use of coiled tubing. In general, stimulation
of the formations was undertaken using a proprietary speed
4 SPE 81731

that the fluid can mechanically disturb filter cake residues and
800
fines, as well as chemically.
729
700 Conclusions
BWPD BOPD 614 1. Coiled tubing placed stimulation, provides a greater P.I.
600 increase, for a longer period of time.
30 Day % Rate Increase

2. The added costs involved with coiled tubing do not

500
detract from the incremental benefit achieved.
400 3. Bullheading acid through an ESP is a relatively
inexpensive way to stimulate a well but does not appear to
300 264 provide long term benefits. However, it should be noted
that enough incremental production was obtained to make
200 these treatments economically justifiable.
100
4. Coiled tubing does enable stimulation fluids to be placed
47 31
16 where they are needed.
0 5. The rotary jetting tool allows the treatment fluids to be
All Bullhead CTU placed well behind the screens and into the gravel and
perforation tunnels, increasing the effectiveness of
Figure 3 – Comparison of average percentage production the treatment.
gains 30 days after treatment
Nomenclature
Observations BHA = Bottom hole assembly
As can be seen from the above data, coiled tubing placed CTU = Coiled tubing unit
stimulations produce much better results than treatments that ESP = Electrical submersible pump
are bullheaded down the existing completion’s string. A HCl = Hydrochloric acid
possible cause for this is pinpoint placement of the treating HF = Hydrofluoric acid, hydrogen fluoride
fluid across the entire interval, rather than having the fluid NBU = North business unit
flow in the most permeable and perhaps wettest part of the SSD = Sliding side door
reservoir. An important fact to note however, is that often
times the ESP will be producing at rates below its ROR References
1. Stanley, F.O., Troncoso, J.C., & Rae, P.: “Enzyme Treatments
(recommended operating range). In this case, the pump is
Greatly Enhance Production on Horizontal Completions in
running at sub optimal levels and often times this will lead to Indonesia”, paper IPA99-E-106, presented at the 27th Annaul
pump failure in short order. Thus, if one waits until the pump Convention and Exhibition of the Indonesian Petroleum
fails, it becomes necessary to perform a well intervention in Association, Jakarta, Indonesia, Oct 1999.
order to replace the pump. 2. Stanley, F.O., Rae, P., & Troncoso, J.C.: “Single Step Enzyme
Although the bullheaded treatments did not perform as Treatment Enhances Production Capacity on Horizontal Wells:,
well as the coiled tubing treatments, it should be noted that paper SPE 52818, presented at the SPE/IADC Drilling
these treatments – on average – produced more than enough Conference, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, March 1999.
incremental oil to justify the cost of the treatment. 3. Stanley, F.O., Troncoso, J.C., Martin, A.N., & Jamil, O.A.: “An
Economic, Field-Proven Method For Removing Fines Damage
Additionally, it should also be noted that these treatments had
From Gravel Packs”, paper SPE 58790, presented at the SPE
several disadvantages over “conventional” bullheaded International Symposium on Formation Damage, Lafayette, LA,
treatments, as the ESP significantly reduced the maximum Feb 2000.
pumping rate and prevented the use of particulate 4. Society of Petroleum Engineers internet website: www.spe.org
diverting agents. 5. Taylor, D.B., and Plummer, R.A.: “Gas Well Stimulation Using
Often, declining rates can be monitored real time and a Coiled Tubing with a Mutual Solvnet”, paper SPE 4115, prepared
preemptory intervention can be designed, whereby a small for the 47th Annual Fall Meeting of the SPE, San Antonio, TX,
acid stimulation is pumped through the existing ESP to bring Oct 1972.
production back up to within the ROR of the pump. There is 6. Thomas, R.L. and Milne, A.: “The Use of Coiled Tubing During
Matrix Acid Stimulation of Carbonate Reservoirs”, paper SPE
ample data to provide definitive conclusions that stimulations
29266, presented at the SPE Asia Pacific Oil and Gas Conference,
through the ESP can prolong ESP life in some cases thereby Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, March 1995.
increasing NPV through higher production and less well 7. van Everdingen, A.F. and Hurst, W.: “The Application of the
intervention costs. However, once a pump fails, it appears Laplace Transformation to Flow Problems in Reservoirs”, 1949,
conclusive that coil tubing placed stimulations are Trans., AIME, 186, 305-324.
significantly more effective.
Another significant factor affecting the quality of the Acknowledgements
coiled tubing treatments is the jetting tool used in the BHA. This paper is in many ways a summation of the work carried
The powerful jets produced by this tool allow the fluid to out by a number of different individuals, of which the authors
easily pass through the screens and into the gravel, as are merely the last three. During the three and a half years and
demonstrated by both laboratory and yard tests. This means 19 treatments, the following individuals have been heavily
SPE 81731 5

involved in these projects and share credit for the successes

achieved:- Juan Troncoso, Rick Stanley, Fausto Carretta,
Brent Sinanan, Chris Selle, Bambang Tjipto Sentosa, Nangkok
Lampitar, Jorge Burgos, John Chesson, Phil Rae, Atikah bte
Ahmad, Rini Heryani, Pravase Thayanukulvat, Lance Portman
and Antares Munir. In addition, the authors would also like to
acknowledge the vital contribution made to the success of
these treatments by the numerous operations personnel
involved – both offshore and onshore. A special thank you
goes to John Armon for his geological background
information.
Finally, the authors would also like to acknowledge the
support and assistance given by CNOOC SES and BJ Services
throughout these treatments and the preparation of this paper.

SI Metric Conversion Factors

bfpd/psi × 2.305 916 E-02 = m3/day/kPa
bopd × 1.589 873 E-01 = m3/day
bwpd × 1.589 873 E-01 = m3/day
bpm × 1.589 873 E-01 = m3/minute
inch × 2.54* E+01 = mm
*Conversion factor is exact.