Acidizing Flowback Optimization For Tight Sandstone Gas Reservoirs
Acidizing Flowback Optimization For Tight Sandstone Gas Reservoirs
Acidizing Flowback Optimization For Tight Sandstone Gas Reservoirs
a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t
Article history: The physical properties of Sichuan tight sandstone formations include low porosity and low permeability.
Received 9 September 2014 Fortunately, micro-fractures are well developed in this area, and the development of a reservoir is thus
Received in revised form possible. Acidification can repair reservoir damage and improve single-well production; however, gas
21 March 2015
well production can change after acidizing: some wells improve, while others decline. After many
Accepted 23 March 2015
Available online
studies, the flowback system after acidification has been shown to play an important role in determining
the acidizing effect. Therefore, optimizing the flowback system after acidification can significantly in-
fluence the results of acidizing. A series of velocity sensitivity experiments have been performed, and
Keywords:
Experiment
their results show that the velocity sensitivity is high. Based on fluid mechanics principles, an optimi-
Critical velocity zation model of the acid flowback is constructed using experimental results; as a result, the relationship
Acidizing between the pressure drop in the wellhead and the choke size can be calculated, and a reasonable choke
Flowback during the process of acid flowback can be determined using the methods described in this paper. The
Mathematical model results are of great significance in optimizing the flowback system after acidification and also in
enhancing the gas production of single wells.
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312 J. Hu et al. / Journal of Natural Gas Science and Engineering 24 (2015) 311e316
Table 1
Evaluation standard of the velocity sensitivity.
Table 2
Velocity sensitivity evaluation results of the formation water.
Core NO Depth (m) Kmax (103mm2) Kmin (103mm2) DK Sensitivity degree Remark
wells after acidizing has been known to change; the effect of the 3) Slowly adjust the confining pressure to 2 MPa while maintaining
acidizing flowback is the key factor to determine the final quality of the confining pressure above the core upstream pressure; the
the acidizing process. To optimize the acidizing flowback in this value must be controlled to 1.5e2 MPa. Then, open the valve on
area, experiments and theories are both considered in this paper. the import side and in the displacement pump; the pump speed
First, the range of the critical velocity is obtained by velocity should not exceed 1 mL/min. At this time, gas will be displaced
sensitivity experiments under experimental conditions. Second, to the upstream pipeline of the core and is then discharged from
based on the theory of the similarity principle, a critical velocity the exhaust valve. When the gas is removed upwards, the
model of the acidizing flowback is built, and the critical velocity is pipeline is full of fluids, and the fluids begin to flow from the
calculated. Lastly, a model of the relationship between the pressure exhaust valve. The displacement pump or gas source should
drop in the wellhead and the choke size is built based on the then be closed.
principles of fluid mechanics. Considering the effect of the invasion 4) Open the outlet valve of the gripper, and then close the exhaust
radius of the acidizing construction, a reasonable choke during the vent;
process of the acid flowback can be calculated. 5) Measure the permeability of the formation water (KW);
6) During the experiments, set different flow rates (e.g., 0.50, 0.75,
1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0, 6.0 mL/min), and measure the formation
2. Velocity sensitivity experiments with formation water
permeability (Kf) under different flow rates;
7) (Ki1Ki) 100%/Ki1 is used to determine whether the damage
2.1. Evaluation program with formation water
to the reservoir due to the velocity sensitivity would occur.
When this value is more than 5%, damage will likely occur; this
1) Select the cores to use for testing, and then test the cores
flow velocity can thus be defined as the critical velocity:
permeability in air;
2) Each core was saturated with formation water for 48 h in a
vacuum;
Fig. 1. Curves of the velocity sensitivity experiments 1e5. Fig. 2. Curves of the velocity sensitivity experiments 6e10.
J. Hu et al. / Journal of Natural Gas Science and Engineering 24 (2015) 311e316 313
Table 3
Calculation of the invasion radius.
Fig. 3. Relationship between the wellhead pressure and the critical choke size of the
flowback.
Fig. 5. Relationship between the reservoir porosity and the invasion radius.
C ¼ kk=ðryd=mÞt (3)
FE ¼ FA (5)
where kk and t are constant coefficients, d is the particle diameter
in m2, and m is the fluid viscosity in Pa.s. kk=ðrE yE d=mE Þt A1 rE y2E
The Reynolds number (NRe) can be calculated as: FE ¼ (6)
2
yA ¼ (9)
(3), a mechanical balance formula is built as follows: m0:6
A
r0:4
A
Fig. 4. Relationship between the acid viscosity and the critical choke size of the
flowback. Fig. 6. Relationship between the reservoir effective thickness and the invasion radius.
J. Hu et al. / Journal of Natural Gas Science and Engineering 24 (2015) 311e316 315
qmax 6. Conclusions
y1 ¼
pR2
The continuity equation is: (1) Through experimental studies of the velocity sensitivity and
similarity principles, it is shown that if the diameter of the
choke cannot be suitably chosen, the flowback velocity of the
y1 pR2 ¼ y2 prz2 (12)
acid fluid may increase, and the velocity sensitivity phe-
In a simple operation, the following formula applies: nomenon may occur in this gas field. Thus, a reasonable
velocity and choke size should be studied during the process
y1 r2 of acidizing flowback.
¼ z (13) (2) A critical choke model of the flowback process is constructed
y2 R 2
using the material balance and fluid mechanics principles.
Combining formulae (11) and (13), the critical choke size is The critical choke sizes that correspond to different wellhead
obtained: pressures can be calculated by combining the critical
316 J. Hu et al. / Journal of Natural Gas Science and Engineering 24 (2015) 311e316