Surfactant/solvent combination aids flow back of treatment fluids
- Halliburton Services, Duncan, OK (United States)
- Columbia Natural Resources Inc., Charleston, W.V. (United States)
A foaming surfactant combined with a microemulsion solvent effectively restored permeability by removing treating fluids from reservoir pore spaces of low-pressure, low-permeability formations such as Devonian shales. In a joint effort to improve gas production from the tight gas Devonian shale, Halliburton Co. and Columbia Natural Resources Inc. (CNR) conducted extensive formation core and laboratory analyses. The work led to developing the surfactant system, referred to as a microemulsion foaming surfactant (MFS). In tests, MFS has recovered from 70 to 100% of treatment fluid. Without MFS, the combination of in situ water and treatment fluid can reduce the gas flow to the well bore. MFS techniques in other low-permeability reservoirs have shown gas production improvements ranging from 10% to 15-fold. Treated reservoirs include carbonates, sandstones, siltstones, and carbonaceous formations including coal. This article, the fourth in a series of five, describes the testing that determined the most effective fluids for treating low-pressure low-permeability formations.
- OSTI ID:
- 6883973
- Journal Information:
- Oil and Gas Journal; (United States), Vol. 91:1; ISSN 0030-1388
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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