Health, Safety & Environment

Water Management Better Methods for Reducing Water Production

a report by

Anna Aab
President, International Research Institute of Stavanger (IRIS)

In mature fields excessive water production is a serious problem. Worldwide an average of three barrels of water are produced for each barrel of oil, which is also typical for the situation for the mature fields in the North Sea. Worldwide the annual cost of disposing of this water has been estimated at US$40 billion. The high water production has a negative impact on: oil production (e.g. reduced oil relative permeability and reduced hydrostatic lift); processing costs (the oil industry spends more money on water than all other major services combined); and the environment (e.g. increased disposal to the sea).

research projects at the International Research Institute of Stavanger (IRIS), mainly because this is the only method with the potential to also improve oil production.
Chemical Injection

One of the methods controlling water inflow is chemical injection. If the chemicals can be bullheaded, the method will be cost effective. Bullhead injection is often the only available option for water control, especially for subsea installations and complex multi-branched wells. Chemical systems that are bullheaded must comprise some intelligence, either chemicals that reduce the water permeability significantly more than the oil or gas permeability (disproportionate permeability reduction, DPR) or chemicals that

Worldwide an average of three barrels of water are produced for each barrel of oil, which is also typical for the situation for the mature fields in the North Sea.

Research

selectively block the water-producing zones (selfselective placement). In the last decade there have been a number of publications and field trials of systems with DPR properties. Previous success rates have been variable due to a combination of lack of diagnosis, the DPR mechanisms not being fully understood and the chemical systems not being suitable. DPR is found to be effective in multi-layered reservoirs without crossflow and with some zones producing clean oil, or in treating coning problems. In such situations DPR treatment will reduce the water cut and may result in increased oil production.

Consequently the industry has addressed the need for research on better methods for reducing water production. For new field implementations, action should primarily be taken to optimise the injection strategy of water, optimise the sweep or to evaluate alternatives to water injection. For mature fields with high water production it is too late for such actions; therefore other means are considered, such as re-injection, improved water cleaning, downhole separation or controlling the water inflow. Of these, the latter method has been highlighted through
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EXPLORATION & PRODUCTION: THE OIL AND GAS REVIEW 2006

Water Management
BRP Fluids

Generally there are two classes of DPR fluids: polymers that show retention at the pore surface or crosslinked gel. The polymer systems are the most frequently used; they normally have an optimum at low to medium temperature, permeability and production rates. The more robust alternative to polymer is crosslinked gel, use of which allows the temperature, permeability and production rate limits to be increased.

than residual, e.g. IOR Chemcos patent on making and injecting the polymer and crosslinker as an emulsion. When the gelant is injected as an emulsion one can easily control the water saturation by the wateroil ratio in the injected emulsion. Further, the emulsion is made in such a way that it breaks in the formation during the shut-in period. The water phase reacts to gel and the oil phase secures open pathways for oil to flow. A programme was undertaken to verify this DPR method in field tests using a commercial blocking gel system mixed in base oil and a

For new field implementations, action should primarily be taken to optimise the injection strategy of water, optimise the sweep or to evaluate alternatives to water injection.

The major obstacle with crosslinked gel is the risk of total shut-off for both phases. This has been solved by placing the blocking gel at an oil saturation higher

suitable emulsifier. The first treatment was successfully performed at the Statoil operated Veslefrikk field offshore Norway.

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