An operator in Malaysia conducted an offshore matrix acidizing campaign as part of a production enhancement program. Poststimulation fluid returns were recovered into production facilities before they were exported to the oil gathering terminal; therefore, a conventional flowback package was deployed.
The combination of return fluids’ incompatibility, fines produced from the reservoir, and precipitation caused by increasing the pH of the flowback fluid created emulsion and solid deposits at the production separator and the production line.
While conducting the poststimulation flowback, a severe emulsion formation was observed at the surface facilities. The transfer pump strainer became clogged with solids, causing a two-day loss of well production and impeding continuous flow in several wells, which compromised oil production by 100,000 bbl/d.
SLB proposed a fluid preconditioning solution, which is part of the Production Express rapid production response solutions portfolio. The solutions are a suite of services focused on the wellhead and surface facilities to help operators maximize production and improve cash flow through rapid diagnosis and intervention. These solutions proactively mitigate wasteful or hazardous operations, especially in mature or underperforming fields, with a service that is practical, modular, and highly responsive.
The SLB flowback package design optimized the quality and condition of the fluid returns and their chemical reaction with the fluid flowing from the adjacent wells to the production line, where a strict control of the acidity was imperative to maintain compatibility. Emulsion stabilization simulations ensured that the pH of the returns was greater than 6 to avoid downstream blockage and to promote production continuity.
This fit-for-purpose preconditioning solution enabled a more sustainable, zero-flaring option so that processed fluids met the operator's production criteria and supported continuous hydrocarbon flow without disruption. The customized solution design included an extra processing stage and an optimized chemical injection program. Using Production Express solutions, the returned fluids were collected, separated, and treated efficiently, generating clean fluid after the matrix acidizing operation.
The Production Express solutions facilitated the operator’s production enhancement program with no oil production interruption. As such, the solutions model was adopted as the operator’s standard practice to be integrated in the next stimulation campaign, which includes six wells on various platforms.
