Introduction of a new fracturing fluid for North Sea operations
Conference
·
OSTI ID:287889
- Halliburton Energy Services, Leiderdorp (Netherlands). European Research Centre
- Halliburton Germany GmbH, Esbjerg (Denmark)
Maximum flexibility in offshore stimulation treatments is obtained if treatments are semi-continuously mixed with filtered seawater and a polymer concentrate. The first commonly used water-based polymer concentrate in the North Sea was a hydroxypropyl guar (HPG) system. Replacing HPG with guar results in a more cost-effective fluid system. This paper describes the process leading to the introduction of a guar-based borate crosslinked fluid that is prepared from filtered seawater and a water-based polymer concentrate. Primary concern for this new system was the hydration of the guar in cold seawater. Evaluation of various guar gelling agents and polymer concentrate formulations in the laboratory resulted in a formulation that was used in field-scale trial. This trial, which was performed with the original mixing system, showed that the gel leaving the holding tank was not fully hydrated. The mixing system was subsequently modified to increase the shear intensity and the guar gelling agent`s rate of hydration. Additional laboratory work was conducted to investigate the properties of partially hydrated gel. Results showed that for a borate system, partially hydrated gel continued to yield after the crosslinking agent was added. The ultimate viscosities are equivalent to those obtained with completely hydrated base gel. The modified system was used in a second field trial. Results of the second trial, together with supporting laboratory data, justified the use of the new system for North Sea fracturing treatments. More than 40 treatments have been conducted with the new system in Danish and UK sectors of the North Sea to date. A comparison of job data shows that the new fluid performs as well as the HPG system but at reduced cost.
- OSTI ID:
- 287889
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-960154--; ISBN 0-9648731-8-4
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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