Fluid blocking analysis and chemical evalution

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10436003-B2
Application number	US-201615381817-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 16, 2016
Priority date	Dec 17, 2015
Publication date	Oct 8, 2019
Grant date	Oct 8, 2019

Abstract

An embodiment of a method of evaluating fluid trapping in an earth formation includes injecting a water-based fluid into at least one fluid channel fabricated on a substrate, the at least one fluid channel having a pore structure configured to represent a condition of an earth formation. The method also includes injecting oil into an inlet of the at least one fluid channel until at least a selected amount of the injected oil exits the channel, imaging the fluid channel and determining an amount of remaining fluid in the fluid channel after injection of the oil, the remaining fluid being an amount of the oil and/or an amount of the water-based fluid, and estimating a proportion of the total volume of the fluid channel occupied by the remaining fluid to determine an amount of fluid trapping in the pore structure. The method further includes analyzing the amount of fluid trapping.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of evaluating fluid trapping in an earth formation, the method comprising
injecting a water-based fluid into at least one fluid channel fabricated on a substrate, the at least one fluid channel having a pore structure configured to represent a condition of an earth formation subject to an energy industry operation, the at least one fluid channel including a plurality of pores having a selected diameter and connected by pore throats;
injecting oil into an inlet of the at least one fluid channel until at least a selected amount of the injected oil exits the channel;
imaging the fluid channel and determining an amount of remaining fluid in the fluid channel after injection of the oil, the remaining fluid selected from at least one of an amount of the oil remaining in the fluid channel and an amount of the water-based fluid remaining in the fluid channel;
estimating a proportion of the total volume of the fluid channel occupied by the remaining fluid to determine an amount of fluid trapping in the pore structure, the amount of fluid trapping based on a percentage of at least one of the water-based fluid and the oil remaining in the at least one fluid channel; and
analyzing the amount of fluid trapping, wherein analyzing includes determining whether a chemical treatment is to be included as part of the energy industry operation based on the amount of fluid trapping in the pore structure.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, prior to injecting the water-based fluid, injecting an initial amount of oil into the fluid channel to saturate the fluid channel, wherein injecting the water-based fluid causes the initial amount of oil to be substantially forced out of the channel.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the water-based fluid is at least one of a hydraulic fracturing fluid and an enhanced oil recovery (EOR) fluid, and the energy industry operation is at least one of a hydraulic fracturing operation and an EOR operation.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the water-based fluid includes an additive that modifies interfacial properties and/or enhances the performance of other additives to reduce water trapping in porous media.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the amount includes estimating an area of the pores occupied by the amount of the remaining fluid.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, prior to injecting the water-based fluid, injecting an amount of a surface modifier into the fluid channel to coat surfaces of the pores, and evaluating includes determining an effectiveness of the surface modifier in reducing the fluid trapping.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one fluid channel is a plurality of fluid channels, each of the plurality of fluid channels having a separate inlet and outlet, each of the plurality of fluid channels having a different pore structure.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein injecting the water-based fluid, injecting the oil, imaging the fluid channel and determining an amount of fluid trapping is repeated for each of the plurality of fluid channels, and analyzing includes determining an effect of changes in the pore structure on the effectiveness of the water-based fluid.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the water-based fluid includes a concentration of a surfactant, and evaluating includes determining whether the concentration is sufficient to effect a desired reduction in the amount of the water-based fluid remaining in the fluid channel.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein injecting the water-based fluid, injecting the oil, imaging the fluid channel and determining an amount of fluid trapping is repeated for a plurality of different concentrations of the surfactant.

11. A system for evaluating fluid trapping in an earth formation, the system comprising:
a substrate having at least one fluid channel fabricated thereon, the at least one fluid channel having a pore structure configured to represent a condition of an earth formation subject to an energy industry operation, the at least one fluid channel including a plurality of pores having a selected diameter and connected by pore throats;
an injection device configured to inject a water-based fluid into on a substrate, and subsequently inject oil into an inlet of the at least one fluid channel until at least a selected amount of the injected oil exits the channel;
an imaging device configured to image the fluid channel and determine an amount of remaining fluid in the fluid channel after injection of the oil, the remaining fluid selected from at least one of an amount of the oil remaining in the fluid channel and an amount of the water-based fluid remaining in the fluid channel; and
a processor configured to perform:
estimating a proportion of the total volume of the fluid channel occupied by the remaining fluid to determine an amount of fluid trapping in the pore structure, the amount of fluid trapping based on a percentage of at least one of the water-based fluid and the oil remaining in the at least one fluid channel, the amount of fluid trapping analyzed to determine whether a chemical treatment is to be included as part of the energy industry operation based on the amount of fluid trapping in the pore structure.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the injection device is configured to, prior to injecting the water-based fluid, inject an initial amount of oil into the fluid channel to saturate the fluid channel, wherein injecting the water-based fluid causes the initial amount of oil to be substantially forced out of the channel.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the water-based fluid is a hydraulic fracturing fluid and the energy industry operation is a hydraulic fracturing operation.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the water-based fluid includes an additive that modifies interfacial properties and/or enhances performance of other additives to reduce water trapping in porous media.

15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the processor is configured to determine the amount based on estimating an area of the pores occupied by the amount of the remaining fluid.

16. The system of claim 11 , wherein the injection device is configured to, prior to injecting the water-based fluid, inject an amount of a surface modifier into the fluid channel to coat surfaces of the pores, and the processor is configured to determine an effectiveness of the surface modifier in reducing the fluid trapping.

17. The system of claim 11 , wherein the at least one fluid channel is a plurality of fluid channels, each of the plurality of fluid channels having a separate inlet and outlet, each of the plurality of fluid channels having a different pore structure.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the injection device is configured to inject the water-based fluid, inject the oil, image the fluid channel for each of the plurality of fluid channels, the processor is configured to determine an amount of fluid trapping for each of the plurality of fluid channels.

19. The system of claim 11 , wherein the water-based fluid includes a concentration of a surfactant, and the processor is configured to determine whether the concentration is sufficient to effect a desired reduction in the amount of the water-based fluid remaining in the fluid channel.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the injection device is configured to inject the water-based fluid, inject the oil, and image the fluid channel for each of a plurality of different concentrations of the surfactant.

Assignees

• Kim Jihye
• Gomaa Ahmed
• Nelson Scott G
• Hudson Harold
• Qu Qi
• Baker Hughes A Ge Co Llc

Inventors

• Kim Jihye
• Gomaa Ahmed
• Nelson Scott G
• Hudson Harold
• Qu Qi

Classifications

• E21B43/26 Primary

  by forming crevices or fractures · CPC title

• E21B43/2607

  Surface equipment specially adapted for fracturing operations · CPC title