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Introduction

Excessive water production is an old common oil field problem. It’s normally caused by reservoir’s heterogeneity
and/or a poor perforation pattern that drives the water either from a natural water drive, an underlying aquifer or
an artificial injector.

Water production, as well, increases when wells undergo high draw down pressure to lift the oil in place. Injector
wells, likewise oil producers, have their flow pattern affected by reservoir’s heterogeneity, which reduces
sweeping efficiency of water causing ineffective flooding.

High water-oil ratios on a well represent energy losses increasing oil’s production cost due to less oil and the
disposal cost of water.

Enhanced oil recovery processes, such as polymer and or surfactant flooding, alkaline flooding, CO2, etc., are
used worldwide to improve and increase oil recovery.

These flooding treatments affect the entire reservoir. They normally become effective to a specific area of the
reservoir as they move along and generally their duration is very long, from several months to even years.

The mixed success ratios of these treatments are partially caused by poor design and or identification of the
water source. Moreover, the effectiveness of these treatments is directly related to polymers or surfactant
durability under hostile environments, such as, those encountered in high salinity and high temperature wells.

Chemical treatments, such as Medialan-Aquatrol System System, intend to shut off the produced water in the near well
bore area (less than 50 ft radius). This is accomplished by selectively placing polymers and/or viscoelastic
surfactants combinations that either alter the relative permeability to water or plug the high permeability streaks or
natural fractures.

Pumping time for these treatments is normally short, from a couple of hours to a day and their effectiveness is
available contiguously.

Reservoir Heterogeneity

In a homogeneous water drive reservoir, produced under controlled draw down pressure, water production occurs
only after long elapsed time, when the water level moves upward to replace produced oil.

In a heterogeneous reservoir, most likely to some degree, the following properties may coexist: various tectonics
stresses, faults, natural fractures (double porosity), vertical and horizontal permeability contrast, wettability and
capillary forces, that, commingled with pressures and fluid properties such as in-situ viscosity and capillary effects
dictate the fluid’s flow patterns in the reservoir.

A reservoir may be non-uniform in all above properties; however, it’s the permeability and fluids viscosity within a
reservoir that contributes mainly to un-desire and detrimental water production. Three different and distinct flow
patterns are easily recognized, they are:

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WATER CONING
Is a near well bore phenomenon caused when pressure gradients Shale
overcome the differential gravity/viscosity ratios existing between
oil and water. Higher ratios of vertical to horizontal permeability
Sandstone
increase coning effect.

In simple words, water coning is primarily the result of fluid

oil zone
movements in the flow path of less resistance, balanced by a
tendency of non-miscible fluids to maintain gravity equilibrium,
keeping the water zone always under the oil zone.
Sandstone
Under reservoir draw down conditions, the pressure gradient
differential tends to produce both oil and water. The ratio in which
they are produced depends mainly on how easily they flow through water zone
the porous media (permeability) and the distances each fluid need
to travel up to the perforation tunnels.

WATER FINGERING
It occurs normally in stratified reservoirs under certain draw down Shale
conditions that cause water to flow through natural fractures or
high permeability streaks.

When a finger or cones of water reach the perforation tunnel and

or the well bore, they will stabilize and become permanent.

Under similar dynamic conditions they will persist or even increase

in volume with time, due to the reduced relative permeability to oil
caused by the higher water saturation. Oil zone

If a well production is arrested for long enough time to allow the Sandstone
gravitational forces to balance the fluid level until equilibrium is
Water finger
reached, water-cut will be reduced when production is re-initiated.

However, if the well is lifted under similar draw down conditions, water will return to its original production levels.

Controlling the draw down pressures may be an easy way to control production of encroached water, however,
with a corresponding decrease in oil production.

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WATER CHANNELING
During a water flooding process, Sandstone
an even injection profile is Water front
required; the waterfront must
displace the oil in place in a
piston like manner.
Water channel Residual oil
Heterogeneities in the reservoir, Water
such as area variations, may Injection
cause the injected water to by
pass significant amount of oil that Limestone
most likely be lost. water channel

Recovery will be poor, and offset Casing

producers may produce with
higher water-cut Water oil zone
contributes to this inefficient
sweeping effect due to its superior mobility compared to oil, that enhances water saturation and therefore the
relative permeability to water. Consequently, the final oil recovery is poor and offsets what producers may
produce with higher water-cuts.

Chemical Treatments
Treatments

To help isolate wanted production from unwanted production it is beneficial to determine where the water source
is situated. Porosity profiles, water saturation profiles and temperature profiles (evaluation of RST and Lithology
Logs) are essential tools in any water control scenario.

For treating water coning, fingering, channeling problems or shutting undesired water production, most
companies, that are involved with enhance oil recovery processes use water-soluble polymers.

Water-soluble polymers are polar, whether linear or branched, natural or synthetic. In the presence of water, all
available sites will bond to hydrogen and initiate hydration of the polymer, when water molecules are absorbed to
all sites a linear gel is form. In the presence of a water-soluble compound or a covalent metal ion, these gels are
capable of undergoing inter and intra molecular hydrogen bonding. This process, frequently referred as cross-
linking, transforms linear gels into viscous three-dimensional gels. Normally both types of polymers, either linear
or delayed cross-link, are used for water control purposes.

Other methods to control water production in oil wells include the use of some grout materials such as sodium
BJ Silgel system), plastics, oil soluble resins and cement or ultra fine cement-hydrocarbon mixtures.
silicates (BJ
However, their penetration is limited (around 15 feet from the well bore) and their use is only recommended for
water shut-off treatments, also invasion of the grout into the oil zone is possible with detrimental effects on oil
production.

One way of preventing this problem is using three-dimensional gels made with viscoelastic surfactants that break
in the presence of hydrocarbons. These systems are shear thinning and have poor to none fluid loss control
properties, therefore are easily injected into the formation. However under low shear rates (radial flow pattern)
they have incredible viscosities in the absence of hydrocarbons, thus reducing water mobility.

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Linear Polymer Systems - Aquatrol

Aquatrol Concentrate is a water-soluble amphoteric terpolymer; it is based on polyacrylamide chemistry with both
anionic and cationic sites on the polymer. It was developed for treating undesired water production in producing
wells. The mechanism by which the Aquatrol I treatments control water production is by effectively reducing the
water’s relative permeability to the formation. The polymer is absorbed to the formation by it charged sites and
the polyacrylamide tail hangs free on the pore space.

Polyacrylamide is hydrophilic by nature, attracting water and repulsing hydrocarbons. In a sense, the ‘polymer tail’
creates additional frictional forces for the water to overcome, but lubricate the flow of hydrocarbons through the
pores. The end effect is a 2 to 5 fold reduction on the formation relative permeability to water. The permeability of
a rock is proportionally dependent to the size and number of interconnected pores; therefore higher
concentrations of Aquatrol Concentrate are required as the rock permeability increases. Moreover, on a water
shut-off application the effectiveness and duration of the treatment depends as well on correct placement and
radial penetration, therefore it is recommended to use a minimum volume equivalent to 5 to 10 feet radial
penetration over the entire perforated interval. Shear rate or temperature as high as 240°F (115°C) does not
adversely affect Aquatrol II, however acidic environments such as those encountered in wells producing CO2 or
sour gas will affect and reduce polymer efficiency.

Aquatrol I treatments are recommended in wells experiencing either water coning or water channeling and for
injection-profile modification in enhance oil recovery treatments.

Viscoelastic Systems - M-Aquablock

Viscoelastic

Three-dimensional gels, based on viscoelastic surfactants, rely on selective placement and physical plugging of
the pores’ throats that are highly water saturated. However, the three dimensional structure will break in the
presence of hydrocarbons leaving these formation pores strongly water wet and favoring oil production.

The physical plugging is normally obtained by the formation of anisometric aggregates created by micellization of
a surfactant by a counter ion (usually a salt) at the formation pH. The viscosity development can be controlled to
some extent with the addition of buffers to facilitate injection and final apparent viscosity (measured at a shear
rate of 1 sec-1) must be at least 50 times higher than the oil viscosity at down-hole production conditions.
Temperature could be a limiting factor when selecting these systems for water shut-off and they need to be tested
and designed for actual down-hole producing temperature.

For water shut-off treatments, the application of the M-Aquablock systems is straightforward and the durability of
the treatments depends mainly on reservoir depletion and draw down pressures. Moreover, on a water shut-off
application the effectiveness and duration of the treatment depends as well on correct placement and radial
penetration, therefore it is recommended to use a minimum volume equivalent to 5 to 10 feet radial penetration
over the entire perforated interval. The treatment though, should be injected at the bottom of the perforated
interval or just above the water level by means of mechanical isolation such as packers, retainers or similar
devices. If the water source has been identified at the top of the interval, the treatment should be spotted through
tubing or coil tubing just above the perforated interval and then a packer set 3 to 5 feet below the top perforation
and the treatment injected by annular pressure. In either scenario diesel, kerosene or a light crude could be
injected simultaneously through the alternate string (tubing or annulus) to improve placement of the water shut off
treatment.

A linear polymer/surfactant solution is considered suitable for water control when it has low sustained viscosity at
injection rates, is free of lumps, fish eyes and particles to allow proper placement. An ideal situation will be to
filter the gel to 10 m.
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During placement or in the formation, the gel must maintain its integrity, though it must be resistant to ion
exchange, especially with Ca++, Mg++, Fe+++ and Br that are always present in formation’s water, which will
degrade the gel’s final viscosity and/or increase its shear sensitivity.

M-Aquablock systems are formulated with an anionic surfactant and either potassium and or sodium salts, which
prevent clay swelling or dispersion in the producing zones. Being a surfactant base system they are not affected
by bio-degradation and can effectively withstand temperatures as high as 250°F (121°C).

Also as these systems are based on surfactant chemistry, thus are not affected by oxidation in the reservoir or
synerisis.

A pre-flush with a KCL, NH4Cl or an oil field brine with 2 to 5 GPT of MA-1 and US-40 is recommended to
cleanse the formation.

M-Aquablock treatments are recommended in wells experiencing either water encroaching, coning and
channeling.

Hybrid Systems - M-Aquatrol

Depending on downhole conditions it may be impossible to obtain enough viscosity with M-Aquablock due to
thermal thinning. Thus to reduce water mobility, under this scenario it is required to reduce M-Aquablock mobility
in the water saturated pores by other means. This can be accomplished with the addition of Aquatrol concentrate
to the M-Aquablock solution. When combined together several synergistic effects are observed; the Aquatrol
Concentrate partially replace the counter ion required by the surfactant to form anisometric micelles, also it will
partially replace the buffer requirement due to its basic pH. In the pores, Aquatrol will increase the drag force
required to initiate movement of the three dimensional gel due to its hydrophilic nature, reducing the overall
viscosity requirement by a factor ranging from 2 to 5, allowing for an oil viscosity-gel viscosity ratio of 15 to 25 at
downhole conditions.

On a water shut-off application the effectiveness and duration of the treatment depends as well on correct
placement and radial penetration, therefore it is recommended to use a minimum volume equivalent to 5 to 10
feet radial penetration over the entire perforated interval. Even though the treatment can be injected over the
entire interval, if the interval producing the water has been identified it will be beneficial to isolate the zone by
mechanical means and inject the treatment just in the water-producing interval. Mechanical isolation can be
obtained with packers, retainers, inverted caps or similar devices. If the water source has been identified at the
top of the interval, the treatment should be spotted through tubing or coil tubing just above the perforated interval
and then a packer set 3 to 5 feet below the top perforation so that the treatment can be injected by annular
pressure. In both scenarios diesel, kerosene or a light crude could be injected simultaneously through the
alternate string (tubing or annulus) to improve placement of the water shut off treatment.

A pre-flush with a KCL, NH4Cl or an oil field brine with 2 to 5 GPT of MA-1 and US-40 is recommended to
cleanse the formation.

M-Aquatrol will not gel up in oil producing pores, however it will leave them strongly water wet favoring oil
production, these treatments are recommended in wells experiencing either water encroaching, coning or
channeling in wells with bottom hole static temperatures below 250°F (121°C).

The above features and/or data are supplied solely for informational purposes and BJ Services Company makes no guarantees or warranties, either expressed or implied, with respect to their accuracy or use. All product warranties and guarantees
shall be governed by the BJ Services Company standard at the time of sale or delivery of service. Actual product performance or availability depends on the timing and location of the job, the type of job and the particular characteristics of each job.
This document is controlled by the reference date. To ensure that this is the current version, please reference the Services section of the BJ Services Website (www.bjservices.com) or ask your BJ representative.

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