Acidic Fluid and Consolidating Agent for Subterranean Particulate Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Unconsolidated particulates in subterranean formations cause equipment abrasion, reduce fluid production, and require frequent remedial treatments, which are costly and time-consuming, due to issues like screen erosion, plugging, and debris accumulation in well bore perforations.
Innovation Solution
An acidic treatment fluid is used to clear debris from perforations, followed by a consolidating agent to stabilize the formation, and resin-coated proppant particulates are packed to prevent particulate migration, enhancing permeability and reducing the need for frequent treatments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If gravel packing is used to control particulate migration, then sand control effectiveness is improved, but installation time and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the gravel packing step from the traditional completion process, replacing it with a screen-only system. This removes the time-consuming and costly gravel placement operation while maintaining sand control functionality through the screen's physical barrier approach.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a disposable screen system that can be installed quickly and provides adequate sand control for the production lifecycle. Rather than investing in permanent, complex gravel packs, the screen serves as a cost-effective, temporary barrier that fulfills the sand control requirement without long-term maintenance needs.
2Ease of manufacture
If screen only is used without gravel, then installation cost and time are reduced, but screen erosion and plugging problems occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies consolidating agents to the formation prior to screen installation. This preliminary consolidation strengthens the formation matrix and stabilizes loose particulates, reducing the likelihood of screen plugging and erosion by preventing fine particles from migrating to the screen surface in the first place.
Solution Approach 2:
The consolidating agent acts as an intermediary between the loose formation particulates and the screen. It modifies the formation properties to create a more stable interface, preventing direct harmful interactions between migrating sands and the screen that would cause erosion and plugging.
3Reliability
If resin consolidation is applied to long intervals, then treatment effectiveness is improved, but resin cost increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies consolidating agents locally at specific zones within the formation rather than treating entire long intervals uniformly. This targeted approach concentrates resin application where particulate migration problems are most severe, achieving effective consolidation while minimizing overall resin consumption and cost.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of applying sufficient resin to treat entire long intervals (excessive action), the patent uses partial action by treating only the critical zones where sand control is most needed. This reduces resin quantity while maintaining adequate consolidation effectiveness in the problem areas.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method increases permeability, reduces particulate migration, and minimizes the frequency of remedial treatments by stabilizing the formation and preventing debris accumulation, thus improving hydrocarbon production efficiency and reducing operational costs.
Implementation Method 1
an acidic treatment fluid is placed in the well bore in a manner that allows the acidic treatment fluid to reduce debris present in the perforations
Implementation Method 2
a consolidating agent is placed in a near well bore region
Implementation Method 3
resin-coated proppant particulates are packed to prevent particulate migration
Data Source
AI summary
Methods comprising: providing a subterranean formation penetrated by a well bore wherein the well bore comprises perforated casing that comprises a plurality of perforations, providing an acidic treatment fluid comprising an aqueous base fluid and an acid composition, placing the acidic treatment fluid in the well bore in a manner that allows the acidic treatment fluid to reduce debris present in the perforations, providing a consolidating agent, and placing the consolidating agent in a near well bore region.