Formation damage:

Wettability alteration
By:
• Juan José Jiménez
• Carlos Eduardo Estupiñán
• Oscar Mauricio Cala
DEFINITION
Surface

Liquid

 
A measure of the preferential tendency of immiscible fluids to spread over a
solid surface (Civan, 2007)
DEFINITION
Surface Fluid #1 Fluid #2

Fluid #1 – Fluid #2
 
Solid - Fluid #2

Solid - Fluid #1 Solid - Fluid #1

Fluid #1 – Fluid #2

 
Contact angle is a good indication of the spreadability and
wetting characteristics of fluids over simple continuous surfaces. 
DEFINITION
Surface Fluid #1 Fluid #2
Rock
Rock

Oil Fluid #1Oil

– Fluid #2
 
Water Solid - Fluid #2 Water

Solid - Fluid #1 Solid - Fluid #1

Fluid #1 – Fluid #2
A smaller contact angle (<90)​ A larger contact angle (>90)​
indicates stronger wettability   indicates weaker wettability.
Contact angle is a good indication of the spreadability and
wetting characteristics of fluids over simple continuous surfaces. 
TYPES

Water-wet Oil-wet Mixed

 
Directly affects:
OIL PRODUCTION

OIL PRODUCTION
 Rock surface

DIAGNOSIS Aqueous phase

Oleic phase

Asphaltene deposition

Pressure drops below AOP Rock surface

(Asphaltene Onset Pressure)
Oleic phase

Oil touches rock surface Aqueous phase

 DIAGNOSIS

Water saturation estimation

Capillary pressure data Dean-Stark data Archie saturation data

DIAGNOSIS
Capillary pressure data

Pc (psia)
Water wet
Oil wet

Swirr Swirr Sw
 Archie saturation
Pc saturation
TVD (m)
∆Sw
Dean-Stark saturation

Irreducible water
saturation

0 Sw 1
 DIAGNOSIS
Capillary pressure data Dean-Stark data Archie saturation

High resistivity Comparison of Normal resistivity

Sw (Pc) ≠ Sw (Archie) water saturations Sw (Pc) = Sw (Archie)
Water wet
Kr<< Kr>>
Change of permeability (Kr)

Water wet Change of saturation

Oil wet
exponent (n)

Mixed
 REMEDIATION

Sodium dodecylbenzene
Anionic sulfonate CH3(CH2)11C6H4SO3Na Na2CO3
Docecyl trimethyl ammonium
Surfactant Cationic bromide C12N(CH3)3Br C12H24O2

Triton X-100
Non-ionic C14H22O(C2H4O)10
Na2CO3
 OPERATION

The surfactant is pumped

from the surface to the
formation and it is squeezed
so that it can do its job of
changing the contact angle of
the rock and the fluid that is
wetting it, in this case oil.

https://www.google.com/search?q=bombas+de+inyeccion+en+pozos+petroleros&client=ms-android-huawei-
rev1&prmd=ivn&sxsrf=ALeKk01XaPLdgFH0nPbU2W82aHHIMI5yJQ:1598479533446&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj
h0pWm8LnrAhUu1lkKHT3tBNgQ_AUoAXoECA4QAQ&biw=360&bih=674&dpr=3#imgrc=6aWyhkPzK3oyqM
 FIELD CASE

The case analyzed takes place in

the Darjovin oil field in Iran, it is
located on the border with Iraq
and is one of the largest in this
country.

https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reservas_de_petr%C3%B3leo_en_Ir%C3%A1n#/media/Arch
ivo:Iran_key_Petroleum_Sector_facilities_2004-es.svg
 REFERENCES
• Golabi, E., Seyedeyn Azad, F., Ayatollahi, S., Hosseini, N., & Akhlaghi, N.
(2012, January 1). Experimental Study of Wettability Alteration of
Limestone Rock from Oil Wet to Water Wet by Applying Various
Surfactants. Society of Petroleum Engineers.
• Uetani, T. (2014, November 10). Wettability Alteration by Asphaltene
Deposition: A Field Example. Society of Petroleum Engineers.
• Civan, F. (2015). Reservoir formation damage. Gulf Professional
Publishing.
¡Thank you!