Offshore frac packs benefit from seawater-based borate fluid

A diverse range of technologies are discussed. Offshore frac packs, which in the past few years have become common in high permeability sands, are now benefiting from seawater-based frac fluids. Also offshore, more operators are installing probes for monitoring sands and erosion that could cause sev...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Oil & gas journal 1998-09, Vol.96 (39), p.49-62
Main Authors: ALI, S.A.A, PICKERING, W.M, SKETCHLER, B.C, POWELL, R.J, HARRIS, P.C, SMITH, S.K, VITTHAL, S
Format: Magazinearticle
Language:English
Subjects:
Applied sciences
Chlorine
Cost control
Crude oil, natural gas and petroleum products
Crude oil, natural gas, oil shales producing equipements and methods
Energy
Enhanced oil recovery methods
Exact sciences and technology
Flow rates
Fluids
Fuels
Offshore oil wells
Oil and gas fields
Oil fields
Oil sands
Oilfield equipment & services
Packaging
Permeability
Petroleum production
Polymers
Production planning
Prospecting and production of crude oil, natural gas, oil shales and tar sands
Rheology
Seawater
Technological change
Viscosity
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Summary:A diverse range of technologies are discussed. Offshore frac packs, which in the past few years have become common in high permeability sands, are now benefiting from seawater-based frac fluids. Also offshore, more operators are installing probes for monitoring sands and erosion that could cause severe problems if not detected. With a number of control valves to select from and the availability of PID controllers, production equipment design now more adaptable for the varying flow rates often encountered in oil fields. In one example, Chevron USA Production Co. used a seawater-based fluid continuing 25 lb/1,000 gal of an optimized low-guar, borate cross-linked (OLGB) fracturing fluid with a chlorine-based, oxidizing breaker (CBOB) to frac pack a relatively thin oil sand. Initial oil production after treatment was 850 bo/d, with 1.6MMscfd gas, a two-fold increase over typical frac-backed wells in the area.
ISSN:0030-1388
1944-9151