50387schD10R1.p60.
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Isolate and Stimulate Individual Pay Zones
Coiled tubing-conveyed fracturing is a cost-effective alternative to conventional
reservoir-stimulation techniques. This innovative approach improves hydrocarbon
production rates and recovery factors by providing precise, reliable placement of
treatment fluids and proppants. What began as a fracturing service is evolving into
broad technical solutions for new completions, as well as workovers in mature fields.
Kalon F. Degenhardt Operators traditionally rely on drilling programs to
Jack Stevenson achieve peak productivity, maintain desired pro-
PT. Caltex Indonesia duction levels and optimize hydrocarbon recovery.
Riau, Duri, Indonesia As oil and gas developments mature, however,
reservoir depletion reduces field output and fewer
Byron Gale
opportunities exist to drill new wells. Drilling pro-
Tom Brown Inc.
Denver, Colorado, USA grams alone may not effectively stem the natural
decline of production. In addition, infill and reen-
Duane Gonzalez try drilling often become less profitable and pre-
Samedan Oil Corporation sent greater operational and economic risks
Houston, Texas, USA relative to their higher capital investments.
In many fields, operators intentionally and
Scott Hall unintentionally bypass some pay zones during
Texaco Exploration and Production Inc. initial phases of field development by focusing
(a ChevronTexaco company) only on the most prolific producing horizons.
Denver, Colorado
Cumulatively, these marginal pay intervals con-
tain substantial hydrocarbon volumes that can be
Jack Marsh
Olympia Energy Inc. produced, especially from laminated formations
Calgary, Alberta, Canada and low-permeability reservoirs. Accessing
bypassed pay zones is economically attractive to
Warren Zemlak enhance production and increase reserve recov-
Sugar Land, Texas ery, but poses several challenges.
Typically, bypassed zones have lower perme-
ClearFRAC, CoilFRAC, CT Express, DepthLOG, FMI (Fullbore
Formation MicroImager), Mojave, NODAL, PowerJet,
abilities and require fracturing treatments to
PowerSTIM, PropNET, SCMT (Slim Cement Mapping Tool) achieve sustainable commercial production.
and StimCADE are marks of Schlumberger.
Conventional well-intervention and stimulation
For help in preparation of this article, thanks to Taryn
Frenzel and Bernie Paoli, Englewood, Colorado; Badar Zia methods involve extensive remedial operations,
Malik, Duri, Indonesia; and Eddie Martinez, Houston, Texas. such as mechanically isolating existing perfora-
tions or squeezing them with cement and utiliz-
ing multiple runs to perforate bypassed pay.
60
These procedures are expensive and cannot be
justified for zones with limited production poten-
tial. In the past, fracture stimulations were not
commonly attempted on bypassed pay, especially
when multiple stringers were involved.
The mechanical condition of wellbores can be
a limitation as well. If fracture stimulations are not
anticipated during well planning, completion tubu-
lars may not be designed to withstand high-
pressure pumping operations. Also, scale buildup
and corrosion from prolonged exposure to forma-
tion fluids at reservoir temperatures and pressures
can compromise tubular integrity in older wells. In
slimhole wells, workover options are further lim-
ited by small tubulars. These operational and eco-
nomic constraints often mean that bypassed or
marginal pay remains untapped. Ultimately, hydro-
carbons in these intervals are left behind when
wells are plugged and abandoned.
Integration of coiled tubing with fracturing
operations overcomes many of the constraints
associated with stimulating bypassed or
marginal pay zones using conventional tech-
niques, allowing additional reserves to be tapped
economically. High-strength continuous coiled
tubing strings transport treatment fluids and
proppants to target intervals and protect existing
wellbore tubulars from high-pressure pumping
operations, while specialized downhole tools
selectively isolate existing perforations with
increased precision.
Oilfield Review
50387schD10R1.61.ps 12/06/2001 01:46 AM Page 61

> A fit-for-purpose CT Express coiled tubing unit performing a selective fracturing treatment in Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada.

Autumn 2001 61
50387schD10R1.62.ps 12/06/2001 01:46 AM Page 62

This article describes operational and design neous reservoirs and discontinuous pay zones with thicker zones may remain untreated or may
aspects of coiled tubing-conveyed fracturing among numerous shale intervals are challenging, not be stimulated effectively, and some zones are
treatments, including enabling technologies such particularly when fracture stimulations are occasionally bypassed intentionally to ensure
as surface equipment improvements, high-pres- required. Reservoir pay thickness, quality, pres- effective stimulation of more prolific
sure coiled tubing, low-friction fracturing fluids sure and stage of depletion, and cost to treat an pay. Limited-entry perforations and ball sealers
and new downhole isolation tools. Case histories entire productive horizon all must be considered distribute fluid efficiently during pad injection,
demonstrate how this technique reduces comple- when choosing completion strategies. but less effectively during proppant placement
tion time and cost, improves post-treatment Conventional fracture stimulations attempt to as perforations are enlarged by erosion or
cleanup, increases production and helps tap connect as many producing zones as possible treatment fluids flow preferentially into higher
reserves bypassed by conventional completion with single or multiple treatments performed dur- permeability zones.3
and fracturing methods. ing separate operations. Historically, net pay Unintentionally bypassed and untreated
zones over several hundred feet of gross interval zones also are attributed to variable in-situ
Conventional Stimulations are grouped into stages, with each stage stim- stresses. In past conventional fracturing designs,
Average recovery factors for most reservoirs from ulated by a separate fracturing treatment. These the fracture gradient, or stress profile, was
primary- and secondary-drive mechanisms are massive hydraulic fracturing jobs, pumped assumed to be linear and to increase gradually
just 25 to 35% of original hydrocarbons in place. directly down casing or through standard jointed with depth. In reality, formation stresses often
Producible reserves also are left behind in thin, tubing, are designed to maximize fracture height are not uniform across an entire geologic horizon,
lower permeability zones of many mature reser- while attempting to optimize fracture length. and again, some zones may be difficult to treat
voirs. One North Sea study, for example, deter- However, uncertainty associated with predicting and stimulate effectively (next page, top).
mined that more than 25% of recoverable height growth often compromises the stimulation Grouping pay zones in smaller stages over-
reserves lie in the low-permeability, laminated objectives of large treatments and precludes cre- comes some of these limitations and helps
horizons of Brent sandstone reservoirs.1 ation of the fracture lengths required to optimize ensure sufficient fracture coverage, but multi-
Matrix acidizing and hydraulic fracturing are effective wellbore radius and reserve drainage. stage treatments usually require several perfo-
common reservoir-stimulation techniques used to Proppant placement in individual zones is dif- rating and fracturing operations in succession.
enhance well productivity, increase recovery effi- ficult to achieve when a single treatment is per- Isolating individual zones for conventional frac-
ciency and improve well economics.2 However, formed across numerous perforated zones ture stimulations with workover rigs and jointed
effectively completing and stimulating heteroge- (below). Thin or low-permeability zones grouped tubing is problematic as well, requiring addi-
tional equipment and workover procedures.
There are fixed costs associated with each stage
of multistage fracturing operations. Conventional
fracturing operations add redundancy to stimula-
tion operations and increase overhead costs.
Every time wireline units and pumping equip-
ment are moved onto a wellsite for perforating
and stimulation operations there are separate
mobilization and setup charges. There are also
separate coiled tubing or slickline costs to wash
out sand plugs or set and retrieve bridge plugs,
which have to be purchased or rented. Hauling,
handling and storing stimulation and displacement
fluids for each nonconsecutive fracturing opera-
tion involve additional costs. Testing each individ-
ual stage in a well again requires multiple setups
and significantly increases completion time.
Some gas wells with several large treatment
stages may take weeks to complete. Redundant
charges accumulate quickly on wells with more
than three or four stages and significantly affect
the economics of stimulation procedures. These
higher costs typically become a major influence
> Single-stage treatment diversion: radioactive tracers and production logs. With limited-entry tech- on completion or workover decisions and strate-
niques, some zones are not stimulated effectively and others may remain untreated. In this example, gies and may limit development of marginal pay
six pay zones over a 300-ft [90-m] gross interval were fractured through 24 perforations. A radioactive- zones that cumulatively contain sizeable volumes
tracer survey shows that the three upper zones received most of the treatment fluids and proppant, of oil and gas.
while the three lower zones were not adequately stimulated (left). If an interval did not take fluid at the
To stimulate bypassed zones in existing
beginning of a treatment, perforation erosion in other sands eliminated the backpressure necessary
for diversion. The lowest zone contributes no production; the other two contribute very little flow on wells, conventional fracturing requires that lower
the production log spinner survey (right). producing zones be isolated by a sand plug or

62 Oilfield Review
50387schD10R1.63.ps 12/06/2001 01:46 AM Page 63
Increasing depth
> Variations in formation stress. In single, multizone treatments, pressure
changes are assumed to be linear with depth (far left). Depleted zones cause
pressure to decrease abruptly (middle left). Excessively depleted sands also
reduce pressure over extensive intervals (middle right). In some cases, for-
mations have pressure and stress variations that make diversion of treatment
fluids and stimulation coverage during a single-stage treatment extremely
difficult (far right).
> Conventional and selective stimulations. Fracturing several zones grouped
in large intervals, or stages, is a widely used technique. However, fluid diver-
sion and proppant placement are problematic in discontinuous and heteroge-
neous formations. Conventional treatments, like this four-stage example,
maximize fracture height, often at the expense of fracture length and com-
plete interval coverage (left). Some zones remain untreated or may not be
stimulated adequately; others are bypassed intentionally to ensure effective
treatment of more permeable zones. Selective isolation and stimulation with
coiled tubing, in this case nine stages, overcome these limitations, allowing
engineers to design optimal fractures for each pay zone of a productive
interval (right).
Autumn 2001
downhole mechanical tool such as a retrievable
or drillable bridge plug. Upper perforations are
sealed off by cement squeezes that are often dif-
ficult to achieve, require additional rig time and
add to completion costs. There also is a risk that
squeezed perforations will break down during
high-pressure pumping operations.
These limitations, inherent in conventional
fracturing techniques, reduce stimulation effec-
tiveness. Unconventional well intervention and
stimulation techniques are needed to ensure
hydrocarbon production from as many intervals
as possible, especially from zones that previously
could not be completed economically. Coiled tub-
ing-conveyed fracturing techniques overcome
many of the limitations associated with conven-
tional fracturing treatments (below left).4
Selective Stimulations
Combining coiled tubing and stimulation services
is not new. In 1992, coiled tubing was used to
fracture wells in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, USA. The
312-in. coiled tubing was connected into the well-
head and left in the well as production tubing to
help maintain flow velocity. This technique
never gained wide acceptance because it was
limited to smaller intervals and lower treating
pressures in wells where a single zone was
targeted for completion.
1. Hatzignatiou DG and Olsen TN: Innovative Production
Enhancement Interventions Through Existing Wellbores,
paper SPE 54632, presented at the SPE Western regional
Meeting, Anchorage, Alaska, USA, May 26-28, 1999.
2. In matrix treatments, acid is injected below fracturing
pressures to dissolve natural or induced damage that
plugs pore throats.
Hydraulic fracturing uses specialized fluids injected at
pressures above formation breakdown stress to create
two fracture wings, or 180-degree opposed cracks,
extending away from a wellbore. These fracture wings
propagate perpendicular to the least rock stress in a
preferred fracture plane (PFP). Held open by a proppant,
these conductive pathways increase effective well
radius, allowing linear flow into the fractures and to the
well. Common proppants are naturally occurring or
resin-coated sand and high-strength bauxite or ceramic
synthetics, sized by screening according to standard US
mesh sieves.
Acid fracturing without proppants establishes conductiv-
ity by differentially etching uneven fracture-wing sur-
faces in carbonate rocks that keep fractures from
closing completely after a treatment.
3. Limited entry involves low shot densities1 shot per foot
or lessacross one or more zones with different rock
stresses and permeabilities to ensure uniform acid or
proppant placement by creating backpressure and limit-
ing pressure differentials between perforated intervals.
The objective is to maximize stimulation efficiency and
results without mechanical isolation like drillable bridge
plugs and retrievable packers. Rubber ball sealers can
be used to seal open perforations and isolate intervals
once they are stimulated so that the next interval can be
treated. Because perforations must seal completely, hole
diameter and uniformity are important.
The pad stage of a hydraulic fracturing treatment is the
volume of fluid that creates and propagates the fracture
and does not contain proppant.
4. Zemlak W: CT-Conveyed Fracturing Expands Production
Capabilities, The American Oil & Gas Reporter 43, no. 9
(September 2000): 88-97.
63
50387schD10R1.64.ps 12/06/2001 01:46 AM Page 64
> Coiled tubing-conveyed fracturing with a single tension-set packer and sand plugs.
By 1996, coiled tubing-conveyed fracturing
was identified as a preferred completion strategy
for shallow gas fields in southeastern Alberta,
Canada.5 Selective placement of proppant in all
the productive intervals of a wellbore reduced
completion time and enhanced productivity. The
best candidates were wells with multiple low-
permeability zones where gas production was
commingled after fracturing. Previously, these
wells were stimulated by fracturing one interval
per well and then moving to the next well. While
a fracturing crew treated the first interval of the
next well, a rig crew prepared previous wells for
fracturing of subsequent intervals.
Extensive rig-up and rig-down times were
required to treat as many as four wells a day. In
terms of number of treatments performed, this
process was efficient, but moving equipment
from one location to another took more time than
actually pumping the fracturing treatments.
Operators evaluated the possibility of grouping
zones into stages for conventional multizone
stimulations using limited-entry perforating, ball
sealers or other diversion techniques to individu-
ally isolate zones, but could not justify these
standard industry practices economically.
One solution was to use a coiled tubing ten-
sion-set packer and sand plugs for zonal isolation.
The lowest zones were treated first by setting the
64
packer above the interval to be fractured.
Proppant schedules for each zone included extra
sand to leave a sand plug across fractured inter-
vals after pumping stopped and before treating
the next zone. Each treatment was underdis-
placed, and wells were shut in to allow the extra
sand to settle into a plug. A pressure test verified
sand-plug integrity and the packer was reset
above the next interval. This procedure was
repeated until all pay intervals were stimulated
(above). The larger coiled tubing string was rigged
down and smaller coiled tubing was brought in to
wash out sand and initiate well flow.
Coiled tubing-conveyed fracturing has since
expanded to slimhole wells238-, 278- and 312-in. still time-consuming and limited by having to set
tubulars cemented as production casingand to
wells with open perforations or questionable
tubular integrity that prevented fracturing down
casing. Conventional workovers and stimulations
that require cement squeezes to isolate open
perforations are expensive and risky under these
conditions. Shallow gas and deeper coiled tubing
stimulations in mature oil and gas regions of the
continental region of the United States formed
the basis for CoilFRAC selective isolation and
stimulation services.
In east Texas, USA, coiled tubing was used to
stimulate wells with open perforations above
bypassed zones and wells with low-strength
278-in. production casing weakened further by
corrosion. After the target zone was perforated, a
tension-set packer on coiled tubing isolated the
wellbore and upper perforations (next page, top
left). In south Texas, bypassed pay zones
between open perforations in wells with casing
damage near the surface were stimulated suc-
cessfully by setting a bridge plug below the tar-
get zone and then running a tension-set packer
on coiled tubing (next page, top right). These
fracture stimulations were performed without
cementing existing perforations or exposing pro-
duction casing to high pressures.
Early CoilFRAC techniques with tension-set
packers improved stimulation results, but were
and remove plugs. The next step was to develop
a coiled tubing straddle-isolation tool that sealed
above and below an interval to eliminate sepa-
rate operations for spotting sand or setting bridge
plugs with a wireline unit (next page, bottom). This
modification allowed coiled tubing strings to be
moved quickly from one zone to the next without
pulling out of the well.
5. Lemp S, Zemlak W and McCollum R: An Economical
Shallow-Gas Fracturing Technique Utilizing a Coiled
Tubing Conduit, paper SPE 46031, presented at the
SPE/ICOTA Coiled Tubing Roundtable, Houston, Texas,
USA, April 15-16, 1998.
Zemlak W, Lemp S and McCollum R: Selective Hydraulic
Fracturing of Multiple Perforated Intervals with a
Coiled Tubing Conduit: A Case History of the Unique
Process, Economic Impact and Related Production
Improvements, paper SPE 54474, presented at the
SPE/ICOTA Coiled Tubing Roundtable, Houston, Texas,
USA, May 25-26, 1999.
Oilfield Review
50387schD10R1 12/14/01 5:12 PM Page 65
> Coiled tubing-conveyed fracturing with a single
tension-set packer for casing and tubing protection.
> Multistage coiled tubing-conveyed fracturing operation with early straddle-isolation tools.
Autumn 2001
> Coiled tubing-conveyed fracturing with a single
packer and mechanical bridge plugs. In south
Texas, a well with casing damage near the sur-
face and a bypassed zone between existing open
perforations was stimulated successfully with
coiled tubing. The operator set a bridge plug to
isolate the lower zone before running a tension-
set packer on coiled tubing to isolate the upper
zone and protect the casing. This technique elimi-
nated a costly workover and remedial cement-
squeeze operations.
65
50387schD10R1.66.ps 12/06/2001 01:46 AM Page 66

Elastomer cup-type seals were added above a

tension-set packer to isolate perforated intervals
and eliminate separate plug-setting operations.
However, additional modifications were required
to further reduce time and cost. In Canada, an
isolation tool with elastomer cups above and
below an adjustable ported spacer assembly, or
mandrel, was developed to allow multiple zones
to be treated in one trip (right).
This version of the straddle-isolation tool,
which had no mechanical slips to facilitate quick
moves and fishing, carried shallow-gas projects
in Canada through more than 200 wells and 1000
individual CoilFRAC treatments. Continuing
improvements to this tool allow bypassed and
marginal zones to be stimulated at nominal incre-
mental cost. Efficient isolation and stimulation of
individual sands maximized completed net pay
and made zones previously considered marginal
economically viable.

More Experience in Canada

Wildcat Hills field is located west of Calgary,
Alberta, Canada, on the eastern slope of the
Rocky Mountains in a protected grassland area.6
This area has produced natural gas from deep
Mississippian discoveries since 1958. During the
early 1990s, two Olympia Energy wells tested
shallower Viking sands. The wells initially pro-
duced about 900 Mcf/D [25,485 m3/d], but
declined rapidly to 400 Mcf/D [11,330 m3/d].
Although pressure-buildup and production tests
indicated substantial reserves, the low reservoir
pressure, poor deliverability and high completion
costs precluded development of marginal
Viking zones.
A 1998 seismic survey identified a third Viking > Coiled tubing isolation tools. The first CoilFRAC operations used a single
target in an area where the formation was tension-set packer above a zone with sand plugs or bridge plugs to isolate
below the zone (left). Subsequent versions were modified to include an upper
uplifted by more than 3000 ft [914 m], potentially elastomer seal cup above the zone and a lower packer to isolate below (mid-
creating natural fractures that might enhance gas dle). This second-generation tool was followed by a straddle design with elas-
deliverability. The 3-3-27-5W5M well encoun- tomer seal cups on the top and bottom of a ported spacer, which increased
the speed of packer moves, and reduced execution time as well as operational
tered about 45 ft [14 m] of pay in five zones
costs (right). These specialty tools eliminated rig and wireline operations
across 82 ft [25 m] of gross interval (next page, because sand plugs and bridge plugs were not needed. Coiled tubing could
top). An FMI Fullbore Formation MicroImager be moved quickly from one zone to the next without pulling out of the well.
microresistivity log verified existing natural frac-
tures in the reservoir, but drillstem testing indi-
cated a low pressure of 1100 psi [7.6 MPa]. to increase gas deliverability. Fracturing down With only 13 to 16 ft [4 to 5 m] between four
Pressure-buildup tests before setting 412-in. cas- casing with limited-entry diversion was not an zones, engineers eliminated use of sand plugs
ing and after perforating indicated drilling-fluid option because the well had already been perfo- because close spacing made it difficult to accu-
invasion into natural fractures and additional for- rated. The operator evaluated diversion with ball rately place the correct sand volumes.
mation damage from completion fluids. sealers as well as mechanical zonal isolation Conventional jointed tubing with packers and
A mud-solvent treatment failed to remove the with sand plugs, bridge plugs or coiled tubing. bridge plugs for isolation involved separate oper-
damage, so a fracturing treatment was selected Ball-sealer effectiveness is questionable, espe- ations to treat individual zones one at a time from
6. Marsh J, Zemlak WM and Pipchuk P: Economic cially during fracturing treatments, so mechani- the bottom up. This required repeated equipment
Fracturing of Bypassed Pay: A Direct Comparison of cal diversion was deemed the most reliable mobilization and demobilization, redundant ser-
Conventional and Coiled Tubing Placement Techniques,
paper SPE 60313, presented at the SPE Rocky Mountain method to ensure stimulation of all pay zones. vices for each zone and retrieving or moving
Regional/Low Permeability Reservoirs Symposium, bridge plugs after each treatmentall of these
Denver, Colorado, USA, March 12-15, 2000.
made the costs prohibitive.

66 Oilfield Review
50387schD10R1.p67.ps 12/7/01 8:52 PM Page 67

The operator selected CoilFRAC services to

stimulate each zone separately and treat several
zones in a single day. On the first day, the jointed
tubing string used to perform production tests and
the solvent treatment was pulled from the well.
Coiled tubing, fracturing and testing equipment
was moved to location on the second day while a
wireline unit set a bridge plug to isolate the lower
Viking formation. The maximum recommended
interval that the isolation tool could straddle at
that time was 12 ft [3.7 m], which was less than
the length of the lowest interval, so a tension-set
packer was used to fracture the first zone.
Three fracture stimulations were attempted
on the third day. Sticking problems required the
straddle-isolation tool to be pulled for repair of
the elastomer seal cups. A casing scraper run
smoothed the rough casing. This step is now
performed routinely before CoilFRAC treatments
as part of wellbore preparation. Annulus pres-
sure increased while pumping pad fluids in the
second interval, indicating possible communica-
tion behind pipe or fracturing into an adjacent
zone. This treatment was cancelled before initi-
ating proppant, and the tool was moved to the
third interval.
After the fourth interval was stimulated, the
> Well 3-3-27-5W5M, Wildcat Hills field. Previous attempts to stimulate the Viking formation as a contin- straddle-isolation tool was pulled, so that open-
uous interval were not successful because of difficulty in intersecting multiple zones with conventional ended coiled tubing could be used to clean out
single-stage fracture treatments. Closely spaced perforated intervals prohibited isolation with a packer
sand and unload fluids. On the fourth day, a snub-
and sand or bridge plugs. Selective CoilFRAC treatment placement simulated four zones individually to
increase recovery by isolating and fracturing pay that often is bypassed or left untreated. Secondary bing unit ran jointed production tubing in the well
goals were to simplify several days of completion operations into a single day and reduce cost. under pressure to avoid formation damage from
completion-fluid invasion.
To eliminate the snubbing unit, coiled tubing
now is used to run a packer with an isolation
plug. After the packer is set, coiled tubing is
released and removed from the well. The packer
plug controls reservoir pressure until jointed pro-
duction tubing is run. A slickline unit then
retrieves the isolation plug, initiating well flow.
Before stimulation, the 3-3-27-5W5M well
flowed 3.5 MMcf/D [99,120 m3/d] of gas at
350-psi [2.4-MPa] surface pressure. After three
of the upper four zones were fractured success-
fully, the well produced 6 MMcf/D [171,818 m3/d]
at 350 psi. The well continued to produce at
5 MMcf/D [143,182 m3/d] and 450 psi [3.1 MPa]
> Comparison of conventional and CoilFRAC Viking completions. Coiled tub-
for several months. The CoilFRAC treatment
ing-conveyed fracture stimulations required 58% less total proppant, reduced
overall completion operations from 19 days to 4, and improved well cleanup delivered an economic production gain in addi-
and fracturing fluid recovery. CoilFRAC treatment placement and simultane- tion to reducing cleanup time and simplifying
ous flowback improved fluid recovery and saved Olympia Energy about completion operations (left). Minimal operations
$300,000 per well in the Wildcat Hills field, which reduced cost per Mcf/D by
about 78%.
and faster cleanup helped bring production on
line sooner by reducing completion cycle time
from 19 to 4 days.

Autumn 2001 67
50387schD10R1.68.ps 12/06/2001 01:46 AM Page 68
Olympia Energy drilled six more wells in the
Wildcat Hills field after completion of the 3-3-27-
5W5M well. Because the Viking formation varies
from well to well, the operator selected fractur-
ing techniques based on sand thickness, fracture
containment barriers, vertical spacing between
sands and required number of treatments. Three
of these wells contained two or three thick Viking
sands that were fractured down casing. The
larger zones required higher pump rates to opti-
mize fracture height and length, which ruled out
use of coiled tubing because of potentially exces-
sive surface treating pressures.
Like the 3-3-27-5W5M well, the other three
wells had similar interbedded sand-shale
sequences and 6- to 13-ft [2- to 4-m] pay zones,
so Olympia Energy used CoilFRAC selective stim-
ulations. This approach increased productivity
and recovery by selectively treating pay that had
been bypassed or not stimulated effectively, and
it ultimately decreased operational costs.
Pre- and post-treatment production logs were
run on the 4-21-27-5W5M well to evaluate
increased production from zones in one of the
> Pre- (left) and post-stimulation (right) evaluation. Production log spinner surveys in Viking Well 4-21-
27-5W5M confirmed that CoilFRAC selective fracturing treatments in each Viking sand improved the
production profile and total gas rate (right).
68
wells that was fractured using coiled tubing
(below). Prior to fracturing, the well produced
2 MMcf/d [57,300 m3/d] with flow from
two intervals. After CoilFRAC treatments on
five intervals, gas production increased to
4.5 MMcf/D [128,900 m3/d] with flow from four
of the five intervals. Olympia Energy saved
$300,000 per well on fracturing operations alone
by using CoilFRAC techniques to stimulate
Wildcat Hills Viking wells. One of the original Viking
gas wells has been reevaluated and identified as
a candidate for stimulation with coiled tubing.
At a depth of 8200 ft [2500 m], this coiled tub-
ing-conveyed application demonstrated the
impact of combining coiled tubing and stimula-
tion technologies on well productivity and
reserve recovery. The smaller surface footprint,
less time on location and fewer wellsite visits
combined with less gas emissions and flaring as
a result of flowing, testing and cleaning up all the
pay zones at one time make CoilFRAC treatments
particularly attractive in environmentally sensi-
tive areas like the grasslands around Wildcat
Hills field.
Fracturing Designs and Operations
Coiled tubing-conveyed fracturing is constrained
by restrictions on fluid and proppant volumes
related primarily to smaller tubular sizes and
pressure limitations. The application of CoilFRAC
services requires alternative fracture designs,
specialized fluids, high-pressure coiled tubing
equipment, and integrated fracturing and coiled
tubing service teams to ensure effective stimula-
tions and safe operations.7
Injection rates, fluid parameters, treatment
volumes, in-situ stresses and formation charac-
teristics determine the net pressure available
downhole to create a specific fracture geo-
metrywidth, height and length. Minimum
pump rates are required to generate the desired
fracture height and to transport proppant along
the length of a fracture. Minimum proppant con-
centrations are needed to attain adequate frac-
ture conductivity.
Coiled tubing strings have a smaller internal
diameter (ID) than the standard jointed work-
strings used in conventional fracturing opera-
tions. At the injection rates required for hydraulic
fracturing, frictional pressure losses associated
with proppant-laden slurries can lead to high
treating pressures that exceed surface equip-
ment and coiled tubing safety limits. Using larger
coiled tubing reduces friction pressures, but
increases equipment, logistics and maintenance
costs, and may not be practical for small-diame-
ter slimhole and monobore wells.
This means that treatment rates and proppant
volumes for coiled tubing-conveyed fracturing
must be reduced compared with those of con-
ventional fracturing. The challenge is to achieve
injection rates and proppant concentrations that
transport proppant effectively and create the
required fracture geometry. Coiled tubing-con-
veyed fracturing requires alternative equipment
and treatment designs to ensure acceptable sur-
face treating pressures without compromising
stimulation results.
Reservoir characterization is the key to any
successful stimulation treatment. Like conven-
tional fracturing jobs, coiled tubing treatments
must generate a fracture geometry consistent
with optimal reservoir stimulation. The preferred
approach is to design CoilFRAC pumping sched-
ules that balance required injection rates and
optimal proppant concentrations with coiled tub-
ing treating-pressure constraints. Fracturing fluid
selection depends on reservoir characteristics
and fluid leakoff, downhole conditions, required
fracture geometry and proppant transport. Fluids
Oilfield Review
50387schD10R1.69.ps 12/06/2001 01:46 AM Page 69
for CoilFRAC treatments include water-base lin-
ear or low-polymer systems and polymer-free
ClearFRAC viscoelastic surfactant (VES) fluids.8
In the past, polymers provided fluid viscosity
to transport proppant. However, residue from
these fluids can damage proppant packs and
reduce retained permeability. Engineers often
increase proppant volumes to compensate for
any reduced fracture conductivity, but slurry
friction increases exponentially with higher prop-
pant concentrations and can limit the effective-
ness of CoilFRAC treatments. Increased surface
treating pressure from frictional pressure losses
is the dominant factor in coiled tubing-conveyed
fracturing, so reducing surface pump pressures is
critical in CoilFRAC applications, particularly in
deeper reservoirs.
Because of their unique molecular structure,
VES fluids exhibit as much as two-thirds
lower frictional pressures than polymer fluids
(right). Nondamaging ClearFRAC fluids may pro-
vide adequate fracture conductivity with lower
proppant concentrations at acceptable surface
treating pressures. This facilitates optimized frac-
ture designs. These fluid characteristics make
coiled tubing-conveyed fracturing feasible at com-
monly encountered well depths.
Another advantage of ClearFRAC fluids is
reduced sensitivity of fracture geometry to fluid
injection rate. Height growth is better contained,
resulting in longer effective fracture lengths,
which is particularly important when treating thin,
closely spaced zones. Fluids based on a VES also
are less sensitive at downhole temperatures
and conditions that cause fracturing fluids to
break prematurely.
If pumping stops because of an operational
problem or fracture screenout, the stable suspen-
sion and transport characteristics of ClearFRAC
fluids prevent proppants from settling too quickly,
especially between the seal cups of straddle-iso-
lation tools. This allows time to clean out remain-
ing proppant and decreases the risk of stuck pipe.
In addition, these fluids provide a backup contin-
gency in high-risk environments, such as high-
angle or horizontal wells, where proppant settling
also can be a problem.
Recovering treatment fluids is critical when
target zones have low permeability or low bot-
tomhole pressure. Another benefit of VES fractur-
ing fluids is more effective post-stimulation
cleanup. Field experience has shown that VES
fluids break down completely in contact with
reservoir hydrocarbons, through extended dilu-
tion by formation water or under prolonged expo-
sure to reservoir temperature, and are
transported easily into wellbores by produced flu-
ids. Retained permeability is close to 100% of
Autumn 2001
> Effect of friction-reducing fluids. As CoilFRAC applications expand to include
deeper wells, low-friction fluids will be a key to future success. This plot com-
pares surface-treating pressure versus depth for 2-in. coiled tubing using a
polymer-based fracturing fluid and a ClearFRAC viscoelastic surfactant (VES)
fluid, both with 4 ppa proppant concentrations.
original permeability with VES fluids. In addition, ensure safe operations and to deal with contin-
treating and flowing back all the zones at one gencies in the event of a screenout.9 On the
time improve fluid recovery and fracture cleanup. surface, coiled tubing equipment, such as quick-
High-strength, 134- to 278-in. coiled tubing is response, gas-operated relief valves, remotely
used to accommodate higher injection pressures. operated fracturing manifolds and modifications
Coiled tubing for fracturing operations is fabri- to coiled tubing reels and manifolds, allow high-
cated from high yield-strength, premium-grade rate pumping of abrasive slurries.
steels with high burst pressure. For example, Precise depth control also is important for
134-in., 90,000-psi [621-MPa] yield strength coiled selective stimulations. Inaccurate positioning of
tubing has a burst-pressure rating of 20,700 psi coiled tubing results in serious and costly prob-
[143 MPa] and can withstand collapse pressures lemsperforating off-depth, placing a sand plug
of 18,700 psi [129 MPa]. Coiled tubing is hydro- in the wrong place, problems positioning straddle-
statically tested to about 80% of its burst-pressure isolation tools or stimulating the wrong zone.
rating, 16,700 psi [115 MPa] for this 134-in. string Straddle-isolation tools must be positioned accu-
prior to pumping operations, and maximum pump rately across perforated intervals. Five types of
pressure is set at 60% of the design depth measurements are used: standard level-
burst pressure, or about 12,500 psi [86 MPa], for wind pipe measurements as coiled tubing comes
this example. off the reel, a depth-monitoring system in the
Because the entire coiled tubing string con- injector head, mechanical casing-collar locators
tributes to friction pressure, regardless of how and two new independent systems used
much is inserted in a well, the length of coiled by Schlumbergerthe Universal Tubing-Length
tubing on a reel should be minimized relative to Monitor (UTLM) surface measurement and the
the deepest interval. There has been concern DepthLOG downhole casing-collar locator.
that centrifugal forces on the proppant would 7. Olejniczak SJ, Swaren JA, Gulrajani SN and Olmstead
erode the inner wall of spooled coiled tubing. CC: Fracturing Bypassed Pay in Tubingless
Completions, paper SPE 56467, presented at the SPE
However, visual and ultrasonic inspection before Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, Houston,
and after fracturing found no erosion inside the Texas, USA, October 3-6, 1999.
coiled tubing and detected only minor erosion at Gulrajani SN and Olmstead CC: Coiled Tubing Conveyed
Fracture Treatments: Evolution, Methodology and Field
coiled tubing connectors after pumping as many Application, paper SPE 57432, presented at the SPE
as nine treatments. Eastern Regional Meeting, Charleston, West Virginia,
USA, October 20-22, 1999.
Operational safety is critical at the high pres- 8. Chase B, Chmilowski W, Marcinew R, Mitchell C, Dang Y,
sures required for hydraulic fracturing treat- Krauss K, Nelson E, Lantz T, Parham C and Plummer J:
Clear Fracturing Fluids for Increased Well Productivity,
ments. For example, personnel should not be Oilfield Review 9, no. 3 (Autumn 1997): 20-33.
permitted near wellheads or coiled tubing equip- 9. A screenout is caused by proppant bridging in the frac-
ment during pumping operations. Coiled tubing- ture, which halts fluid entry and fracture propagation. If
a screenout occurs early in a treatment, pumping pres-
conveyed fracturing requires specialized surface sure may become too high and the job may be termi-
equipment and innovative modifications to nated before an optimal fracture can be created.
69
50387schD10R1.p70.ps 01/10/2002 03:59 PM Page 70

In the past, the accuracy of standard coiled

tubing depth measurements was about 30 ft
[9.1 m] per 10,000 ft [3048 m] under the best con-
ditions and as much as 200 ft [61 m] per 10,000
ft in the worst cases. The dual-wheel UTLM sur-
face measurement is self-aligning on the coiled
tubing, minimizes slippage, offers improved wear
resistance and measures unstretched pipe
(below).10 Two measuring wheels constructed of
wear-resistant materials, on-site data processing
and routine calibration eliminate the effects of
wheel wear on surface measurement repeatabil-
ity and provide automatic redundancy in addition
to slippage detection.
The remaining factors that affect measure-
ment accuracy and reliability are contaminants
and buildup on wheel surfaces, and thermal
effects that change wheel dimensions. An anti-
buildup system prevents contamination of wheel
surfaces. Downhole coiled tubing pipe deforma-
tion is evaluated using computer simulation.
For thermal pipe deformation modeling, a well-
bore simulator provides a temperature profile.
The total deformation can be estimated with an
accuracy of about 5 ft [1.5 m] per 10,000 ft. The
combination of more accurate surface measure-
ments with modeling and improved operational
procedures result in about a 11 ft [3.4 m] per
10,000 ft accuracy, and a repeatability of about
4 ft [1.2 m]. In most cases, a value of less than 2 ft
[0.6 m] is achieved.

> Hiawatha field producing horizons. In the Hiawatha field of northwest

Colorado (insert), pay zones historically were grouped in intervals, or stages,
of 150 to 200 ft [46 to 61 m] and stimulated with a single fracture treatment.
Thin sands were grouped with thick sands, and occasionally thin sands
were bypassed to avoid less effective stimulation of more prolific sands.
Multiple hydraulic fracture stages were still required to treat the entire
> The UTLM dual-wheel surface depth- wellbore. Each fracture stage was isolated with a sand plug or mechanical
measurement device. bridge plug. Justifying completion of thin sands capable of 100 to 200 Mcf/D
[2832 to 5663 m3/d] was difficult.

70 Oilfield Review
50387schD10R1.71.ps 12/06/2001 01:47 AM Page 71

Previously, depth correction with wireline

inside coiled tubing or memory gamma ray log-
ging tools, flags painted directly on the coiled
tubing and mechanical casing-collar locators
often were inaccurate, costly and time-consum-
ing. Schlumberger now uses a wireless
DepthLOG tool, which detects magnetic varia-
tions at joint casing collars as tools are run into a
well and sends a signal to surface through
changes in hydraulic pressure. Subsurface
depths are determined quickly and accurately by
comparison with baseline gamma ray correlation
logs. The use of wireless technology decreases
the number of coiled tubing trips into a well and
saves up to 12 hours per operation on typical
coiled tubing-conveyed perforating and stimula-
tion operations.
In the past, separate coiled tubing services, if
required, followed fracturing operations to clean
out excess proppant. Coiled tubing-conveyed
fracturing, however, requires the combined
efforts of fracturing and coiled tubing personnel.
Initially, service crews faced a steep learning
curve as they began working together to reduce
the time required for various operations.
Subsequent CoilFRAC projects increased opera-
tional efficiency and reduced completion time. To
further increase efficiency, Schlumberger has
formed dedicated CoilFRAC teams to integrate
coiled tubing and fracturing expertise.

Revitalizing a Mature Field

Texaco Exploration and Production Inc. (TEPI),
now a ChevronTexaco company, extended
the productive life of West Hiawatha field in
Moffat county, Colorado, USA, with CoilFRAC
techniques.11 Discovered in the 1930s, this field
has 18 pay sands over 3500 ft [1067 m] of
gross interval. Gas production comes from
the Wasatch, Fort Union, Fox Hills, Lewis and
Mesaverde formations (previous page, right).
Previously, wells were completed with 412-, 5- or
7-in. casing and stimulated using conventional
staged fracturing treatments.
A common practice was to stimulate zones
from the bottom upward until production rates
were satisfactory. As a result, thin zones often
were ignored and undeveloped uphole potential
existed throughout the field. In 1999, TEPI evalu-
ated bypassed pay in the field to identify and rank
workover potential based on reservoir quality,
cement integrity, completion age and wellbore
integrity. New drilling locations were identified
after a successful workover on Duncan Unit 1
Well 3, but the challenge was to develop a strat-
egy that could effectively stimulate all of the pay
> Evaluating single-stage Hiawatha field fracture stimulations. Without selective isolation of individual
sands, variations in fracture gradients make it difficult to optimize fracture lengths with a single con-
ventional treatment and limited-entry perforating. For two Wasatch zones that would be grouped when
stimulating multiple intervals with a single treatment, StimCADE hydraulic fracturing simulator plots
indicate that about two-thirds of the proppant is placed in the upper interval (top). This results in a
wider, more conductive fracture and a half-length almost 50% greater than in the lower interval
(bottom). If there are more than two zones, this problem is further compounded by variations in dis-
continuous sands from wellbore to wellbore.
The operator chose CoilFRAC services to Zones separated by 10 to 15 ft [3 to 4.6 m]
selectively stimulate Wasatch and Fort Union were fractured with no communication between
sands, which comprise multiple sands from 5 to stages. Pump-in tests verified that fracture gradi-
60 ft [1.5 to 18 m] thick from 2000 to 4000 ft [600 ents between zones varied from 0.73 to 1 psi/ft
to 1200 m] deep. This approach provided flexibil- [16.5 to 22.6 kPa/m]. The variation in fracture
ity to design optimal fracture treatments for each gradient for each zone confirmed the difficulty of
zone rather than large jobs to intersect multiple stimulating multiple zones with conventional
zones over longer intervals. stage treatments (above). In addition to eight
In the first drill well, individual CoilFRAC workovers with mixed success, nine successful
treatments were performed on 13 zones in three 10. Pessin JL and Boyle BW: Accuracy and Reliability of
days. Seven zones were treated in a single day. Coiled Tubing Depth Measurement, paper SPE 38422,
presented at the 2nd North American Coiled Tubing
This wells average first month production was Roundtable, Montgomery, Texas, USA, April 1-3, 1997.
2.3 MMcf/D [65,900 m3/d]. The second drill well 11. DeWitt M, Peonio J, Hall S and Dickinson R:
involved eight treatments in one day. Average Revitalization of West Hiawatha Field Using Coiled-
Tubing Technology, paper SPE 71656, presented at the
production from the second well during the first SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, New
month was 2 MMcf/D. Treating pressures ranged Orleans, Louisiana, USA, September 30-October 3, 2001.

zones during initial completion operations. from 3200 psi [22 MPa] to the maximum allow-
able 7000 psi [48 MPa].

Autumn 2001 71
50387schD10R1.72.ps 12/06/2001 01:47 AM Page 72
wells were drilled in Hiawatha field from May
2000 through July 2001. These new wells were
completed with CoilFRAC stimulations in the
Wasatch and Fort Union formations, and conven-
tional fracture treatments for the more continu-
ous Fox Hills, Lewis and Mesaverde intervals
below 4000 ft [1220 m].
To quantify coiled tubing stimulation results,
the CoilFRAC completions were compared with
wells fractured conventionally between 1992 and
1996 (right). Average production from CoilFRAC
completions increased 787 Mcf/D [22,500 m3/d],
or 114%, above historical rates. However, pro-
duction from individual wells may be misleading
if reserves are drained from offset wells. Field
output will not increase as expected when there
is interference between wells; natural pressure
depletion should result in new wells producing
less, not more.
From 1993 to 1996, Hiawatha field output
increased from 7 to 16 MMcf/D [200,500 to
460,000 m3/d] as a result of the 12-well drilling
program. Production doubled again from 11 to
22 MMcf/D [315,000 to 630,000 m3/d] as a result
of workovers and new wells completed mostly
with coiled tubing-conveyed stimulations. Field
production is at the highest level in 80 years.
Stimulating each zone individually during initial
completion operations is believed to be the key
to improving production and increasing reserve
recovery in this mature field.
State-of-the-Art Downhole Tools
Isolation tools have evolved along with CoilFRAC
treatments and specific requirements generated
by various stimulation applications. Coiled tubing-
conveyed fracturing operations are performed
under the most dynamic reservoir stimulation
conditions. Treatments take place in live wells at
formation temperatures and pressures, and with
the completion of each selective stimulation,
these conditions change. As a result, increasingly
demanding applications in deeper wells require
more reliable, multiple-set isolation tools.
Driven by a need to minimize operational and
financial risks and reduce the impact of
unplanned events, like proppant screenout,
Schlumberger developed the CoilFRAC Mojave
line of downhole tools (next page). This improved
straddle system consists of three technologies
the pressure-balanced disconnect, the modular
straddle assembly with ported sub, and the slurry
dump valve. In combination, these components
provide selective placement of sequential acid or
proppant fracture stimulations, and matrix acid,
72
> Analyzing Hiawatha field coiled tubing fracturing results. Production from
wells completed with CoilFRAC selective isolation and simulation treatments
(red) was compared with production from wells that were previously frac-
tured conventionally (black). Average daily well rates for each month was
normalized to time zero and plotted for the first six months. Initial production
from the CoilFRAC completions was about 787 Mcf/D [22,500 m3/d], or 114%,
more than historical rates.
screenless sand-control or scale-inhibitor treat- The CoilFRAC fracturing sub also includes a
ments in a single trip with coiled tubing. fluid bypass and resists erosion when pumping
The pressure-balanced disconnect features a up to 300,000 lbm [136,100 kg] of sand. It is pos-
mechanical shear disconnect that is pressure- sible to pump up to 500,000 lbm [226,800 kg] of
balanced to coiled tubing treating pressure. Only less erosive resin-coated and man-made
mechanical coiled tubing loads are transferred to ceramic proppants. Reverse circulation is
the shear-release pins; treating pressure does required to clean the coiled tubing and CoilFRAC
not affect the shear-pin release function. This Mojave isolation tool when run without a slurry
reduces the likelihood of leaving the tool in a dump valve. A lower reversed bottom cup
well as a result of unexpectedly high downhole seals during reverse circulation to improve
treating pressures during CoilFRAC stimulations, post-treatment cleanup. A gauge port is built
such as a screenout. The pressure-balanced dis- into the tool for downhole pressure and temper-
connect allows coiled tubing to be run deep ature measurements.
because the disconnect does not require extra Since the slurry dump valve (SDV) is flow-
shear pins to account for pressure loads during operated, no coiled tubing movement is required.
treatments. If the tool becomes stuck, it can be One SDV design in two sizes is compatible with
fished by overshot or internal fishing neck. standard 412- to 7-in. CoilFRAC Mojave tools
The CoilFRAC Mojave isolation tool has and functions in vertical or horizontal wells.
opposing elastomer cups for 412- to 7-in. casing. Incorporating a SDV allows slurry to be dumped
The tool functions in vertical or horizontal wells from the coiled tubing between zones and facili-
and has no mechanical slips and no moving parts. tates stimulations in low-pressure reservoirs and
An internal fluid bypass in the tool body permits formations with fracture gradients of less than a
running to deeper depth10,000 ft instead of full water gradient, or 0.4 psi/ft [9 kPa/m].
less than 4000 ft. This feature lightens coiled The SDV is closed and acts as a fill valve
tubing loads during trips in and out of wells to when running in a well. It also reduces formation
reduce elastomer wear, minimize swab and surge damage during multizone well treatments.
forces on formations and decrease the risk of a Reverse circulation is not required for coiled tub-
tool sticking between zones. A modular design ing cleanup, which reduces total stimulation fluid
and special 2-ft [0.6-m] ported fracturing sub requirements, eliminates the environmental
allow 4-ft sections to be assembled for spacing impact of slurry returned to surface, reduces
elastomer cups up to 30 ft apart. elastomer wear by equalizing pressure across
elastomer seal cups, and reduces abrasive wear
on coiled tubing and surface equipment.
Oilfield Review
50387schD10R1 12/06/2001 02:15 AM Page 73
> CoilFRAC Mojave isolation tools. From single mechanical packers to elas-
tomer cup and packer combinations and the earliest versions of opposing
elastomer-cup straddle tools, the suite of CoilFRAC tools has expanded to
include specially designed straddle assemblies. The effectiveness of CoilFRAC
straddle assemblies for zonal isolation has been aided by more reliable seal-
ing technologies. An annular flow path within the assembly allows for easy
deployment and retrieval.
12. Al-Qarni AO, Ault B, Heckman R, McClure S, Denoo S,
Rowe W, Fairhurst D, Kaiser B, Logan D, McNally AC,
Norville MA, Seim MR and Ramsey L: From Reservoir
Specifics to Stimulation Solutions, Oilfield Review 12,
no. 4 (Winter 2000/2001): 42-60.
13. NODAL analysis couples the capability of a reservoir to
produce fluids into a wellbore with tubular capacity to
conduct flow to surface. The technique name reflects
discrete locationsnodeswhere independent equa-
tions describe inflow and outflow by relating pressure
Autumn 2001
losses and fluid rates from outer reservoir boundaries
across the completion face, up production tubing and
through surface facility piping to stock tanks. This
method allows calculation of rates that wells are capa-
ble of delivering and helps determine the effects of dam-
age, or skin, perforations, stimulations, wellhead or
separator pressure and tubular or choke sizes. Future
production also can be estimated based on anticipated
reservoir and well parameters.
Optimizing Recovery in South Texas
Samedan Oil Corporation operates North Rincon
field in south Texas, producing gas from various
zones of the Vicksburg formation at 6000 to
7000 ft [1800 to 2100 m]. The Martinez B54 well,
completed in a single 25-ft [7.6-m] zone, had an
initial production rate of 4.5 MMcf/D before
declining to 1 MMcf/D. In December 2000,
Samedan evaluated fracturing this zone for the
first time as well as completing deeper pay in the
Martinez B54 well. Openhole logs had identified
several other productive zones that had been
intentionally bypassed because of marginal eco-
nomics. In February 2001, Schlumberger assem-
bled a multidisciplinary team to integrate
petrophysical and reservoir knowledge with
completion design, execution and evaluation
services using the PowerSTIM stimulation opti-
mization initiative.12
Samedan and the PowerSTIM team analyzed
well data to determine reservoir size and remain-
ing reserves for the current producing zone.
These calculations indicated a 19-acre [7700-m2]
drainage area and confirmed that a nearby geo-
logic unconformity acted as a seal. Production
and NODAL analyses matched the 1-MMcf/D
production and indicated that, based on a limited
drainage area and low formation damage,
remaining reserves could be recovered in a
few months.13 This interval was not a candidate
for stimulation.
Samedan decided to deplete the existing
zone before completing the most attractive
bypassed zones. Reinterpreted logs indicated
77 ft [23 m] of high-quality net pay with signifi-
cant recoverable reserves in five deeper zones
over 700 ft [213 m] of gross interval.
Conventional stimulation techniques required
limited-entry perforating for diversion of large
fluid and proppant volumes pumped at high rates
to cover and fracture this entire interval.
The operator considered setting production
tubing and a packer below existing perforations
and completing only one or two of the uppermost
bypassed zones. This approach, however, would
leave a significant volume of additional reserves
untapped behind pipe. The PowerSTIM team rec-
ommended CoilFRAC selective isolation services
with optimized fracture designs to complete and
individually stimulate all five bypassed zones. A
2-in. coiled tubing string was selected to convey
fracturing fluids and proppant at the required
rates. An SCMT Slim Cement Mapping Tool log
confirmed cement integrity and adequate zonal
isolation behind pipe across the proposed
completion intervals. The existing perforations
were sealed with a cement squeeze prior to
CoilFRAC operations.
73
50387schD10R1.p74.ps 01/10/2002 03:44 PM Page 74

< Martinez B54 well CoilFRAC treatment stimulation results for five zones.

In May 2001, Samedan and Schlumberger

performed a five-stage CoilFRAC selective
stimulation (next page, top). On the first day, the
five zones were perforated with deep-penetrat-
ing PowerJet premium charges to maximize
perforation entry-hole size and reservoir penetra-
tion. After perforating, the commingled zones
produced 1.1 MMcf/D [31,500 m3/d] during a
prestimulation test.
On the second day, each zone was isolated
sequentially with a 5-in. CoilFRAC Mojave
straddle tool and fracture-stimulated with a non-
damaging ClearFRAC fluid and 136,000 lbm
[61,700 kg] of man-made ceramic proppant. All
five zones were treated within a 24-hour period.
Pump rates ranged from 8 to 10 bbl/min [1.3 to
1.6 m3/min] with treating pressures up to
11,000 psi [76 MPa]. Because of potentially high
gas production rates, PropNET fiber additives
were incorporated at the end of the pumping
schedules to prevent proppant flowback.14
When all the zones were commingled and
tested, the well flowed more than 5.1 MMcf/D
[146,000 m3/d] and 120 B/D [19 m3/d] of conden-
sate, which closely matched production predic-
tions. A production log spinner survey indicated
that four of the five Vicksburg zones had been
stimulated successfully (above and left). One month
later, the well was still producing about 5 Mcf/D,
which did not follow the expected decline.
Estimated payout was three months. Samedan
engineers evaluated the next three drill wells, but
none of these new wells were viable candidates
for coiled tubing-conveyed fracture stimulation.
Completing five zones in a single trip miti-
gated the risk of formation damage from multiple
well interventions, and risk of fluid swabbing
associated with conventional fracturing opera-
tions, jointed tubing and standard downhole
tools. This CoilFRAC treatment took only two
days, while a conventional five-stage fracturing
job might have taken up to two weeks.

74 Oilfield Review
50387schD10R1.p75.ps 12/7/01 8:52 PM Page 75

Accurate CoilFRAC selective placement allows

scale inhibitors to be conveyed deeper into the for-
mation during fracturing or acidizing stimulation
treatments. Integrating scale inhibitors and stimu-
lation treatment fluids into a single step ensures
that the entire productive intervalincluding the
proppant packis treated.
Performing multiple, smaller fracture treat-
ments is another approach to reduce scale
buildup and sand production. This method
reduces the pressure drop across the formation
face, which decreases or, in some cases, pre-
vents scale and asphaltene formation. During
production, pressure drawdown increases the
vertical stress on producing intervals and exacer-
bates sand production. An alternative is to treat
smaller intervals and reduce the pressure drop
across the formation face.

Screenless Sand-Control Completions

Innovative screenless completions provide sand
> Martinez B54 well in the North Rincon field, south Texas (Courtesy of Samedan Oil Corporation). control without the need for downhole mechani-
cal screens and gravel packing by using tech-
nologies such as resin-coated proppants and
PropNET fibers to control proppant flowback and
sand production. The primary challenge of apply-
ing screenless technology is ensuring coverage
of all perforated pay zones. In general, interval
length is the controlling factor. Thicker intervals
typically reduce treatment success rates. Coiled
tubing-conveyed fracturing, with the capability of
treating numerous zones, increases screenless
completion effectiveness and reduces overall
costs while increasing net pay potential.
Treatments in North America have reduced prop-
pant flowback by five-fold.
PT. Caltex Pacific Indonesia, a ChevronTexaco
> Unconventional coiled tubing-conveyed treatments. CoilFRAC treatments also are applicable for affiliate, operates the Duri field in the Central
chemical scale inhibition and sand-control methods. Coiled tubing places scale inhibitors included in a Sumatra basin.15 Primary recovery is low, so
preflush before fracturing or proppant impregnated with scale inhibitors more effectively than conven- steam injection is used to achieve higher recov-
tional treatment techniques (left). Novel screenless completions provide sand control without down- ery factors. This multibillion-barrel steamflood cov-
hole mechanical screens and gravel packing by using technology like resin-coated proppants and
PropNET fibers to control proppant flowback and sand production (right). The primary challenge of
ers 35,000 acres [14 million m2] and produces
applying these techniques is ensuring coverage of all perforated pay zones. 280,000 B/D [44,500 m3/d] of high-viscosity
crude oil. Oil-bearing sands are highly unconsoli-
dated, Miocene-age formations with permeability
Additional Applications diversion during acid fracturing. This capability is 14. Armstrong K, Card R, Navarrete R, Nelson E, Nimerick K,
The combination of reservoir-stimulation and increasingly important in mature carbonate Samuelson M, Collins J, Dumont G, Priaro M, Wasylycia N
and Slusher G: Advanced Fracturing Fluids Improve
well-treatment technologies with coiled tubing reservoirs when small zones within larger pro- Well Economics, Oilfield Review 7, no. 3 (Autumn 1995):
conveyance is expanding selective CoilFRAC ducing intervals require stimulation. CoilFRAC 34-51.
techniques to include applications, like acid frac- stimulations help operators deplete reserves uni- 15. Kesumah S, Lee W and Marmin N: Startup of Screenless
Sand Control Coiled Tubing Fracturing in Shallow,
turing, and specialized completion techniques formly across an entire hydrocarbon-bearing Unconsolidated Steamflooded Reservoir, paper SPE
such as scale inhibition, controlling proppant interval and facilitate reservoir management. 74848, prepared for presentation at the SPE/ICOTA
Coiled Tubing Conference and Exhibition, Houston,
flowback and screenless sand control (above). The downhole buildup of scales, asphaltenes Texas, USA, April 9-10, 2002.
With advances in friction-reducing fluids, or migrating fines and the plugging of perforations
injection rates are sufficient for coiled tubing and completion equipment impair permeability
and CoilFRAC tools to be used as mechanical and can restrict or prevent production altogether.

Autumn 2001 75
50387schD10R1.p76.ps 12/7/01 8:52 PM Page 76

as high as 4000 mD (right). Combined pay thick-

ness is about 140 ft [43 m] over an interval from
X430 to X700 ft. In addition to 3600 producing
wells, the operator maintains about 1600 steam-
injection and temperature-observation wells.
Heat requirements are lower in temperature-
mature areas where the steamflood has been in
operation for an extended period of time. Steam
injection can be reduced, allowing the operator
to convert injectors and observation wells into
producers. Low reservoir pressure causes
drilling, completion and production problems
including lost circulation, hole collapse and sand
production. Severe sanding leads to frequent
well servicing to replace worn or stuck artificial-
lift equipment. The marginal nature of these
wells, initially completed with 4-, 7-, or 958-in. OD
monobore casing, limits conventional gravel-
packed screens for sand control. In most wells,
screens are not installed because of restricted
wellbore access, smaller pump sizes and, conse-
quently, unfavorable production rates.
In a recent field test on several wells, the
operator in Duri field used CoilFRAC techniques
to perform screenless completions using curable
resin-coated sand and tip-screenout fracture
designs to prevent proppant flowback and migra-
tion of formation grains.16 After resin-coated sand
is placed and cured, proppant packs are locked
in place to create a stable filter against the
formation in perforation tunnels and near-
wellbore regions.
Using resin-coated proppant to control sand
without mechanical screens is not new. In 1995, a
> Duri field, Indonesia, producing horizons and typical well completion.
Duri field pilot project used conventional fractur-
ing with resin-coated sand to complete Rindu
sands at about X450 ft. Single-stage tip-scree- packing or frac packing with screens, and ator left the well undisturbed for about 12 hours
nout treatments attempted to place resin-coated previous screenless completions that were to allow the resin to set and obtain adequate
proppant in multiple zones across 50 to 100 ft [15 attempted conventionally. strength. Partially cured resin-coated sand in the
to 30 m] of gross interval. This technique failed to Fracture treatments and pumping schedules wellbore was drilled out prior to production.
achieve acceptable results because the gross were designed to achieve required fracture half- With the exception of one well, screenless
intervals were too long and not all perforations length and conductivity. Relatively low pumping completions significantly increased cumulative
received resin-coated sand. In addition, produced rates control vertical coverage, while higher oil production during nine months of evaluation
formation sand covered some lower zones and proppant concentrations are needed to ensure (next page, left). Average failure frequency
steam injection did not cure the resin-coated sand fracture conductivity and achieve tip screenout. before CoilFRAC screenless completions was 0.5
across the entire section. The maximum rate is usually about 6 bbl/min per well per month. The operator allocated 36 rig
The primary objectives of the most recent [1 m3/min] with proppant concentrations of days and 32,000 bbl [5080 m3] of deferred oil pro-
field test were to ensure complete treatment 8 pounds of proppant added (ppa). The number of duction for all four wells to clean out sand. After
coverage of all perforations and achieve tip- treatment stages in a given well was determined CoilFRAC screenless treatments were performed,
screenout fractures for proper proppant packing. by evaluating perforated interval length and failure frequency dropped to 0.14 per well per
Grain-to-grain contact and closure stress improve spacing between zones. month, resulting in an extra five months of oil
the curing process and ensure a strong com- Interval length needed to be less than 25 ft to production per well per year. Screenless
pacted filter medium. Heat or alcohol-base fluids ensure complete coverage with a minimum of 7 ft 16. In standard fracturing, the fracture tip is the final area
cure phenolic resins. The operator uses both [2 m] between intervals to allow the isolation to be packed with proppant. A tip-screenout design
causes proppant to pack, or bridge, near the end of the
methods to ensure a complete resin set. tool to set properly. The operator verified cement fractures in early stages of a treatment. As additional
CoilFRAC selective isolation and treatment bond and quality to ensure isolation behind the proppant-laden fluid is pumped, the fractures can no
longer propagate deeper into a formation and begin to
placement provided accurate and complete per- pipe and avoid proppant channeling. Extra resin- widen or balloon. This technique creates a wider, more
foration coverage, which made screenless coated sand deposited after each treatment iso- conductive pathway as proppant is packed back toward
the wellbore.
completions a viable alternative to gravel lated that interval from subsequent treatment
intervals. After all zones were treated, the oper-
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> CoilFRAC screenless completion results in Duri field, Indonesia.
CoilFRAC treatments paid out in 35 to 59 days.
However, the use of resin-coated sand in
extremely hot steamflood conditions was found
to have limitations.
Early in the application of screenless comple-
tions, the operator recognized a need to use inert
proppant flowback control. The resin coating used
initially in CoilFRAC screenless completions was
thermally stable to 375F [191C], but could fail in
steam environments of 400F [204C]. As a result,
periodic steam injection and flowback to stimu-
late oil output could cause stress cycling and
proppant-pack failure that resulted in sand pro-
duction. Proppant flowback control using PropNET
fibers rated to 450F [232C] is proving to be a
solution to this problem.
The operator selected a local sand combined
with PropNET fibers in place of resin-coated sand
for eight recent screenless completions in Duri
field. The PropNET fibers were added throughout
Autumn 2001
sand-laden treatment stages to ensure complete
interval coverage. Optimized perforating tech-
niques also has been introduced for screenless
sand control. These wells have minimal production
data, but early production results are encouraging.
Milestones in Selective Stimulations
Selective coiled tubing-conveyed isolation and
stimulation have established a template for
future workovers on existing wells and new well
completions. The CoilFRAC methodology allows
controlled delivery and accurate placement of
treatment fluids and proppant in existing or
bypassed pay intervals at little or no additional
cost because decreased fluid volumes and elimi-
nation of redundant operations reduce mobiliza-
tion, equipment and material charges.
CoilFRAC treatments are useful for fracturing
bypassed single or multiple zones, protection of
casing and completion equipment, and for
> Ongoing CoilFRAC operations in Medicine Hat,
Alberta, Canada.
development of coalbed methane reserves. This
technique is also valuable in settings where
chemical inhibition, reservoir flow-conformance
modifications, water-control or sand-control
methods may be required. Schlumberger has
pumped more than 12,000 CoilFRAC fracture
stimulations in more than 2000 wells. Coiled tub-
ing-conveyed treatments can now be performed
in vertical, high-angle and horizontal wells with
measured vertical depths up to 12,200 ft [3720 m].
Pumping rates can range from 8 to 25 bbl/min
[1.3 to 4 m3/min] with 5 to 12 ppa of proppant.
Coiled tubing-conveyed fracturing was origi-
nally developed for multilayered shallow-gas
reservoirs in Canada and further developed in the
USA (above). These CoilFRAC treatments, how-
ever, are being refined in applications around the
world, from Indonesia, Argentina and Venezuela
to Mexico and now Algeria.
The largest total volume of proppant placed in
a single wellbore was 850,000 lbm [385,555 kg]
for a well treatment in northern Mexico. A well in
southeast New Mexico, USA, was the first hori-
zontal well to be fracture stimulated using a
CoilFRAC Mojave tool. Two separate zones at
9123 and 9464 ft [2781 and 2885 m] measured
depth were treated. The deepest CoilFRAC job to
date was recently performed at 10,990 ft [3350 m]
for Sonatrach in Algeria. The progress to date in
selective stimulations has been impressive.
Continued research and field experience are
expected to further extend the range of applications
and reach of this innovative technique. MET
77