SPE-180091-MS
First Sealant Application in a Multilayered Reservoir With Water Entry in
One Zone, in Lago Agrio Field, Ecuador
Rubys Hernandez, Diego Medina, Fausto Calderon, and Nelson Enriquez, Halliburton; Milton Moran,
Petroamazonas
Copyright 2016, Society of Petroleum Engineers
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Abstract
The primary oil production from the Lago Agrio field originates from the Hollin formation, which has a
strong waterdrive production mechanism. The Hollin tidal and shallow marine intervals are vertically
discontinuous in some field sectors and show slightly lower pressure with regard to the fluvial zone, as
a result of stratigraphic barriers and the action of an edge waterdrive system. Over time, water
breakthrough in higher permeability zones caused excessive water production. In Well LGA-013, the
vertical barriers are apparent in the openhole logs. Spectral natural gamma-ray and saturation logs
identified current water advance, and a sealing treatment was selected to shut off water flow into the
Hollin tidal zone.
This paper summarizes the first case of water conformance in the Lago Agrio field using an organically
crosslinked polymer (OCP) and describes the candidate selection process, treatment design, execution
procedure, and production results. The Hollin shallow marine interval was selected for hydraulic
fracturing, and a water soluble polymeric sealant system was designed and pumped into the base of
Hollin’s tidal zone to delay water breakthrough.
The polymer treatment for water shutoff was applied in Well LGA-013. A total treatment of 40 bbl was
injected into the formation in two stages with 1.5-in. coiled tubing (CT): 24 bbl at 0.5 bbl/min and 3,500
psi, and 16 bbl at 0.3 bbl/min and 3,400 psi. After treatment, the well was tested with 36% water cut and
220 bbl of oil. The treatment r was successful. It reduced water cut from 65 to 36% during early
evaluation.
The sealant used in Well LGA-013 employs a porosity filling strategy that seals the targeted
permeability (water zone) by forming a hydrogel. This treatment strategy can be used in other Hollin
reservoir wells to create an effective seal between water and oil zones and, in turn, increase the
oil-to-water ratio.
Introduction
The Lago Agrio field is located in Sucumbíos Province, northwest of the Oriente basin in Ecuador (Fig.
1). The field was discovered in 1967 and was put in production in 1969. The primary reservoir of the Lago
Agrio field is Hollin sandstone, and Napo U, Napo T, and Basal Tena sandstones are the secondary
2 SPE-180091-MS
reservoirs. According to the official reserve data, the field is considered a mature field in the Hollin
reservoir, which is the target reservoir in this case study. More than 90% of field production derives from
the Hollin formation, which has a strong waterdrive mechanism that has helped produce 149 million
barrels of oil at 28°API and 188 scf/STB of gas in solution.
Figure 1—Geographical location of the Lago Agrio field.
The Hollin formation includes fluvial, tidal-dominated, and shallow marine sediments. These geolog-
ical units have different rock properties, but are hydraulically connected. During early field exploitation,
production derived from fluvial Hollin which has higher permeability. The production rates were high, so
the equilibrium necessary to keep the oil-water interface horizontal was not achieved, and consequently,
water breakthrough was observed prematurely in 1975, affecting several wells by coning, causing water
cut values of more than 60%. In recent years, production has been from tidal and glauconitic Hollin, where
the presence of vertical permeability barriers in some reservoir zones have delayed early water break-
through, but have not stopped it. Moreover, the field has only one water reinjector well, so the production
of additional water could increase costs associated with water handling and treatment. Historically,
excessive water production has caused premature abandonment of zones—in consequence bypassed
reserves— by applying squeeze and mechanical isolation (plugs). Well LGA-013 is the first application
of sealing treatment for controlling water production in the Lago Agrio field.
This paper discusses a successful water conformance treatment applied to Well LGA-013 to isolate the
water zone and improve well productivity in a field lacking a reservoir characterization model. Compen-
sated spectral natural gamma ray (CSNG) and saturation logging tools helped identify the current water
advance into the tidal Hollin.
Well LGA-013 is a development vertical well that was drilled in the central area of the structure (Fig.
2) to test the hydrocarbon accumulations in the Hollin formation as the primary target and Napo U and
T sandstones as the secondary targets. A total depth (TD) of 10,130 ft measured depth (MD) was reached.
SPE-180091-MS 3
Figure 2—Seismic section near Well LGA-013.
Seismic and Geological Framework
Based on the three dimensional (3D) seismic data acquired in 2013 and two dimensional (2D) lines
reprocessed in 2014, the structure of the Lago Agrio field is defined as an anticline with an orientation
NE—SW, controlled by a major reverse fault east of the field, which has vertical displacement approx-
imately 500 ft, the same orientation as the field structure (Age Maastrichtian), and which extends from the
Precretaceous deposits until above the Napo formation.
The Hollin formation can be subdivided into two informal units: the Lower Hollin and Upper Hollin.
The Lower Hollin corresponds to sandstones and the sediments are medium to coarse grained quartz,
which were deposited by braided rivers. Average porosity is approximately 14.5%. The Upper Hollin
presents two depositional environments: tidal-dominated and shallow marine (Barragán et al. 2004;
Vallejo et al. 2002; Jaillard 1997; White et al. 1995). The tidal-dominated interval comprises quartza-
renites with continuous and discontinuous clay laminae, while the shallow marine consists of sandstones
with clay matrix, calcareous cement (diagenetic), and plentiful glauconite. Both bodies are discontinuous
vertically, but have great lateral continuity in the Lago Agrio field (Fig. 3). The zones are referred to as
glauconitic, tidal, and fluvial Hollin.
Figure 3—Stratigraphic correlation in Hollin formation, Well LGA-013.
4 SPE-180091-MS
In Well LGA-013, the Upper Hollin has two sandstone bodies with good petrophysical properties. The
tidal Hollin has 17% porosity, 8% water saturation (Sw), and 164 millidarcies (md) absolute permeability,
while the glauconitic Hollin has 14% porosity, 30% Sw, and 57 md absolute permeability. The Fluvial
Hollin presents better petrophysical properties with 15% porosity, 36 % Sw, and 645 md absolute
permeability; however, it contains a water zone in the interval at 10,139 to 10,170 ft (Hernandez et al.
2015).
In some sectors of the field, the Upper and Lower Hollin are separated by vertical permeability barriers
(shaly seals). Although those are geological units with different petrophysical characteristics, there is
evidence of hydraulic communication between both. In those wells where the units coalesce or have no
vertical barrier separated, reservoir pressures are equal and the aquifer is aquifer (active bottom water-
drive). However, in sectors containing a seal of sufficient thickness and lateral extent, the pressure of the
Upper Hollin is slightly lower and the aquifer behavior is lateral (i.e. the entry of water into the formation
is characterized as an edge-water encroachment).
As several authors have investigated (Richardson et al. 1978; Lion et al. 1992), discontinuous low
permeability or impermeable flow barriers randomly distributed in bottom waterdrive reservoir can limit
coning and decrease water cut in comparison to wells without a barrier, i.e. the barrier delayed water
breakthrough. In the Lago Agrio field, traditional techniques to control water production have been
applied, leading to bypassed reserves in underlying zones. However, the flow barriers represent an
opportunity to reinforce the natural seal, applying the injection of chemical sealants in the water zones
located below thin natural barriers with uncertain seal qualities, as is the case of Well LGA-013.
Candidate Selection
Based on an integrated productivity analysis realized in the Lago Agrio field (Hernandez 2016), in a short
time a portfolio of well intervention opportunities was generated to support a revitalization plan in the
field. The workflow applied was executed in three stages based on a front-end loading (FEL) method. A
total of 62 wells were analyzed, identifying possible causes of low productivity or inactivity of wells and
methods or techniques to improve production. On completion of analysis, a total of 30 opportunities for
intervention were identified. From the technical and economic analysis, Well LGA-013 was ranked as the
first candidate in which to intervene. Although the technical risk and cost were very similar to the other
wells evaluated in the Hollin reservoir, the differentiating variables were the estimated probability
distribution of production and the fewer uncertainties.
Production History
Well LGA-013 was drilled vertically and completed in 1970, reaching a final true vertical depth (TVD)
of 10,300 ft. The well was shot in the following Hollin intervals: glauconitic Hollin: 10,024 to 10,038 ft
and 10,050 to 10,070 ft; tidal Hollin: 10,082 to 10,100 ft and 10,106 to 10,118 ft; fluvial Hollin: 10,140
to 10,170 ft; and Lower T sandstone: 9,898 to 9,910 ft. The fluvial Hollin (10,140 to 10,170 ft) was
plugged with cement retainer at 10,122 ft before beginning production, and the well was completed in the
Napo T and Upper Hollin sandstones. The Napo T and Napo U sandstones have produced, but the results
were poor; cumulative oil production was 124,000 and 6,000 bbl, respectively. This paper focuses on
aspects of the Hollin reservoir, specifically the production history from 1972 to 2014, i.e. the initial
completion prior to the most recent workover (WO) as plotted in Fig. 4.
SPE-180091-MS 5
Figure 4 —Production history of Well LGA-13 before WO.
Officially, Well LGA-013 started production from the glauconitic and tidal Hollin in October of 1972
with an initial rate of 35 BOPD and water cut of 3.1%. The reservoir was cleaned and the reported
production exceeded 1,200 BOPD, reaching a production peak of 3,263 BOPD in February of 1974 by
natural flow. The Hollin is a reservoir with a 28° API undersaturated oil, and a strong bottom aquifer
drive. Formation water salinity in the Hollin reservoir reaches a maximum of 8,000 ppm Cl. Well
LGA-013 has undergone 33 WOs using primarily squeeze and mechanical isolation (plugs) for water
conformance and matrix stimulation treatments (Fig. 4).
Since February 1974, water cut has increased, ranging between 20 and 50%, so in March of 1979, WO
No. 6 involved plugging the tidal Hollin with a cast iron bridge plug (CIBP) at 10,076 ft, but no water
cut reduction was observed. Three matrix stimulations were executed in the glauconitic Hollin and water
cut increased to 80%.
The fluvial Hollin zone—and in some cases the tidal Hollin— exhibits very high reservoir pressure
because of the strong bottom aquifer, and it is very common in the Oriente basin that plugs are used to
isolate the Hollin aquifer, although they do not make good mechanical seals. In July of 1981, WO No. 11
involved squeezing and shooting intervals in the glauconitic Hollin, but water cut did not change. So, in
6 SPE-180091-MS
April of 1982, WO No. 12 involved squeezing the tidal and glauconitic Hollin and perforating both
sandstones partially before placing the plug at 10,074 ft. This effectively reduced water cut to 5%. The
well was produced by natural flow until February of 1983. WO No. 14 involved installing an electrical
submergible pump (ESP), after which water cut began to increase progressively, reaching 55%. In April
of 1984, WO No. 17 involved squeezing the tidal Hollin completely and reshooting and producing from
the glauconitic interval (10,050 to 10,070 ft and 10,024 to 10,038 ft). Water cut ranged from 20 to 30%.
In November of 1987, WO No. 21 involved mechanically isolating the tidal Hollin with a CIBP at 10,078
ft, which failed to change the water cut. In May of 1991, WO No. 24 changed the artificial lifting system
to a jet pump. Oil production declined progressively, but water cut was maintained below 40%. In March
of 1999, a well in the Hollin reservoir with 125 BOPD and 15.9% water cut was shut in and was opened
to commingle with the Lower T from November 2001 to October 2003. After WO No. 31, in May of 2013,
Well LGA-013 began producing from the glauconitic Hollin with low oil rate and a water cut of 54%;
however, the salinity—38,200 ppm— did not correspond to the Hollin, and there was likely mechanical
communication with the Lower T, which could not be corroborated with diagnostic plots because of a
short period of production. Finally, in January 2014, the well was shut in with a recorded water cut of
64%.
The diagnosis plots for water oil ratio/water oil ratio derivative (WOR/WOR’) could be divided into
five periods (Fig. 5). During the beginning of production (Period 1), when the production was from tidal
and glauconitic Hollin, the behavior of the water diagnostic plot represented normal water entrance (OWC
moving up uniformly). In Periods 2 and 3, the mechanical communication with lower intervals of tidal
Hollin (10,082 to 10,118 ft) increased. After that, these intervals were squeezed and plugged, so the
WOR/WOR’ shows a normal water entrance behavior (Periods 4 and 5).
Figure 5—Well LGA-013: water diagnostic plots.
SPE-180091-MS 7
During the production history in Upper Hollin sandstones, at least 11 stimulation treatments using
solvents and/or acids were realized: September 1973, April 1975, March 1979, January 1980, April 1980,
May 1980, July 1981, April 1982, July 1983, April 1984, July 1984, May 1991, and December 1995. Most
have had positive production results, but not enough to significantly improve production in this reservoir
of low permeability.
However, it is important to consider that the well was an injector of residual crude oil—16° API—from
the refinery between March and September of 1987. The perforations to inject were 10,140 to 10,170 ft.
Additionally, during WO No. 22 (September 1990), the production casing was repaired by means of
squeeze at the following depths: 8,970 to 8,972 ft, 9,120 to 9,122 ft, and 9,270 to 9,272 ft. Four cement
logs were run in the Hollin reservoir during WOs (Fig. 6):
Figure 6 —Historical cement logs of Well LGA-13 before WO No. 33.
● Primary cement (6 September 1970): from 9,100 to 10,240 ft
● WO No. 11 (15 July 1981): cement bond log (CBL), variable density log (VDL), casing collar
locater (CCL), and gamma ray (GR) from 9,800 to 10,069 ft
● WO No. 17 (2 April 1984): CBL-VDL-CCL and GR from 8,100 to 10,111 ft
● WO No. 31 (20 May 2013): CAST-CBL-CCL and GR from 8,064 to 10,064 ft; inspection logs in
the same date showed casing damage (deformed) between 2,810 and 2,830 ft.
Well LGA-013 in the Hollin reservoir shows intermediate cumulative oil (3.37 million barrels) and
relative lower WOR (0.37) in comparison to neighboring wells (Fig. 7 and Table 1).
8 SPE-180091-MS
Figure 7—Oil and water cumulative production for Well LGA-013 and neighboring wells in the Hollin reservoir.
Table 1—Oil and water cumulative production of Well LGA-013 and neighboring wells in the Hollin reservoir.
Well Oil Cumulative Production (millions of barrels) Water Cumulative Production (millions of barrels) WOR
LGA-013 3.37 1.25 0.37
LGAA-007 2.00 0.86 0.43
LGA-26 6.26 1.24 0.20
LGA-038 1.94 0.11 0.06
LGA-006 11.35 4.85 0.43
LGA-027 3.06 1.08 0.35
LGA-004 2.34 3.12 1.33
Problem Identification: Diagnosis
According to integrated analysis using the productivity diagnostic matrix, the general causes of low
production in Well LGA-013 for the Hollin reservoir could be:
● High water cut attributed to flow behind the casing and/or mechanical communication between
producer intervals, e.g. between glauconitic Hollin and tidal intervals or even between glauconitic
Hollin and Lower T sandstones. Eventually, the water production problems were remediated in the
past by means of traditional methods (squeeze and plugs); however, during the last treatment (WO
No. 31), results were very poor: low oil production with higher water cut (54%) probably attributed
to mechanical communication with the Lower T reservoir, as evidenced by reported salinity of
38,200 ppm Cl.
● Low productivity in glauconitic intervals as a consequence of poor rock properties, e.g. low
effective permeability estimated between 6 and 17 md.
● Formation damage possibly attributed to fines migration, which is typical for this formation in the
Oriente Basin. In some cases, the damage was removed with matrix stimulation, with positive
results confirmed by the skin value after stimulation.
This paper discusses a water control treatment; however, identifying causes of low productivity in wells
is the first step to achieving effective solutions for excessive water production. Some water conformance
treatments fail because of a poor recognition of water sources. As previously explained, the basic
information for water diagnostics involves cement logs, recovery mechanisms, production and pressure
history (water breakthrough and salinities), location of the original and current water oil contact, presence
of vertical flow barriers, and permeability and porosity variability, among others.
Intervention Proposal and Identification of Uncertainties and Risks
The diagnosis helped identify opportunities for improvement of production in Well LGA-013. Moreover,
the primary uncertainties were documented using the technical risk matrix. Hernandez (2015) explains the
SPE-180091-MS 9
workflow followed to identify well intervention opportunities and generate a reliable portfolio in the Lago
Agrio field.
Based on the analysis, and according to regulated completion practices in the Lago Agrio Asset, where
simultaneous commingled production from Upper and Lower Hollin is prohibited, a program to realize
hydraulic fracturing in the glauconitic Hollin (intervals: 10,024 to 10,038 ft and 10,050 to 10,070 ft) and
water conformance (chemical treatment) in a water zone was presented. Both proposals were dependent
on log results.
From a subsurface point of view, the Hollin reservoir has medium-low complexity; however, doubts
in characterization exist because the date of the analysis was not available to the simulation model, and
some information, such as well logs, cores, and pressure, were available, but with low quality in terms of
analysis or processing. Concerning the well complexity (structural geology, path, depth, and lifting system
of the well), wells completed in the Hollin reservoir, despite being the deepest in the field (⬎ 10,000 ft
TVD), are less complex because of better lateral continuity and lower oil viscosity (⬍ 2 cps) compared
to other reservoirs. These are also the wells with the best definition level (classified as definitive) by the
large amount of production testing data available. The major identified uncertainties and associated risks
are summarized below.
Operational Risk
● Well mechanical integrity, which determines the execution of the proposal intervention.
Volumetric Risks
● The current location of the water-oil contact and the source of water production after the last WO
are the primary subsurface uncertainties because the current oil saturation and its distribution in the
porous medium will determine water cut on the surface.
● Current cement quality and water salinity measurements are necessary to complete water source
analysis, i.e. normal entrance or mechanical communication.
● Reservoir effective permeability: previous buildup test interpretations suggest values of permea-
bility between 1 and 64 md and approximately 23 md. Neighboring well information indicated
permeability values from 6.8 to 17.4 md, and most likely a value of 9.5 md.
● The current reservoir pressure used for initial rate estimation was 2,543 psi, and for probabilistic
estimation ranged between 2,543 and 3,500 psi; however, this variable had low impact on the rate
estimation.
● Reservoir thickness (net pay) was taken from a petrophysical evaluation, and has high impact on
rate estimation, because its variability depends on the operational ability to connect during the
hydraulic fracture the upper interval (10,024 to 10,038 ft) and lower interval (10,050 to 10,070 ft)
of the glauconitic Hollin, which are separated with a thin shaly seal.
● Skin: the low productivity of the well could be related to high skin, possibly caused by fines
migration, but it is expected that hydraulic fracturing can reduce the skin factor to approximately
zero.
The uncertainty of the variables that impact the volumetric success of the proposed work was evaluated
with probabilistic estimation of the initial rates by connecting a well performance program and other
probabilistic computer software. Sensitivities were conducted in terms of uncertainty variables: reservoir
thickness, oil properties, permeability and pressure, skin, water cut, and fracture conductivity dimension-
less (Fig. 8). According to the tornado plot, the variables with greater impact on the rate estimation are
permeability and thickness.
10 SPE-180091-MS
Figure 8 —Deterministic and probabilistic initial rate estimation for hydraulic fracture in the intervals 10,024 to 10,038 ft and 10,050 to
10,070 ft of Well LGA-013.
The estimation of production was made assuming the hydraulic fracture of the two layers of the
glauconitic Hollin (10,024 to 10,038 ft, 10,050 to 10,070 ft); however, during the WO execution,
additional information acquired led to the reduction of the proposed fracture interval (10,024 to 10,038 ft)
and consequently its effectiveness. The remaining reserves of 1.138 million barrels of oil were estimated
using the P50 of initial oil rate (530 BOPD) and the exponential annual decline of 15%. However,
reducing the thickness of the fracture interval, the deterministic initial rate was adjusted to 357 BFPD, 242
BOPD, and 32% water.
Uncertainty Mitigation Plan
The Lago Agrio is a mature field having more than 40 years of production, which affects the longevity
of wells. Historical reports indicated corrosion problems and worn casing, so the running of integrity logs
in the complete production casing section was made obligatory for old wells in reactivation programs,
particularly when the intervention involves high pressure treatments, such as hydraulic fractures. Addi-
tionally, as part of the WO program, it was recommended that cement logs be run to bottom to validate
the quality of the cement and discard the possibility of a water source caused by poor cement, as previous
cement logs were not run below the Lower Hollin. For this particular case, it was recommended that the
Lower T be isolated using a special balanced cement plug during the intervention to help prevent water
production in the Hollin by mechanical communication with the Lower T, and also to preserve the Lower
T, which is considered a secondary target in this well.
To identify possible water entry zones, the CSNG log in combination with the saturation logging tool
were proposed. Moreover, the saturation log was useful for identifying possible hydrocarbon saturation
zones, i.e. to visualize bypassed hydrocarbon reserves. Both logs helped define the adequate intervals to
apply the chemical treatment for water conformance and the hydraulic fracture.
SPE-180091-MS 11
The values of effective permeability were validated with the interpretation of pressure tests [pressure
transient analysis (PTA)] and the values of pressure reservoir and skin would be confirmed by the
subsequent pressure test realized during implementation of the proposed work.
Cased Hole Logs
In June of 2015, during WO No. 33, the proposed logs were run. The first acquired log was the casing
inspection log (CAST-GR-CCL) from 360 to 10,249 ft. In general, for the Hollin formation depths, the
wear was moderate, including a zone with high damage (interval: 10,140 to 10,170 ft), which coincided
with the zones where previous squeeze treatments were realized. At 10,076 ft, a depth where the CIBP
was placed, damage of casing was observed. With respect to the complete casing section, holes in the
casing were observed at the following depths and intervals: 9,080 ft; 4,965 to 4,971 ft, 4,758 to 4,578 ft,
4,496 to 4,501 ft, 3,752 ft, 2,822 to 2,835 ft. Fig. 9 shows some of the casing damage (Mantilla 2015).
Figure 9 —Casing inspection log of Well LGA-013—some casing damage sections (Mantilla 2015).
The cement log [CBL-microseismogram (MSG)-GR-CCL] was run within the production casing from
370 to 10,249 ft (CBL curve until 10,170 ft). The low values of amplitude, such as light colors in the
impedance maps, track confirmed good quality of the cement behind the casing for the Hollin reservoir,
including interest intervals and underlying and overlying zones. The MSG showed good adherence
between cement-casing and cement-formation. The service company specialists elaborated an integral
processing of CBL-CAST logs (cement processing) to evaluate in detail the quality of the cement, and the
result was the presence of good cement (approximately 100%) in the intervals, with a minimum of
contaminated cement toward the top of the reservoir (Fig. 10).
12 SPE-180091-MS
Figure 10 —Casing inspection and cement evaluation logs of Well LGA-013.
Despite the less than ideal mechanical conditions of the casing, the good quality cement in the interest
intervals allowed the continuation of the plan to perform hydraulic fractures, but with the restriction that
it would be a conventional hydraulic fracture.
The CSNG in combination with the saturation logging tool were run separately in the intervals of
interest. With the comparison between GR from openhole curves and total GR from CSNG, the activation
of the radioactive element uranium was noted, which could be indicative of the presence of free water in
zones that have produced previously. This effect was evident primarily at the following depths: 10,028 to
10,038 ft, 10,102 to 10,130 ft (Fig. 11). In the upper interval (10,028 to 10,038 ft, glauconitic Hollin), the
effect on the uranium content was purely mineralogical because of the predominance of glauconite and
certain percentage of ankerite, while in the lower interval (10,102 to 10,130 ft, tidal Hollin), the high
uranium content was attributed to the lateral entrance of water from the aquifer that was located originally
at 9,150 ft TVD subsea (TVDSS) in the fluvial Hollin.
SPE-180091-MS 13
Figure 11—Composite logs: saturation and CSNG logs of Well LGA-013.
The saturation log indicated effective porosities between 11% (glauconitic and tidal Hollin) and 12.9%
(fluvial Hollin), with an average oil saturation ranging from 20 to 28% and some peaks of low saturation
(8%) and high saturation (80%). The logged section exhibited some zones with even hydrocarbon
saturation: 10,050 to 10,070 ft, 10,090 to 10,100 ft, 10,170 to 10,204 ft. The results of the saturation log
can be affected by controlled fluid invasion/admission, or because readings from the tool reduced
reliability in low porosity zones. Both constraints can impact the decision making based on this log for
the glauconitic Hollin intervals in the Lago Agrio field.
Given the proximity of the water entrance with the originally proposed lower interval, the interval for
hydraulic fracture was modified to between 10,024 to 10,038 ft, and sealing treatment was chosen to shut
off water flow into the tidal Hollin (perforations from 10,100 to 10,104 ft). The sealant treatment pumped
into the base of Hollin’s tidal zone delayed water breakthrough by creating an effective seal between the
water and oil zones and by reinforcing the natural vertical barriers shown in the openhole logs (10,072 to
10,082 ft). Bypassed remaining reserves might be at the top of tidal Hollin; however, production
constraints in the field led to selecting producer intervals with less risk in terms of hydrocarbon saturation
and water entrance.
Treatment Design
After analyzing the petrophysics, reservoir parameters, geographic well location, well logs, and produc-
tion history, it was determined that the Hollin tidal and shallow marine intervals were vertically
discontinuous, showing slightly lower pressure with regard to the fluvial zone, which was attributed to
stratigraphic barriers and the current waterdrive systems.
14 SPE-180091-MS
Several materials have been used to seal water zones in multilayer reservoirs. For Well LGA-013, an
OCP (a permanent sealant), was designed to be pumped into the base of Hollin’s tidal zone to delay water
breakthrough and enhance oil recovery in the glauconitic Hollin zone.
The program considered the pumping of the following fluids through a string of 1.5-in. OD using a CT
unit:
● Fluids for the injection test to evaluate the injectivity of the formation and get information
regarding pumping pressure variation in function of the rate: (1) potassium chloride (KCl) (brine)
and surfactant, which are compatible with the formation to help prevent precipitates that can affect
the permeability of the invaded area, and (2) mixture of organic solvents to dissolve any trace of
organic residue or emulsion that can reduce the permeability of the formation. Thus, the OCP
treatment might have better injectivity and mobility when forced through the porous medium.
● The fluid of the primary treatment or OCP provides a conformance control solution. It is a
crosslinked organic polymer with the ability to seal the formation zones permanently by forming
a rigid gel. It is effective for control of water flow in formations with temperatures ranging from
32 to 400°F. Chemically, it is environmentally acceptable and easy to mix and pump in the field.
It provides a solution with low viscosity (3 to 385 cp) within the formation, which allows the fluid
to spread within the rock matrix. The crosslinked process is activated by the temperature of the
formation, plugging the pore spaces and channels. Table 2 shows the field and laboratory OCP
parameters.
Table 2—Field and laboratory OCP parameters (De la Cadena
2015).
Fluids pH Field pH Laboratory
Water 7.0 7.5
Water ⫹ KCl 9.0 8.0
Water ⫹ KCl ⫹ H2-10 5.0 5.0
Water ⫹ KCl ⫹ OCP 10.0 10.0
A sample of the OCP system from the field was taken and subjected to a temperature of 220°F to
measure the crosslink time for the concentrations used.
Based on reservoir conditions and well mechanical conditions, the treatment fluid was designed to
reach 8 hours of crosslinking time and a CT path was necessary to focus the treatment injection. In
addition, simulations on software were performed to determine treatment fluid volumes and penetration
into the reservoir (Fig. 12).
Figure 12—Simulations on software to determine treatment fluid volumes and penetration into the reservoir.
SPE-180091-MS 15
According to simulation results, the treatment fluid volumes were determined as follows, reaching a
penetration of 7 ft into the reservoir:
● 100 bbl 2% KCl brine: filled up the well and first injection test
● 5 bbl solvent system: enhanced fluid injection
● 10 bbl 2% KCl brine: second injection test
● 40 bbl OCP permanent sealant
● 22 bbl 2% KCl brine: CT displacement
Treatment Execution
To perform the execution of this treatment, a CT unit was necessary, including a bottom hole assembly
(BHA) with a high rate nozzle jet to focus the treatment injection into the desired interval.
Injectivity Test
Using CT, 2% KCl brine was pumped to fill up the well. A test BHA was placed into the well with a
mechanical packer in 3 1/2-in. tubing at 10,089 ft. The correlation between the GR-CCL and depth of
radioactive level was discovered at 10,072 ft. CT pipe was positioned at 10,104 ft (in front of the interval
base where the treatment was to be pumped). An injection test pumping 10 barrels of KCl (2% KCl) and
5 barrels of solvent was performed, achieving good injectivity. The parameters for this test were 0.2
bbl/min with an injection pressure of 3,300 psi. The pump plot (Fig. 13) shows good formation injectivity.
Figure 13—Injectivity test with CT unit to 0.2 bbl/min and 3,300 psi.
The next stage was to inject 5 bbl of solvent system to enhance injection parameters, followed by a
second injection test with 2% KCl brine to determine if the initial injection parameters were improved.
A total of 0.5 bbl/min was reached with an injection pressure of 3,700 psi.
Primary Treatment Pumping
A total treatment of 40 bbl of OCP permanent sealant was injected into the formation in two stages with
1.5-in. CT: 24 bbl at 0.5 bbl/min and 3,500 psi, and 16 bbl at 0.3 bbl/min and 3,400 psi (Fig. 14).
16 SPE-180091-MS
Figure 14 —Pressure and rate behavior during pumping water control treatment.
After completing the treatment injection, the well was closed to allow an efficient gel crosslinking time
inside the rock. Then, the workover continued with hydraulic fracturing of the upper zone of glauconitic
Hollin, cleaning, and performing post-fracture evaluation of the well. After the evaluation, the well was
completed with an ESP (Fig. 15).
Figure 15—Well LGA-013 mechanical diagrams before and after WO No. 33.
SPE-180091-MS 17
Results Post-Treatment: Well Evaluation and Production Performance
This case study represents the first chemical treatment for water shutoff reported in this field. After this
treatment, the well was tested with a mobile testing unit (MTU) and jet pumped for 22 days. The last
average production rate was 347 BFPD, 220 BOPD with a water cut of 36.6% and a declining trend (Fig.
16). The last water cut value reported was 35.5 %.
Figure 16 —Well LGA-013: Well test after water shutoff treatment in tidal Hollin.
According to buildup interpretation, the current reservoir pressure was 3,788 psi (at the perforation
level), the reservoir permeability could be between 6 and 9 md, and skin oscillation ranged from -3.4 to
2.91 (two-layer reservoir). By means of the PTA, the half-length of the hydraulic fracture in the well was
estimated to be very short— close to 20.9 ft. The nodal analysis matched the outflow and inflow curves
with 6 md, skin of 2.91, and dimensionless fracture conductivity (FCD) of 1.00 (1.28 less than if the
hydraulic fracture were in both layers of the glauconitic Hollin). The bottom flowing pressure during the
evaluation was 753 psi, which is 400 psi less than the value used in the rate estimation (1,147 psi),
indicating that, by applying a similar drawdown (2,640 psi), the well could produce 195 BOPD.
Conclusions
Identifying the cause of water production in wells was the first step to achieving an effective solution to
address excessive water production.
A lack of important information— cement logs, recovery mechanism, production and pressure history,
location of the original and current water oil contact, oil properties, presence of vertical flow barriers, and
permeability and porosity variability, among others— can lead to inappropriate treatment design and
consequently greater volumetric risk.
OCP used for water shutoff by forming a hydrogel can be an effective option to help prevent the
premature abandonment of zones with excessive water production. After treatment, the well was tested
with 36% water cut and 220 bbl of oil.
The sealant strategy used in Well LGA-013 can be leveraged in other Hollin reservoir wells to create
an effective seal between water and oil zones and, in turn, increase the oil-to-water ratio.
18 SPE-180091-MS
Acknowledgments
The authors thank Petroamazonas EP for permission to publish this paper, and a special thank you to the
Halliburton team who generated valuable data to support this work.
Nomenclature
API American Petroleum Institute gravity
bbl barrels
bbl/min barrels per minutes
BFPD barrels of fluid per day
BHA bottomhole assembly
BOPD barrels of oil per day
CAST circumferential acoustic scanning tool
CBL cement bond log
CCL casing collar locator
CIBP cast iron bridge plug
CSNG compensated spectral natural gamma ray
CT coiled tubing
ESP electro submergible pump
FCD dimensionless fracture conductivity
ft feet
GR gamma ray
KCl potassium chloride
MD measured depth
md millidarcies
MSG microseismogram
MTU mobile testing unit
OCP organically crosslinked polymer
psi pound square inch
PTA pressure transient analysis
PVT pressure/volume/temperature
scf standard cubic feet
STB stocktank barrel
Sw water saturation
TD Total depth
TVD true vertical depth
TVDSS true vertical depth subsea
VDL variable density log
WO workover
WOR water oil ratio
WOR’ water oil ratio derivative
SI Metric and English Conversion
Factors
bbl ⫻ 1.589 E-01 ⫽ m3
cp ⫻ 1.0 E-03 ⫽ Pa.s
ft ⫻ 3.048 E-01 ⫽ m
ft3 ⫻ 2.832 E-02 ⫽ m3
psi ⫻ 4.536 E⫹00 ⫽ kpa
SPE-180091-MS 19
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