Clariant Oil Services Increases Production of Lazy Gas Wells by 1419.8 Mscfd

Benefits

• Increase in gas production from 30 e3m3 (1064.8 Mscfd) to 70 e3m3 (2484.6 Mscfd) per day
• Successful removal of water and solids that were blocking the perforated interval
• The increase in production coupled with a very low associated chemical cost added significant value 

Background

Low pressure gas wells can be dramatically affected by the production of water – either by free produced water or condensation water caused by the cooling of gas as it travels up the production tubing. When water collects in the bottom of a well, it can lead to lost production. And if allowed to build up to sufficient levels, it will kill production altogether. When solid soap sticks or liquid foamers are added to the water column, betaines, sulfonates (fluoro-surfactants for condensate foaming), etc. and a persistent foam is formed, thus lightening the hydrostatic head and enabling regular gas production to lift the water from the well.

The wells on this Alberta lease were particularly sensitive to water production, as pressure less than 700 kPa (102 psi) and production of only 0.5m3 (3.15 bls/d) of water per day would kill the well. Well depth ranged from 500 to 750 meters (1650 to 2460 feet).

Additional challenges arose when a high amount of solids further loaded up the wells and lowered production, and when asphaltene precipitation reacted with the sand production to form a very adherent and dense solid precipitate downhole.

Clariant Oil Services Solutions and Value Delivered

Clariant Oil Services initially cleaned the wells with a batch treatment of asphaltene solvent (WellBoost™ 115* and WellBoost 131**), after which WellBoost 109*** was used to unload solids from the well. Injection via a downhole capillary of 20 liters per day of the liquid-based foaming chemical WellBoost 108**** was then used to continually unload water and significantly increase gas production.

The chart below shows an optimization exercise. It illustrates that with no chemical injection, the gas rates were as low as 30 e3m3 per day (1064.8 Mscfd). When 10 liters per day of WellBoost 108 was injected, production increased to 60 e3m3 per day (2129.6 Mscfd); with 20 liters per day, production increased even more. Significant value was added by increasing production by 40 e3m3 (1419.7 Mscfd) with less than CDN$200 of associated chemical costs.

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™ Trademark application filed in many countries by Clariant

* Previously sold as as SOLVTREAT® EFI-204

** Previously sold as SOLVTREAT® 8558

*** Previously sold as SURFTREAT® SFTW 4558

**** Previously sold as SURFTREAT® 8553