SPE-188834-MS

New Approach to Chemical Diversion Using Biodegradable Particulates and

Fibers in Matrix Acidizing: Kuwait Case Studies

Mohammed Al-Othman, Yousef A-Matrouk, Zamzam Ahmed, Meshari Ashkanani, Ali Buhamad,
Mohammad Al-Dousari, and Abdul-Samad Ahmed, Erkan Fidan, Kuwait Oil Company; Wael Mahmoud, Hai Liu,
Abrar Salem, and Max Nikolaev, Schlumberger

Copyright 2017, Society of Petroleum Engineers

This paper was prepared for presentation at the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition & Conference held in Abu Dhabi, UAE, 13-16 November 2017.

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
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Abstract
Heterogeneity across the producing interval is typical in oil and gas wells; it is rare to find uniform
production distribution or fluid injection across a substantially long interval. Hence, diversion during matrix
acidizing is critical, especially if the downhole pressure and/or temperature are high.
In two Kuwait Jurassic fields, two wells were completed in an over 100 ft producing interval across
a carbonate reservoir. Reservoir temperature is 280°F, and the estimated reservoir pressure is 11,000 psi.
Multiple matrix acidizing trials to enhance well productivity have been performed with conventional
diversion techniques and, as indicated by the surface pressure response, were not effective. This requires an
adequately engineered near wellbore diversion system that can overcome the challenge of these bottomhole
conditions and form a uniform production distribution across a substantially long heterogeneous interval.
A new methodology was applied in two Jurassic wells that combined a multimodal blend of biodegradable
particulates and fibers as a chemical diverter, and emulsified acids as main fluids for a matrix stimulation.
In each diversion stage, the change in surface pressure ranged from 800 to 1,000 psi after the diversion pill
hit the perforation tunnel. Moreover, a clear signature of diversion was demonstrated in the instantaneous
shutin pressures. In another Kuwait field, the diversion pill was tested by using injectivity logging tests
to monitor the changes in injectivity across the perforated interval during an acid fracturing treatment in
comparison to the earlier injection profile. A remarkable change in injection was observed and a total of
80% change in the injection profile was quantified from before and after the diversion.
The diversion pill is relatively small in volume and is easy and safe to handle. Fibers help to maintain
the carrying capacity and allow safe landing of the biodegradable material to the formation face. Only a
few barrels are required to plug the opened or stimulated interval, and the method allows the following
stimulation stage to treat the subsequent interval.
The first well revealed a 330% and 110% production increase in gas and oil rates, respectively. The
production was set as one of the highest producers in the field. The second well yielded a 320% increase in
total production, which set the highest record for the field. The new method is proved to be highly effective
in terms of wellbore coverage, and highest production records in the field after matrix acidizing treatments.
2 SPE-188834-MS

Introduction
Matrix stimulation is being used to maintain production from existing wells and reservoirs and maximize
production from new wells at an attractive cost per incremental barrel (Mary and Van, 2017).
When preparing for a matrix acidizing campaign, a main concern involving operations is how effectively
we will be able to isolate each zone at the near wellbore region, and in effect treat every intended zone
independently. Following the analysis and feasibility studies there are three primary factors that are to be
taken into consideration before proceeding; effectiveness of isolation's integrity, time and consumption cost,
and intervention risk involved.
To accomplish a complete coverage, a diversion technique may be used to divert the treating fluid from
one zone to another. There are two broad approaches to achieve diversions in stimulation treatments: 1)
mechanical method, and 2) chemical diversion (Lee, 2017).
Mechanical solutions offer a convenient option for zonal isolation. These options include opposed cup
packers, perforation wash tools, squeeze packers, retrievable bridge plugs, and sliding sleeves, which
permits a pin-point treatment for each of the target interval (Lee, 2017). However, the convenience also
comes with a number of drawbacks that could have a direct impact on operations. Mechanical isolation
techniques often involve an installation of permanent or temporary downhole tools for the treatment which
would normally require a very precise deployment into the wellbore and in most cases this needs to be
deployed through well interventions. This is needed to treat each zone or interval separately to ensure a
good coverage of a stimulation treatment but at a very high financial cost of operations and also with the
additional risk of having to intervene the well. Furthermore, the additional time consumed throughout the
process and specific well conditions to be met would all highlight the rigidness of the process. On the
other hand, mechanical methods only provide an isolation barrier within the wellbore for each treatment
interval and the possibility of fluid crossflow through channels behind the casing due to poor cement quality,
high permeability treaks or natural fractures that connecting adjacent intervals always remains as a risk or
uncertainty.
Health, safety, and environmental (HSE) impacts of chemicals used in drilling, completion, and
production operations are under increased scrutiny from regulatory and community stakeholders. At the
same time, more complex and technically challenging reservoirs must be developed to replace reserves. In an
effort to avoid these pitfalls, chemical diverting techniques have been introduced but have also fallen short
of expectations due to the effectiveness of the actual diversion when exposed to challenging bottomhole
conditions such as extreme permeability contrast over treatment intervals or naturally fractured reservoirs,
and their compatibility with formation fluids (Dashti and Liu, 2009).
The introduction of new chemical diverting technqiue using biodegradable particulates and fibers has
allowed for full zonal isolation by creating a mechanical barrier at the near wellbore upon plugging or
deposition of these degradable particulate materials. Once the diverter pill is deployed in the wellbore, it
will follow the path of least resistance and effectively isolate the zone with the highest permeability, which
diverts the rest of the treatment to other zones. It alleviates the need to worry about the remnants of plugging
as the pill will gradually decompose 100% after the treatment with time, depending on the bottomhole
temperature.

New Approach Overview

First documented stimulation job has happened back in 1947 (Economides and Notle, 2000) and industry
celebrates 70 years’anniversary since the first treatment this year. Diversion isn't a new topic in the industry,
diversion efficiency however being watched very closely by stimulation experts. Market still offers two
main concepts for diversion – mechanical and chemical. Mechanical method usually will have much better
reliability than chemical one but will be coming at much higher cost. There are few hundred patents created
SPE-188834-MS 3

in the last 70 years related to different chemical diversion techniques and solutions such as use of flakes,
salts, balls, particles, energized and viscous, fiber laden fluids and composite pills.
In the last few years, cost effectiveness of the operation became a key in a decision making for operators
making a pure mechanical diversion solution cost-prohibitive. New approach is by using chemicals to
establish a good pressure barrier as high as it would be in case of mechanical diversion and guarantee the
temporality of such a barrier, and biodegradable materials of certain shapes and particle distribution can
support this aim. Internal studies have shown that a blend of biodegradable materials is twice less resistant
to a pressure than a blend of biodegradable particles and fibers. Biodegradable fibers are superior in terms of
keeping diversion pill integrity and enabling the barrier creation that can withheld a pressure up to 4,500 psi.
As such a composite pill that exclusively engineered for a customer purpose can bring the benefit of
operational easiness, relatively small size, ability to withstand significant differential pressure and fully
degrade without damaging the rock or any surface equipment during the flowback.

Application – Case studies

Introduction
The three wells treated with new particulate diversion system had similar reservoir conditions, i.e. 280°F
bottomhole static temperature (BHST) and 8,000 – 11,000 psi bottomhole pressure (BHP) across the
Middle Marrat formation with layers of limestone, dolomite and anhydrites. Table 1 summarizes the wells
completion data related to the diversion design.

Table 1—Wells Completion Data

Items Well-A Well-B Well-C

Sets of perforations 3 2 2

Total perforations length 268 ft 126 ft 115 ft

Well profile Vertical Deviated Deviated

(38 degrees) (28 degrees)

Perforation Shot per Foot 5 6 6

Well-A
The challenge for well-A was to stimulate the long-perforated interval and divert the treatment fluids into
the middle perforation interval #2b which has the lowest matrix permeability yet the most natural fractures
among all three intervals, as shown in Figure 1. It is believed that the incremental production gain can be
claimed to be triple once both good matrix and natural fractures are cleaned up by an effective stimulation
treatment. The complexity of this treatment to be carried out rigless required an superior diverting technique
which could temporarily block the higher permeable intervals after the first a few acid stages and divert the
remaining acid stages into the fracture-dominated intervals (#2b) where very little or no fluid was expected
to go to when they were exposed together with other intervals. The permeability contrast of the two matrix-
dominated intervals is also quite significant, and therefore additional diversion stages were also required to
make sure the tigher interval (#2c) can receive a good stimulation.
4 SPE-188834-MS

Figure 1—Well-A openhole logs

Further evaluation was carried out on the production logging test (PLT) results as shown in Figure 2,
which was obtained prior to the treatment. The PLT results further confirmed poor production contribution
from the middle interval. The amount of diversions was then determined after assessing the porosity and
permeability profiles.

Figure 2—Well-A production logging profile prior to the acid treatment

One of the most critical success criteria for this new particulate diversion system is to pump the pill at
6 bpm at the surface but to increase the rate to above 9 bpm before the pill reaches the perforations based
SPE-188834-MS 5

on the bridging tests in the laboratory (Diversion Engineering Guidline 2016). The matrix treatment was
conducted at 9 bpm that was suggested by pretreatment injection test based on the estimated fracturing
pressure. The treatment was pumped by bullheading through the tubing and lasted five continuous hours
without having to shut down for any intervention between treatment stages.
Onsite evaluation during pumping showed major changes in the wellhead pressure (WHP)
acknowledging a good near wellbore (NWB) diversion by this new particulate diverting pill, as shown in
Figure 3, Figure 4 and Figure 5. A pressure increase of 958 psi to 1,175 psi was observed when the pill hit
the perforations. Moreover, the pressure trends significantly changed between the stages, where the final acd
stage is believed to have treated the naturally fractured interval with least resistance and hence lowest WHP.

Figure 3—Well-A WHP Comparison (WHP 1 and Rate 1 for Stage 1; WHP 2 and Rate 2 for Stage 2)

Figure 4—Well-A WHP Comparison (WHP 2 and Rate 2 for Stage 2; WHP 3 and Rate 3 for Stage 3)
6 SPE-188834-MS

Figure 5—Well-A WHP Comparison (WHP 3 and Rate 3 for Stage 3; WHP 4 and Rate 4 for Stage 4)

Well-B
The two sets of perforations in well-B consists of different lithologies that would translate into different
reservoir properties, as shown in Figure 6. The perforation set #2a is relatively clean limestone interbedded
with a few streaks of dolomite and with rich natural fractures, whereas #2b is mostly laminated dolomite
and impermeable anhydrite and with less natural fractures. Given such a heterogenuous lithology and
permeability profile, it is no doubt that the easy fluid flow path would be the highly permeable section of
both perforations sets, whereas total net pay covers low permeable intervals as well.

Figure 6—Well-B openhole logs

SPE-188834-MS 7

After the successful diversion observed in well-A treatment, The pumping schedule for well-B was
planned similarly as well-A but with less treatment fluid volumes due to shorter net pay. 540 bbl of
hydrochloric acids and 225 bbl of diverting acids were designed to be pumped in three stages with two
diverter pills in between.
The surface pressure was adjusted based on the pretreatment injection test analysis to be kept just below
the fracturing pressure. The treatment was pumped at an average rate of 8 bpm, except for during the pill
deployment in which the rate was dropped to 6 bpm. The treatment was pumped successfully as per design
and lasted three hours. A WHP pressure increase of 2,400 to 4,000 psi was observed when the pills reached
perforations, as shown in the comparison plots Figure 7 and Figure 8. A noticeable change in the pressure
trend at different rates between stages was detected, indicating treating intervals of different properties.

Figure 7—Well-B WHP Comparison (WHP 1 and Rate 1 for Stage 1; WHP 2 and Rate 2 for Stage 2)

Figure 8—Well-B WHP Comparison (WHP 2 and Rate 2 for Stage 2; WHP 3 and Rate 3 for Stage 3)

Well-C
Well activation and wellbore fill cleanup were carried out after perforating a 115 ft section. However, the
expected production rate was not achieved, and the well only produced 1,907 bopd and 5.1 MMscf/d of oil
8 SPE-188834-MS

and gas, respectively. With a mobility of 93.37 md-ft and 33.73 md-ft for the two perforated intervals, as
well as presence of rich natural fractures as shown in Figure 9, it is believed that the well potential should
have been much higher and therefore it was decided to pursue an effective matrix stimulation to enhance
the well productivity.

Figure 9—Well-C Openhole logs

A stimulation treatment that consists of 275 bbl of hydrochloric acids and a single particulate diversion
stage was designed for well-C due to less permeability contrast between the two zones and similar natural
fracture densities. The second acid stage is relatively larger than the first stage, i.e. 165 bbl versus 110 bbl,
to target the natural fractures. A total of 180 lb of diverting agents were used for the diversion pill.
Based on previous injection tests, the matrix treatment was carried out with a WHP below 9,000 psi to
stay below the fracturing pressure. The two stages showed different pressure trends and instantaneous shutin
pressures: WHP was dropped to 6,000-7,000 psi at 8 bpm in Stage 2 after the pill entered the formation in
comparison to about 9,000 psi WHP at 6 bpm observed in Stage 1; quite different in ISIP, i.e. 7,000 psi vs.
5,559 psi, as shown in Figure 10 and Figure 11. A total of 4,500 psi WHP increase was observed once the
pill reached perforations (see Figure 11). The pump rate was increased from 6 bpm to 8 bpm as the WHP
decreased in second stage (see Figure 11).

Figure 10—Well-C Stage 1 WHP Response

SPE-188834-MS 9

Figure 11—Well-C Stage 2 WHP Response

Performance Evaluation
The wells were shut in for 12 hours to allow the diverting agent to dissolve completley, as per the laboratory
tests conducted at the well BHST. Post-treatment production test was conducted through several choke sizes
to compare the productivity before and after the treatment. The results indicate that the well performance
has tripled after matrix acidizing treatment using the new particulate diverting technique which set a new
production record in these fields. Table 2 summarizes the pre- and post-treatment production results.

Table 2—Pre- and post-treatment production test results

Well Pretreatment Post-treatment

WHP (psi) Qo (bopd) Qg WHP (psi) Qo (bopd) Qg

(MMscfd) (MMscfd)

Well-A 939 706 3.5 2,500 2,380 7.6

Well-B 3,580 2,600 9.8

Well-C 5,480 6,450 16.1

Nodal analysis was performed to evaluate the success of each treatment and further analyze the
performance of the NWB diversion system, as shown in Figure 12, Figure 13 and Figure 14 respectively.
A significant skin reduction was seen in all three wells, i.e. from 20 to −2 for well-A; from 59 to −6.2 for
well-B, and from 23 to 0 for well-C.
10 SPE-188834-MS

Figure 12—Well-A Nodal analysis result

Figure 13—Well-B Nodal Analysis

Figure 14—Well-C Nodal Analysis

Conclusions
Effective acid coverage for carbonate reservoir stimulations remains a challenge as targe reservoirs
become more and more challenging in terms of permeability heterogeneity especially in naturally fractured
SPE-188834-MS 11

carbonates, length of treatment intervals and formation temperatures (Dashti and Liu, 2009). This requires
a continuous effort to develop advanced diverting techniques to overcome such challenges. The new
biodegradable particulate-based diverting technique expanded the application envelope of existing chemical
diversion systems in terms of permeability contrast for naturally fracture carbonate formations (Uddin and
Liu, 2007), by combining the benefit of mechanical plugging into the formulation of chemical diversion
systems.
All the diversion pills used in the treatments of these three wells showed a significant increase in treating
pressures (i.e. in the range of 1,000 psi to 4,500 psi) when they hit the perforations, which was not usually
seen in the past treatments of these fields in which other diversion techniques were used. The volume of
diversion pills is significantly less than that of other chemical diversion systems, i.e. several barrels, which
also brings many operational advantages in terms of simplicity of the mixing and delivery. Most importantly
all the particluates and fibers used in the pill are 100% degradable after the treatment, which leaves no
damage to the formation. All these benefits have translated to a much better production performance in
these three wells, that are the highest ever in these fields.
The success of this pilot has set a new engineering practice for future stimulation treatments in these
fields, and many candidate wells including existing ones that were stimulated before but underperforming
have been selected for evaluating this new diverting technique to maximize the field production potentials.

Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank Kuwait Oil Company and Schlumberger for granting the permission to
present and publish this paper. We would also thank all those involved in the execution of this project for
their contribution to this success. We would also thank all those involved in this study and the execution
of treatments for their contribution to this success.

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