The Effect of Heterogeneity on Matrix Acidizing of Carbonate Rocks

• Main Author: Keys, Ryan S.
• Other Authors: Hill, Dan
• Format: Others
• Language: English
• Published: 2010
• Subjects: Carbonates; Matrix Acidizing
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1969.1/ETD-TAMU-2009-12-7063

In matrix acidizing, the goal is to dissolve minerals in the rock to increase well productivity. This is accomplished by injecting an application-specific solution of acid into the formation at a pressure between the pore pressure and fracture pressure. A hydrochloric acid solution is used in carbonate reservoirs, which actually dissolves the calcite rock matrix in the form of conductive channels called wormholes. These wormholes propagate from the wellbore out into the reservoir, bypassing the damaged zone. In matrix acidizing of carbonates, there are four parameters that affect performance: the concentration of calcite present, injection rate of the acid, reaction type, and heterogeneity. Of these parameters, this paper will focus on how rock heterogeneity affects performance. To do this, a coreflood and acidizing apparatus was used to acidize heterogeneous limestone core samples. Rock characterizations and volumetric measurements were considered with the results from these experiments, which made it possible to correlate and quantify the results with rock and volume parameters. It was found that the core samples with more and larger heterogeneities generally required less acid (measured in pore volumes) to achieve breakthrough, that is, a wormhole created axially from one end of the core to the other. This value for pore volumes to breakthrough was one to two orders of magnitude less than more homogeneous samples. The general procedure and best practices for acidizing the core samples is also detailed in this thesis. This procedure was followed for preparation, coreflooding, and acidizing for all core samples.