CaSE STudy

PROTECTOZONE VP Temporary Zonal isolation Minimizes Reservoir damage

Viscous pill eliminates fluid losses during PetroEcuador workover operations
ChaLLENgE

Formation damage during routine workover operations decreases production by up to 50%.

SOLuTiON

Losing completion fluid and production

In Ecuador, many reservoirs are low pressure (subhydrostatic) and highly permeable. The loss of completion fluid during workover operations frequently results in fines migration and the creation of emulsions. In a study of 23 wells, PetroEcuador concluded that the loss of completion brine during workover operations damaged the reservoirs, and production decreased by an average of 30% after a well was worked over. It was also concluded that the use of fluid-loss control pills with sized solid particles, in many cases, damaged the reservoirs due to solids invading the matrix.
800 Production, bbl/d 600 400 200 0 1 3 5 7 9 11 13 Well 15 17 19 21 23
Production before WO Production after WO

Use PROTECTOZONE* viscous pill (VP) to temporarily isolate and protect the reservoir when working over wells.
RESuLTS

Increased production while decreasing the time and cost of workover operations.

Production before and after workover operations.

Maintaining production with PROTECTOZONE VP viscous pills

A PROTECTOZONE VP pill is a solids-free, crosslinked polymer system that is spotted across lowpressure and/or highly permeable reservoirs to temporarily isolate and protect them from fluid invasion during a workover operation. Preventing the loss of completion fluid into the reservoir minimizes possible formation damage and loss of productivity. PROTECTOZONE VP pills have:

Wide range of application: temperatures of 90 to 290 degF; permeability: 10 to 2,000 mD Long-term stability controlled by internal or external breakers High retained permeability due to the use of low-residue polymer Good compatibility with most brines and formation fluids
1,000
Production before WO Production after WO

Production, bbl/d

800 600 400 200 0 1 2 3 4 Well 5 6

Production before and after workover operations after implementing PROTECTOZONE VP viscous pills.

Stimulation

CaSE STudy: PROTECTOZONE VP viscous pill eliminates lost fluids during PetroEcuador workover operations
1,600 1,400 1,200 Production, bbl/d 1,000 800 600 400 200 0 12/18/2008 2/8/2009 3/28/2009 5/17/2009 7/6/2009 8/25/2009 10/14/2009 12/3/2009 1/22/2010 3/13/2010
Production before treatment: 690 bbl/d, 4% BS&W PROTECTOZONE treatment

100
----- Oil ----- Total Fluid ----- BS&W

800 700 600 Production, bbl/d 500 400 300 200 100 0 8/25/09 10/14/09 BS&W, %

90 80 70

PROTECTOZONE treatment

100
Current production after 1 year: 459 bbl/d, 5% BS&W

90 80 70 60 50 40 BS&W, %

Production after treatment: 520 bbl/d, 5% BS&W

Production after treatment: 724 bbl/d, 7% BS&W

60 50 40 30 20 10 0 5/2/2010

Production before treatment: 336 bbl/d, 27% BS&W Production at 150 bbl/d ESP pump stopped

30
----- Oil ----- Total Fluid ----- BS&W

20 10 0 1/7/11

12/3/09

1/22/10

3/13/10

5/2/10

6/21/10

8/10/10

9/29/10

Anaconda 2 Well: PROTECTOZONE VP viscous pill across the perforated interval before pulling the tubing and completion to prevent losses.

AUCA 40 Well: During the workover to repair the ESP, the pay zone was reperforated, giving 336 bbl/d at 27% BS&W with a jet pump during evaluation.

anaconda 2

The well Anaconda 02 was producing 690 bbl/d with 4% BS&W from the lower Napo T formation at a depth of +/- 10,000 ft, with high permeability (>200 mD), low pressure (<1,500 psi), and high temperature (<210 degF). When the well had to be worked over to repair a tubing-casing leak, a PROTECTOZONE VP viscous pill was spotted across the producing interval prior to pulling the tubing. After the workover, which took 3 days, the well was put back on production and produced 724 bbl/d with 7% BS&W.

auca 40

The well was producing 150 bbl/d with 2.5% BS&W from the Napo T formation at a depth of +/- 10,000 ft, with high permeability (>250 mD), low pressure (<2,000 psi), and high temperature (<210 degF), when an ESP failure required the well to be shut in and worked over. During the workover, the pay zone was reperforated and tested at 336 bbl/d with 27% BS&W. To avoid further losses of completion fluid to the formation while replacing the ESP, a PROTECTOZONE VP viscous pull was spotted across the perforated interval. When the well was put back on production after the workover, which lasted 7 days, the well produced 520 bbl/d with 5% BS&W. Currently, after more than one year, production has stabilized at 459 bbl/d of fluid with no change in BS&W. The added value of using PROTECTOZONE VP pills to effectively isolate and protect reservoirs during workover operations has been repeatedly demonstrated in various PetroEcuador fields.

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11/18/10