1 Acid Fracturing

Principles of Acid Fracturing

2 Acid Fracturing
Acid Fracturing Basics
Acid is injected above fracturing pressure
- A hydraulic fracture is created

Limestone and Dolomite

Fracture faces are dissolved and etched
- Conductive channels are created

Length of etched fracture
- Determined by acid type, volume, strength, leakoff
parameters, reaction rate and spending rate.

Effectiveness determined by
- Fracture length
- Fracture conductivity
3 Acid Fracturing
Candidates for Acid Fracturing
Cleaner limestone and Dolomite formations
- Must have good fracture containment to generate length

Dirty carbonate rocks (< 70% solubility in HCl) are
poor candidates
- Acid etched channel will be impaired
- Release of insoluble material will plug the channel

Chalk formations may not be suitable
- Soft, unable to retain conductivity after closure

Not applicable to sandstone formations
- HCl, even HF will not adequately etch sandstone
fracture face
- Materials released through dissolution will plug the fracture
4 Acid Fracturing
Acid & Propped Fracturing
Comparison
Acid Fracturing Propped Fracturing

Equipment/Treatment Less complicated More complicated
Proppant problems No Yes
Proppant Transport Problem No Yes
Fluid Loss Control Poor Better
Candidates Carbonates Only Carbonates +
Sandstones
Residual Damage in Fracture No Yes
Fracture Length Achievable Shorter Longer
5 Acid Fracturing
Factors Influencing Fracture Length
& Conductivity
Acid type, strength and volume
- Affects etched width and fracture lengths
Acid leakoff
- Additional complication due to gel cake erosion and
wormhole development
Acid viscosity
- Governs fracture width and acid transport along length
Injection rate
Formation type
- Mineralogy, temperature, saturation, wettability
6 Acid Fracturing
Consideration of Acid Fracturing
Design
Fracture propagation to the desired length

Acid is capable of dissolving large amount of
reservoir rock

Retain adequate length and conductivity after
closure

Rapid cleanup of treatment fluid

Cost effective
7 Acid Fracturing
Acid Fracture Mechanics

Acid Leakoff
Acid Reaction
Acid Transport
8 Acid Fracturing
Acid Reaction
Strength LB CaCO3
Dissolved
Type of Acid (%) /1000 gal acid
at 100F

Hydrochloric 15 1,833
20 2,515
28 3,662

Formic 9 726

Acetic 10 422



Higher strengths and higher volumes will create
more fracture width
9 Acid Fracturing
Different Acid Types and
Strengths

10 Acid Fracturing
Acid Leakoff

Acid leakoff cause the decline in treating
pressure during pumping
- Fracture extension becomes impossible
- Conventional filter cakes are destroyed by the
acid

Natural Fissures and Fractures
- Fissures get wider as more acid is introduced
- Limit the fracture propagation

Wormholes
- Divert larger volume of acid away from the
primary fracture
11 Acid Fracturing
Wormhole Development

Major source of leakoff
limiting penetration

Wormholes also
reduce fracture width

Form in the porosity of
rock matrix
12 Acid Fracturing
Wormhole Development

Effect of Temperature

13 Acid Fracturing
Wormhole Development

Effect of Acid Concentration

14 Acid Fracturing
Wormhole Development

Effect of Injection Rate

15 Acid Fracturing
Controlling Acid Leakoff

Acid Swellable Polymers
- Used to control wormhole early during treatment

Oil Soluble Resins
- Limited commercial application

Gelled water pad ahead of acid or within stages
of acid
- Increased penetration due to reduced acid reaction
rate

Gelled acid
- Reduced leakoff by increasing filtrate viscosity

16 Acid Fracturing
Controlling Acid Leakoff

Acid Swellable Polymers
- Used to control wormhole early during treatment

Oil Soluble Resins
- Limited commercial application

Gelled water pad ahead of acid or within stages
of acid
- Increased penetration due to reduced acid reaction
rate

Gelled acid
- Reduced leakoff by increasing filtrate viscosity

17 Acid Fracturing
Controlling Acid Leakoff

Acid Swellable Polymers
- Used to control wormhole early during treatment

Oil Soluble Resins
- Limited commercial application

Gelled water pad ahead of acid or within stages
of acid
- Increased penetration due to reduced acid reaction
rate

Gelled acid
- Reduced leakoff by increasing filtrate viscosity

18 Acid Fracturing
Controlling Acid Leakoff

Polymeric pad - Acid stages

Reduced leakoff due
to wormhole plug-up


Accelerated leakoff
following gel cake
erosion


19 Acid Fracturing
Controlling Acid Leakoff

DuoFrac II

Alternating stages
of acid and gel


Increased efficiency
and fracture length


20 Acid Fracturing
Acid Transport

Transport from the center of the fracture to the
fracture walls, i.e. diffusion.

Transport along the fracture length. Effects due
to pressure and density differences, i.e.
advection and convection


c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
C
t
Cv
x
Cv
y
Cv
z z
D
C
z
x
y z
e
= +
|
\

|
.
|

advection, convection
x
y
z

diffusion
21 Acid Fracturing
Acid Diffusion

Fluid Leakoff
Rock Etching
Acid Diffusion
Acid transport due
to concentration
differences

Affects acid reaction
rate, and hence fracture
geometry
22 Acid Fracturing
Parameters Controlling Acid
Diffusion

Reduce fluid turbulence: Addition of viscosifiers
and wider fractures.

Reduce acid leakoff: Limited particle velocity to
the fracture walls.

Increase fracture width: More time for particle
transport.

Reduce temperature: Cooldown fluids


23 Acid Fracturing
Acid Transport along Fracture
Length

Governed by fluid pressure,
density differences and
gravity.

Used to promote longer
etched fracture lengths
due to viscous fingering.


24 Acid Fracturing
Acid Transport along Fracture
Length


Viscous fingering

Occurs when viscous fluid is displaced by less
viscous fluid

Three positive effects:
- Acid velocity is increased
- Acid etched length is increased
- Acid leakoff area is decreased

A DUOFRAC II treatment also experience viscous
fingering
25 Acid Fracturing
Acid Transport along Fracture
Length



Standard Analysis vs. 3-D Numerical
Analysis

0 100 200
Fracture Half-Length - ft
4896
4916
4936
4956
4976
4996
5016
W
e
l
l

D
e
p
t
h

-

f
t
0.00 - 0.01
0.01 - 0.01
0.01 - 0.02
0.02 - 0.02
0.02 - 0.02
0.02 - 0.03
0.03 - 0.03
> 0.03
0 100 200
Fracture Half-Length - ft
4896
4916
4936
4956
4976
4996
5016
W
e
l
l

D
e
p
t
h

-

f
t
0.01 - 0.02
0.02 - 0.02
0.02 - 0.03
0.03 - 0.04
0.04 - 0.05
0.05 - 0.06
0.06 - 0.07
> 0.07
One dimensional Three dimensional
26 Acid Fracturing
Acid Reaction Rate

The number of acid molecules with carbonate
rock per unit of time

Controlling mechanism
- Diffusion and reaction kinetics

The diffusion and kinetic mechanism can be
reduced
- By decreasing the temperature
- By increasing the viscosity of acid mixture
27 Acid Fracturing
Acid Reaction Rate

( )
c
c
M
t
K C C
acid
r wall eqm
m
=
M
acid
= moles of acid at fracture wall

K
r
= Reaction rate constant

C
wall
= Acid concentration at fracture wall

C
eqm
= Equilibrium acid concentration

Depends on detailed chemical composition of
species involved
28 Acid Fracturing
( ) ( )
c
c
M
t
K C C C C v
acid
g wall wall L
= +
M
acid
= moles of acid at fracture wall

K
g
= Diffusion constant

C
wall
= Acid concentration at fracture wall

C = Average acid concentration

v
L
= Leakoff velocity

Acid Reaction Equilibrium

Acid concentration at surface balanced by that
transported through diffusion
29 Acid Fracturing
Acid Reaction Equilibrium

Diffusion limited acid fracturing:

- Extremely fast reaction rate. Etching limited by diffusion
acid transport


Kinetic limited acid fracturing:

- Rapid acid transport. Limited acid - rock reaction.


30 Acid Fracturing
Optimizing Conductivity & Etched
Fracture Length
No theoretical limitation of conductivity value
- A matter of pumping more acid to widen the etched width




Maximum stimulation ratio achieved
- Corresponds to the case of infinite conductivity fracture





Optimum acid fracture penetration


x
k w
k
f
f
~
50
31 Acid Fracturing
Fluids for Deeper Acid
Penetration
Leakoff control is imperative

Decreasing leakoff through natural fissures
- 100 mesh resin/sand, or fine salt
- LCA and viscous pads

Decreasing leakoff due to wormholes
- LCA
- Viscosified acid (DGA)
- DUOFRAC II

Decreasing leakoff through fracture walls
- Viscous fluid bank
32 Acid Fracturing
Fluids for Deeper Acid
Penetration
Leakoff control is imperative

Decreasing leakoff through natural fissures
- 100 mesh resin/sand, or fine salt
- LCA and viscous pads

Decreasing leakoff due to wormholes
- LCA
- Viscosified acid (DGA)
- DUOFRAC II

Decreasing leakoff through fracture walls
- Viscous fluid bank
33 Acid Fracturing
Fluids for Deeper Acid
Penetration
Leakoff control is imperative

Decreasing leakoff through natural fissures
- 100 mesh resin/sand, or fine salt
- LCA and viscous pads

Decreasing leakoff due to wormholes
- LCA
- Viscosified acid (DGA)
- DUOFRAC II

Decreasing leakoff through fracture walls
- Viscous fluid bank
34 Acid Fracturing
Cooldown
Cooldown in Acid Fracturing
- Controls diffusion and surface reaction rates

BHST > 200F, rapid reaction with HCl
- Acid etching is limited to a flow test

Best fluid for cooldown
- High leakoff fluids
- Affected by volume, rate and fluid invasion to the
primary porosity

Requirement in a fissured reservoir
- Initiate cooldown once the leakoff to fissures has been
limited
35 Acid Fracturing
Retarded Acid
Acid with a reduced reaction rate

Penetrates more deeply into the fracture

Fracture width is decreased

The degree of retardation is defined by
retardation factor (RF)

- HCl, RF = 1
Retarded Acid, RF > 1
36 Acid Fracturing
Retardation Factor
Base values RF
- HCl, DGA and LCA 1

- DAD 2

- Surfactant retarded with
F98 2

- Organic acid 4

- SXE 10


37 Acid Fracturing
Retardation Factor-Static & Dynamic
Conditions

38 Acid Fracturing
Acid Fracturing Design
Fundamentals
Achieving acid fracture penetration

Maximize acid fracture length
- BHST < 200F, use fluid and lowest leakoff
- BHST > 200F, use cooldown + acid retardation

Acid fracture length should be limited
- Where no barrier to limit height growth
- To prevent communication with water or gas zones
- Fracture length = 1/2 thickness of producing interval
(radial)

Maximize the injection rate
- Deeper penetration
- Dictated by maximum allowable wellhead pressure