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SPE 18885
ABSTRACT
A fracture acidizing simulator has been written
which incorporates many of the recent advances in
fracture geometry and temperature calculations and
the acid spending process with the many complex
variables which affect acid spending.
All the
various effects have been coupled to reduce errors
and improve simulation.
A procedure which should
effectively
correlate
laboratory
acid-etched
conductivity tests with anticipated field results
has also been introduced.
2.
no heat of reaction,
3.
5.
6.
7.
INTRODUCTION
1.
4.
GEOMETRY CONSIDERATIONS
Lee and Daneshy 9 offer a method of simulating
two dimensional geometry when multiple fluids with
changing rheological properties are used in fracturing treatments with proppant. To implement this
technique in a computer simulation program, a data
base or empirical formula which can relate the
changing rheological properties of fluids with time
and temperature is required. LeelO has simplified
this method by allowing each fluid to have constant
but different rheological properties and then
applied this to acidizing.
In the examples
discussed in this paper, geometries were determined
with this latter method.
At present, we lack the broad data base and
empirical formulas which can relate how the
539
calculated
2.
3.
from
p~sition dependent
SPE 18885
ACIDIZING THEORY
The rate at which hydrochloric acid spends on a
carbonate depends on a number of factors. The two
main factors are the reaction rate constants and
mass transfer.
The rate constants are rockdependent, and are strongly affected by temperature.
Temperature dependence is described by the energy of
activation, Ea, and is usually assumed to be about
15 kcal/gmole for limestones.~
However, careful
laboratory rotating disc tests have shown that Ea
can be as low as 1. 5 kcal/gmole. While this may
seem a moot point for a limestone, acid spending in
laboratory etching tests could not be predicted at
hig'her temperatures unless the proper value of Ea
was used. Proper prediction of acid spendi~g in a
fracture will depend on the ability to accurately
predict the temperature profile as a function of
time.
This profile will be dependent on fluid
cooling effects as well as on heating effects from
the heat of reaction of the acid with the carbo-
nate.1~
540
SPE 18885
TREATMENT TYPES
Conventional.
In the conventional acidizing
treatments at most three stages are pumped:
preflush, acid, and overflush. Preflush is used to
initiate a fracture and lower the temperature
around the fracture. When plain acid is used, acid
reaction is very fast, dissolving large amounts of
rock near
the
wellbore
but
creating
little
penetration distance. Reaction retarding additives
can be added to slow down the acid reaction rate.
However, if the reaction is slowed to the point
that the leading edge of the acid volume has
considerable remaining acid strength, long penetration distance is achieved at the expense of not
dissolving enough rock.
Thus, an optimum design
must compromise between penetration distance and
rock dissolving efficiency.
During acid stages,
fracture temperature could be raised considerably
due to exothermal reaction.
Viscous Fingering.
If a viscous preflush is
pumped prior to an acid with a viscosity difference
of at least 50 cp or with selective perforating,
considerable
viscous
fingering
effect
can
occur. 21 ' 22 By viscous fingering we mean that the
acid can channel through the viscous preflush and
move ahead; this effect is difficult to rigorously
model. The model used in Reference 10 assumes that
for a given gross height, the acid can channel
through only a fraction of this height.
This
fraction is called the fingering coefficient and
can be estimated from laboratory models based on
the viscosity
difference between
the viscous
preflush and the acid.
Thus, if the gross height
is 100 ft (30.5 m) and the fingering coefficient is
20%, then the acid is assumed to penetrate the
viscous preflush region through channels totaling
20ft (6.1 m) in thickness. Since the acid is less
viscous and goes forward through a narrow channel
created inside the viscous preflush region, it
moves forward with a speed much greater than the
viscous preflush.
It is assumed that once the
channels overtake the viscous preflush, they widen
to cover the complete gross height.
Since the
overflush usually has viscosity comparable to or
less than the viscosity of the acid, it is assumed
541
2.
3.
The
alternating
pumping
technique
helps
increase penetration distance if the acid is
retarded and helps control fluid loss.
5.
the
the
the
Energy of Activation.
The energy of activation is a term that describes the change in a rate
constant as a function of temperature, Eq. 2.
Ea
where:
(1. 987)
(2)
2.
4.
ALGORITHM
SIMULATION RESULTS
1.
3.
1.
SPE 18885
542
SPE 18885
C
Cw
Ea
k
Kmt
n
T
CONCLUSIONS
1.
2.
3.
NOMENCLATURE
bulk concentration of acid, gmol/mL
wall concentration of acid, gmol/mL
energy of activation, cal/gmol
reaction rate constant, em/sec
= mass transfer coefficient, em/sec
reaction order
= temperature, K
CONVERSION FACTORS
bbl
OF
ft
gal
darcy
= ms
= oc
=m
= ms
. = llm2
REFERENCES
543
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Nierode,
D.
E.
and
Williams,
B.
B.:
"Characteristics of Acid Reaction in Limestone
Formation," Soc. Pet. Eng. J. (Dec. 1971)
406-418.
6.
Nierode, D.
E. et al.:
"Prediction of
Stimulation From Acid Fracture Treatments," J.
Cdn. Pet. Tech. (Oct.-Dec. 1972) 31-41.
7.
Barron,
D. R.:
in a
(April,
8.
9.
10.
Lee, W. S.:
"Geometry Determination for
Multi-Stage Acidizing Treatment With or Without
Viscous Preflush," Paper SPE 14515 presented at
the 1985 Eastern Regional Meeting, Morgantown,
WV, Nov. 6-8, 1985.
SPE 18885
20.
21.
22.
TABLE 1
Conductivities Used for Figure 3
Conductivities (Darcx-ft)
20 min
60 min
Increase
10
15
5.6
5.4
4.8
Case
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
Broaddus, G. C. et al.:
"Dynamic Etching
Tests
and
Their
Use
in Planning Acid
Treatments," Paper SPE 2362 presented at the
Oklahoma Regional Meeting, Stillwater, OK,
Oct. 1968.
16.
Nierode,
D.
E.
and Kruk, K.
F.:
"An
Evaluation of Acid Fluid Loss Additives,
Retarded
Acids,
and
Acidize
Fracture
Conductivity," Paper SPE 4549 presented at the
1973 SPE Annual Meeting, Las Vegas, Sept.
1973.
17.
18.
Novotny, E. J.:
"Prediction of Stimulation
From Acid Fracturing Treatments Using Finite
Fracture Conductivity," J. Pet. Tech. (Sept.
1977) 1186-1194.
19.
Soliman, M. Y.:
"Numerical Model Estimate
Fracture Production Increase," Oil and Gas J.
(Oct. 13, 1986) 70-74.
544
Production
seE 18885
FIGURE 1
EFFECT OF ENERGY OF ACTIVATION
0.6,---,----,----,----r.:===:r:::::==::::;--,
Ea
15.0
7.5
1.5
0.0 +-.....,....-,--,--+---r-.....,-.....,--+---r--.----r----f.---.--.....-r--":-1
0
40
80
120
160
200
240
DISTANCE (feet)
FIGURE 2
EFFECT OF FREE CONVECTION
CONVECTION
50
100
150
200
250
300
DISTANCE (feet)
545
l:r-----f:::,.
WITH
cr----<:>
WITHOUT
350
450
500
seE 18885
FIGURE3
CONDUCTIVITY CORRELATION
25
~-------,.--------,-------r-----~----.----------r0.25
---er-a
D--O
WIDTH
CASE 1
0.20
CASE2
~ CASE3
+-----+----_J_------!~==~:::::!~=t:t~::~~~~----l-o.oo
300
DISTANCE (feet)
546