Low-Temperature Filter Cake Breaking System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional filter cake removal methods are inefficient at low temperatures, which hampers the flow of fluids through injection and production wells, necessitating a composition and method for effective filter cake breaking across a broader temperature range.
Innovation Solution
A low-temperature filter cake breaking system (LT-BS) comprising an acid precursor and an accelerating agent, such as a reactive ester and a Lewis acid, which expands the effective temperature range for filter cake removal from 15°C to 120°C, utilizing hydrolysis to release acidic species and enhance the breakdown of filter cakes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If conventional ester-based products are used for filtercake removal, then they are activated at elevated temperatures to release acid by hydrolysis, but their performance at lower temperatures remains poor
Solution Approach 1:
A catalyst is introduced as an intermediary substance to accelerate the hydrolysis reaction of ester-based acid precursors. The catalyst enables the reaction to proceed effectively at lower temperatures by providing an alternative reaction pathway with lower activation energy, thus resolving the contradiction between temperature range and removal efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the reaction parameters by adding a catalyst that modifies the kinetic characteristics of the hydrolysis reaction. This allows the system to operate effectively across a broader temperature range by altering the reaction rate parameters without changing the fundamental chemistry of the ester hydrolysis
2Ease of operation
If pump fracturing pressures are increased to inject past the filter cake, then fluid can be injected, but the pressures are higher than desirable for achieving good sweep efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The filtercake is treated with a breaking composition before the main injection operation. This preliminary action degrades and removes the filtercake barrier, creating a more permeable pathway that allows subsequent fluid injection to occur at lower pressures while maintaining good sweep efficiency
3Reliability
If the presence of filter cake is left on the formation face, then drilling is successful and fluid loss is prevented, but flow through injection and production wells is adversely affected
Solution Approach 1:
The filtercake removal process is segmented into distinct stages: first, the filtercake is treated with a breaking composition that degrades it in situ; second, the degraded material is flushed from the formation. This segmentation allows the filtercake to serve its protective function during drilling, then be selectively removed when it becomes detrimental to production
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
The LT-BS effectively removes filter cakes at low temperatures, reducing pump fracturing pressures and improving sweep efficiency, allowing for efficient fluid flow and well servicing operations across a wider temperature range.
Implementation Method 1
utilizing hydrolysis to release acidic species and enhance the breakdown of filter cakes
Implementation Method 2
A low-temperature filter cake breaking system (LT-BS) comprising an acid precursor and an accelerating agent, such as a reactive ester and a Lewis acid
Data Source
AI summary
A breaker composition comprising (i) an acid precursor, (ii) an accelerating agent wherein the accelerating agent comprises a Lewis acid and (iii) an aqueous fluid wherein the effective operating temperature of the breaker composition ranges from about 15° C. to about 120° C. A wellbore servicing system comprising (a) an aqueous-based drilling fluid, wherein the aqueous-based drilling fluid forms water-wet solids in the wellbore; and (b) a breaker composition comprising (i) an acid, (ii) an accelerating agent and (iii) an aqueous fluid. A method of dissolving a filtercake comprising contacting the filtercake with a breaker solution comprising (i) an acid precursor, (ii) an accelerating agent and (iii) an aqueous fluid wherein the filtercake comprises calcium carbonate.