TECHNOLOGY UPDATE

Matrix Acidizing Innovation Surpasses

Competing Methods in Saudi Carbonate
Zillur Rahim, SPE, Hamoud Al-Anazi, SPE, Mahbub Ahmed, SPE, and Adnan Al-Kanaan, SPE, Saudi Aramco;
and Wael El-Mofty, SPE, Packers Plus Energy Services

Matrix acidizing is a method of stimu-
lating carbonate reservoirs for oil and
gas production. Unlike acid fracturing,
matrix acidizing creates conductive flow
channels, also known as wormholes,
which possess much higher conductivity
than the reservoir rock. These conduc-
tive channels transport reservoir fluids
from within the formation matrix direct-
ly into the wellbore overcoming both low
permeability and near wellbore damage.
In matrix acidizing of moderate to pro-
lific carbonate reservoirs, efficient acid
placement is a major challenge, as acid
tends to flow preferentially toward inter-
vals with the highest permeability. It
can result in overstimulation of these
areas, leaving the low-permeability
intervals untreated.
A significant percentage of matrix
acidizing treatments do not meet expec-
tations because of an improper job design
and acid placement. In some cases, an
increase in water production occurs after
a stimulation job as a result of preferen-
tial stimulation of high-permeability sec-
tions associated with water.
Case Study: Khuff Carbonate
Khuff is a carbonate formation deposit-
ed on a shallow continental shelf in the
Ghawar structure of eastern Saudi Ara-
bia. It is divided into four intervals, A to
D, with production mainly coming from
the two gas-bearing layers: Khuff-B, a
tight dolomite, and Khuff-C, a more pro-
lific calcite.
Since its initial appraisal in the late
1970s, the majority of Khuff ’s devel-
opment activities have focused on the
Permian Khuff-C formation. Extensive
heterogeneity in stress, reservoir qual-
ity, and reservoir fluids throughout the
field, combined with the deep and hot
nature of the reservoir, makes effec-
tive stimulation of all layers a challeng-
ing task. All Khuff gas-producing wells
require acid stimulation either by acid
fracturing or matrix acidizing to obtain
high production rates and sufficient
flowing wellhead pressure to be tied into
production facilities.
Until mid-2011, the majority of
Khuff horizontal gas wells were drilled
toward the maximum horizontal in-situ
stress (σmax) to enhance wellbore stabili-
ty and achieve the best penetration rates.
However, when multistage fracture stim-
ulation is desired and the well is drilled
in the σmax direction, the fractures will
grow longitudinally (parallel to the well-
bore) and cause potential risk of overlap-
ping with subsequent fractures. There-
fore, initiation of the second and third
fractures becomes a challenge because of
possible pressure communication across
the first induced fracture.
To avoid fracture overlapping, a well
slated for multistage fracturing should be
drilled toward the minimum horizontal
in-situ stress (σmin), which allows trans-
verse fracture growth (perpendicular to
the wellbore). Drilling wells toward σmin
often poses challenges, such as wellbore
instability and differential sticking, but
the improved long-term productivity jus-
tifies the strategy.
Limited-Entry Matrix Acidizing
In the more prolific zones of the Khuff-
C formation, there are wells that could
only be drilled in the σmax direction,

Fig. 1—A stage of the openhole, multistage limited-entry matrix acidizing. The treatment is effectively placed at an
optimal rate and pressure within each stage, thereby maximizing the development of wormholes throughout the
stimulated length of a carbonate reservoir. Image courtesy of Packers Plus Energy Services.

32 JPT • MAY 2014

TechUpdateMay14_Art1.indd 32 4/14/14 2:21 PM


Fig. 2—A normalized productivity
comparison of the candidate well and
three offset wells shows improved
productivity with the application of
the openhole multistage limited-entry
matrix acidizing system. Graphic
courtesy of Saudi Aramco.
because of proximity to other boreholes
and the resulting danger of the wells
colliding with each other. Acid fractur-
ing of these wells could have led to the
creation of a single linear fracture that
would propagate parallel to the wellbore
and possibly cause pressure communi-
cation with adjacent stages across the
rock matrix. To prevent this, an inno-
vative approach was required that used
­limited entry to enhance acid distribu-
tion to achieve a deep, high-rate matrix
acidizing treatment.
The openhole (OH) multistage
­limited-entry matrix acidizing (LEMA)
completion system is a successful tech-
nology that has opened access to several
major carbonate reservoirs. In this sys-
tem, stages are created by isolating sec-
tions of the wellbore using OH mechani-
cal packers and multiple shear-activated
stimulation jets, which are spaced out in
the sections of interest (Fig. 1).
Unlike standard single entry-
point OH completions that are typical-
ly designed with uniform stage spacing,
multiple jet nozzles are adjusted and
placed according to reservoir character-
istics, thus enabling controlled injection
and leakoff for distributed flow of the
acid into the entire length of each stage.
JPT • MAY 2014
TechUpdateMay14_Art1.indd 33
The designed treatment is thereby effec-
tively placed at an optimal rate and pres-
sure within each stage, resulting in the
maximized development and complexity
of wormholes throughout the stimulated
reservoir length.
Results
The candidate well in the Khuff-C forma-
tion, which was drilled parallel to σmax,
was chosen to test whether the OH LEMA
system could increase production. After
a thorough analysis of the geomechanical
properties of the formation and the OH
log data, a three-stage LEMA system was
designed with a single port for the first
stage and six stimulation jets for each of
the second and third stages.
The system was successful-
ly deployed to the target depth in the
1635‑m (5,367-ft) lateral, and acid was
pumped below the formation fracture
pressure according to the treatment
design and pumping schedule. The open-
ing of each interval and the pumping of
the acid treatment went as per design
without operational problems.
Production from the OH LEMA-
completed well was compared with
three offset wells: an OH dual lateral well
that was completed using convention-
al coiled-tubing matrix acidizing (Well
1), and cased-hole deviated and vertical
wells that were both completed with acid
fracturing (Wells 2 and 3, respectively).
As shown in Fig. 2, the OH LEMA-com-
pleted well had the highest production of
the four wells.
This study shows that for prolific
carbonate formations, high-rate, OH,
multistage limited-entry matrix acidizing
is an enabling technology that provides
superior placement of acid treatments
and results in improved production pro-
files, compared with conventional coiled-
tubing matrix acidizing and cased-hole
acid fracturing. JPT
This article was based on paper SPE
166527 presented at the SPE Annual
Technical Conference and Exhibition
in New Orleans, 30 September–
2 October 2013.
4/14/14 2:22 PM
 TECHNOLOGY UPDATE

Intelligent Rotator Extends Sucker Rod Life

Gregg Hurst, SPE, Roman Molotkov, SPE, and Kent Jerden, SPE, Weatherford

Reciprocating rod lift has been a main-

stay artificial lift method for onshore
oil producing wells for nearly a century,
helping to keep marginal wells produc- Stabilizer Bar
Intelligent
ing for as long as economically possi- Rod Rotator
ble. However, the constant up-and-down Load Cell
movement of a sucker rod creates the
risk of erosion wear on the rod and the
production tubing. If left unchecked, the
well may require a costly intervention
for repairs.
Sucker rod rotators have been used
for decades to extend the working life of
sucker rods. Conventional rod rotators,
which have been used since the 1950s,
are ratchet-type mechanical devices that
incrementally rotate the rod with each
stroke. The rotation evenly distributes
the wear around the circumference of the
rod and couplings, rather than isolating
the wear to one side.
Until recently, there has not been an
accurate method to monitor rod rotator
function. An inefficient or inoperable rod
rotator does little or nothing to extend
rod life and puts the integrity of the rod-
pumping system at risk. Short of travel-
ing to the wellsite and visually verifying
rotator operation, there has been no sure
way of knowing if the rotator has slowed
down or stopped working.

An Intelligent Alternative
To counter this inherently inefficient
process, Weatherford has developed an
intelligent rod rotator (Fig. 1) that signif-
icantly reduces the time needed to iden-
tify a failed rotator and thereby extends
the life of the rod while reducing the
risk of an unplanned well shutdown. Fig. 1—The intelligent rod rotator significantly reduces the time needed to
Designed to integrate seamlessly into any identify a rotator failure, thereby extending the rod life and reducing the risk
existing rod-pump controller system, the of a well shutdown. Photos courtesy of Weatherford.

34 JPT • MAY 2014

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 TECHNOLOGY UPDATE
device incorporates several new technol-
ogies that take the guesswork out of rota-
tor failures.
The first technology innovation is
an internal rotation sensor, which is a
fundamental component of the intel-
ligent rod rotator itself. The sensor
detects each rotation of the rod and
sends a signal to a rod-pump controller.
The sensor interfaces with the control-
ler through a software application that
detects each rotation of the rod based on
the signal coming from the sensor into
the controller.
The software application, which is
built into a web-based, well management
and production optimization platform,
collects the rotation data once a day.
In addition, the software provides real-
time monitoring and alarm communi-
cation. If the signal from the rotator is
interrupted, indicating that rotation has
stopped, an alarm will be generated at
the wellsite and transmitted to the field
36
TechUpdateMay14_Art2.indd 36
office. The operator is prompted to inves-
tigate the cause of the alarm, which may
require sending a team to the well to
make repairs.
The intelligent rod rotator’s signal
can be detected by any real-time software
package monitoring the well. Thus, oper-
ators can use their existing monitoring
software to track rod rotator data.
This flexibility in field deployment
prompted the second sensing technology
upgrade—a modification kit that can be
installed on wells with any type and con-
figuration of rod rotator already in place.
The upgrade kit consists of a rotation sen-
sor, sensing magnet and strap, mount-
ing kit, load cell, and ancillary cables. It
enables operators to take advantage of
the monitoring power of the  company’s
system without having to discard the rod
rotators they already have.
The third technology advancement
is in the transmission of signals. A spe-
cial cable and connector enables the load
sensor signal and rod rotator data to be
transmitted to the rod-pump controller
on the same cable. Both parameters can
be measured without deploying addition-
al cables in the field, which reduces oper-
ating expenses and safety risk.
Meeting Operator Objectives
The intelligent rod rotator was developed
in response to a specific need from an
operator in California who had approx-
imately 6,000 rod-pumped wells in a
10-sq-mile area. Roughly half of the
wells included a conventional rod rota-
tor. However, the operator did not have
a reliable or efficient means of know-
ing whether they were working. A prob-
lem would only be discovered during a
wellsite visit by field personnel, typically
every 3 to 4 weeks. The lack of a monitor-
ing system made it impossible to deter-
mine if the rotator had stopped function-
ing 3 weeks earlier or minutes before the
crew had arrived.
Originally, the operator planned to
hire personnel to drive around the field
continually to inspect each rotator. It
would have required 2 days to identify
problem rotators and schedule them for
maintenance. It then would have taken
days to weeks for a repair crew to arrive,
with further risk of rod failure during
the interim. The operator believed this
inspection-to-repair regimen to be inef-
ficient and risky.
The first field trials of the intelligent
rod rotator were conducted for the oper-
ator in summer 2012. The operator had
two objectives:
◗◗Reduce the time needed to
identify a failed rod rotator.
◗◗Increase remote surveillance
capability.
Both objectives were achieved. The
new tool was able to count the number of
strokes per day and detect when a failure
had occurred. The system consistently
and accurately notified the operator, pro-
viding on-site and remote notification,
within 24 hours of a failure.
The intelligent rod rotator enabled
the operator to begin managing its wells
by exception and to schedule mainte-
nance on the basis of the needed priori-
ties. Higher-producing wells were the
first to receive rod rotator maintenance,
resulting in an increased effectiveness
of the operator’s maintenance program
and reduced operational expense.
Upgrades in Progress
Following the initial trial successes, the
system is being upgraded. Prototypes
of other intelligent rod rotator systems
of new sizes are being built to corre-
spond to the load requirements and
depths of different wells. A wireless sys-
tem for transmitting the signal from the
rod rotator to the rod-pump controller
is being developed. A software applica-
tion that can reduce the failure notifica-
tion time from a daily to an hourly basis
is under development. As the upgrades
progress, new field trials in the United
States are planned during the year.
In addition, an intelligent tub-
ing rotator is being developed, which
is based on the general design of the
rod rotator system, but is placed below
the wellhead to monitor tubing rota-
tion underground. JPT
JPT • MAY 2014
4/11/14 8:50 AM