Apparatus and method for reducing water production from a hydrocarbon producing well

Abstract

A filtering apparatus for use in a hydrocarbon producing well for reducing water production therein includes a filtering medium treated with a relative permeability modifier such that the relative permeability modifier reduces the permeability of the filtering medium if the relative permeability modifier contacts water production. The relative permeability modifier may be used to treat a metal portion of the filtering medium in the case of a wire wrap screen or a wire mesh screen or may be use treat a metal portion or the prepacked component of a prepacked screen. The relative permeability modifier may be a polymer of at least one hydrophilic monomer and at least one hydrophobically modified hydrophilic monomer, a hydrophobically modified polymer, a hydrophobically modified water-soluble polymer, hydrophobically modified copolymers thereof or the like.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] This invention relates, in general, to reducing water production from a hydrocarbon producing well and, in particular, to treating a filtering medium with a relative permeability modifier to reduce the permeability of the filtering medium upon contact with water production. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] Without limiting the scope of the present invention, its background will be described with reference to a subterranean hydrocarbon bearing formation that produces water, as an example. [0003] The production of water from subterranean hydrocarbon bearing formations constitutes a major problem and expense in the production of the hydrocarbons. While hydrocarbon producing wells are usually completed in hydrocarbon producing formations, when the formations contain layers of water and hydrocarbons or when there are water producing zones near the hydrocarbon producing formations, the higher mobility of the water often allows the water to flow in...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0007] The present invention disclosed herein comprises an apparatus and method for reducing water production from a hydrocarbon producing well. The apparatus and method of the present invention are capable of achieving this reduction in water production without unacceptably reducing the production of hydrocarbons and without the need for intervention.

[0010] In another aspect, the present invention is directed to a method for reducing water production in a hydrocarbon producing well. The method includes treating a filtering medium with a relative permeability modifier, disposing the filtering medium proximate a production zone of the well, producing fluids from the production zone and reducing the permeability of the filtering medium if the relative permeability modifier contacts water production.

[0011] In a further aspect, the present invention is directed to a completion system for use in a hydrocarbon producing well having multiple production zones. The completion system comprises a production tubing string extending along a substantial length of the well and an isolation and filtration subassembly disposed proximate each of the production zones. Each isolation and filtration subassembly is operably associated with the production tubing string such that fluid from the respective production zones is produced through one of the isolation and filtration subassemblies into the production tubing string. In addition, each isolation and filtration subassembly provides substantial zonal isolation of the respective production zones. The isolation and filtration subassemblies include at least one filtering medium treated with a relative permeability modifier such that the relative permeability modifier reduces the permeability of the associated filtering medium if the associated filtering medium contacts water production, thereby reducing the production of water from the associated production zone.

Problems solved by technology

The production of water from subterranean hydrocarbon bearing formations constitutes a major problem and expense in the production of the hydrocarbons.

In the production of such wells, the ratio of water to hydrocarbons recovered often becomes so high that the cost of producing the water, separating it from the hydrocarbons and disposing of it represents a significant economic loss.

While such aqueous polymer solutions have achieved some degree of success, it has been found that they are not suitable for formation treatments unless the polymer solution can be placed solely in the offending water producing zone or zones.

The selected placement of a polymer solution in a producing formation requires expensive, time-consuming zonal isolation placement technology.

In addition, even when a polymer solution is properly placed in a water producing zone, the cross-linked gels often do not remain stable in the zone due to thermal degradation or differences in the adsorption characteristics of the polymer and associated cross-linker.

It has been found, however, that the use of such hydrophilic water permeability modifying chemicals has resulted in only small reductions in water production and in some cases an unacceptable level of reduction in hydrocarbon production.

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