Restoration of Rock Permeability Degraded by Well Killing Fluid Using Ultrasonic Vibrations: Experimental Studies

Abstract

The operation of oil production wells is accompanied by the invasion of well killing fluids into a near wellbore zone while well intervention which deteriorates rock permeability and decreases well oil rate. In order to restore the permeability of the rock in the near wellbore zone of the formation, it is proposed in this work to use ultrasonic alternating loading during well inflow stimulation. To study the effect of alternating loading on the permeability of rocks, a laboratory set-up is developed and filtration experiments are carried out. The rock studied was sandstone of medium permeability. The experimental studies included four stages: filtration of the killing fluid (calcium chloride solution) in the forward direction (simulating well killing); keeping the sample in conditions of pumped kill fluid; filtration of kerosene in the opposite direction (simulating an inflow stimulation) until the maximum possible restoration of permeability; filtration of kerosene in the reverse direction under ultrasonic alternating loading conditions for additional permeability restoration. It was revealed, that under conditions of ultrasonic alternating loading, the pore space of the rock, previously blocked by particles of the killing fluid, is unblocked and the permeability of the samples is restored. An analysis was made of the mechanism of blocking the pore space with the killing fluid and restoring the permeability of the rock.

Keywords

• permeability
• rock
• ultrasonic vibrations
• well killing fluid
• pore space