IPTC 17344

Nano-Technology for Asphaltenes Inhibition in Cupiagua South Wells

R. Zabala, SPE, E. Mora, SPE, Ecopetrol, O.F. Botero,C. Cespedes,L. Guarin, Ecopetrol; C.A. Franco, SPE, QP;
F.B. Cortes, U. Nacional de Colombia; J. E. Patino, N. Ospina, Petroraza

Copyright 2014, International Petroleum Technology Conference

This paper was prepared for presentation at the International Petroleum Technology Conference held in Doha, Qatar, 20–22 January 2014.

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Abstract
Formation damage caused by asphaltenes precipitation in Cupiagua south field has a negative impact on
the volatile oil production on the wells located in XL pad. Chemical Control of Asphaltenes precipitation
has been tested in Cupiagua XL wells to extend the life of organic cleaning jobs. The history of the field
shows the usage of diverse commercial asphaltenes inhibitors with organic nature and high aromatic
content. Products based on nano technology were tested recently, in which nano-particles of nano-sized
metal oxides and high solubility in formation brines are used to adsorb and to carry asphaltenes along the
produced oil up to surface avoiding flocculation and precipitation in the reservoir and the near wellbore.
In the experimental work, lab tests were run in core plugs taken from the target wells. Results showed
ability of nano-fluid to restore the damage caused by asphaltenes; this improved the effective
permeability to oil from 5.79 md up to 10.78 md. Lab results also showed as the nano-fluid could reduce
the impact on induced precipitation of asphaltenes denoted by the value of effective permeability of 0.09
md oil under non-inhibition had shifted up to 2.54 md where previously 0.3 pore volumes of nano-fluid
was squeezed.
XL-4 and XL-5 wells were selected for assessing the effectiveness of the nano-fluids to inhibit the
precipitation of asphaltenes. The first well cpxl-4 was designed with a volume of 220 barrels of nano-
fluid to reach 7.2 feet of penetration. The treatment has allowed gains in cumulative production of
118,000 barrels oil after 4 months of squeeze with the nano-fluid. For the second well cpxl-5 the volume
of nano-fluid was reduced to 180 barrels and penetration radius was increased to 9.2 feet by using a
larger volume of over flush.

Introduction

The Cupiagua Sur field is located 110 kilometers northeast of Bogota in the foothills of the eastern
mountain chain of the Colombian Andes, close to other fields discovered in this area such as Floreña,
Pauto, Volcanera, Recetor, Cupiagua and Cusiana (Fig. 1). Despite Cupiagua Sur is very close to
Cupiagua, this reservoir is totally independent and separated. It is formed by a back thrust structure with
several reservoir pressures and several properties and contacts fluids.
Cupiagua Sur is a compositional volatile oil reservoir with an average API gravity of 38°; there is no
free gas cap at initial conditions. The main formations are Mirador and Barco for XL-4 and Mirador for
XL-5 well which are quite similar about petrophysical and fluid properties (average permeability is 21
md and average porosity is 6.5%).
2 IPTC 17344

It is a prolific oil field that in fifteen years of production has recovered 88 MMstb gross out of 189
MMstb original in place from Mirador and Barco reservoirs in a developed area with four producer and
two injector wells.
Ecopetrol assumed direct operation of Cupiagua Sur since July 2010, following by BP operation.

Fig. 1-Cupiagua Sur Location and other Foothills fields

The current reservoir conditions that can be expected in Cupiagua Sur field are highly dependent on
the way how the reservoir has been produced and the gas injection support. The first production well CP
XP1 started producing in March 1998, while the first gas injector well was put on injection in January
2000; at that time 1 oil volatile well was on production. Currently in the field there are 6 active wells. The
number of producers and gas injectors are 4 and 2 respectively.
The Figure 2 shows that oil production reached its peak in March 2001, which was 41,722 SBbl/d. The
average gas production (at that date) was 175 MMscfd. Nowdays, the recovery factors are (48.2) 48.2%,
and 29.5% in Mirador and Barco respectively. In addition, Fig. 2 shows the historical behavior of
production and injection through time showing the entries of different production wells comprising the
field. On this graph it is easy to explain that there was no production plateu in Cupiagua Sur field, a
constanst decline rate is observed. This indicates the drastic conditions how the reservoir was depleted
and also the drastic conditions regarding sources of damage.
IPTC 17344 3

50000 375000
Axis 1 CONTRACT: SANTIAGO FIELD: CUPIAGUA_SUR(8)
Oil ( bbl/d )
Water ( bbl/d )

XA3 Axis 2
Gas ( Kcf/d ) CONTRACT: SANTIAGO FIELD: CUPIAGUA_SUR(8)

40000 XL5 300000

30000 225000

XP1

20000 XL4 XN6 150000

XZ2

10000 75000

0 0
1998 99 2000 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13

| Date
Fig. 2 – Historical production for Cupiagua Sur Field

The total cumulative gas injection is 911.26GSCF in Mirador and the average gas injection is between
250 and 260 MMscfd lately as Figure 3 indicates
375000
Gas_inj ( Kcf /d ) FIELD: CUPIAGUA_SUR

300000

225000

150000

75000

0
1997 98 99 2000 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13
Date

Fig. 3 – Historical Gas Injection for Cupiagua Sur Field

South Cupiagua as the most of volatile oil reservoirs represents a technical challenge because although
asphaltenes contents are very low, also the largest percentage of these light crude is represented in light
saturates in which compounds, usually asphaltenes have poor solubility.
To discuss the precipitation of asphaltenes in volatile oil, it is important to provide a description of
4 IPTC 17344

volatile oil reservoirs. In such reservoir temperature is slightly lower than the critical point so that the
volatile oil has a high content of this gas or light components of the gas. The hydrocarbon mixture at
initial conditions is near the critical point and it is not very stable. The liquid produced may have an API
between 40 ° -50 ° in some cases may be slightly higher. The phenomenon that occurs in a volatile oil
reservoir during depressurization of the reservoir has to do with the phase equilibrium and the role is
crucial. The reservoir is under initial phase in liquid state, because the temperature is below the critical
temperature, but as it begins to produce and the system pressure decreases quickly reached bubble
pressure, where the first gas bubbles appears and below this pressure creates a free gas phase. What
usually happens is that the gas phase flow easily to production well and the liquid phase contrast and with
a composition different from that originally had moves slowly into the reservoir and accumulates in the
reservoir.

On the effect of compositional changes in the liquid phase generated oil can be submit asphaltenes
flocculation.1 But in turn, as a mechanism for sustaining the reservoir energy is re-injecting gas to the
volatile oil reservoir. Gas injection can cause further precipitation of asphaltenes. It is for this reason that
while the compositional characteristics of the hydrocarbons contained in a volatile oil reservoir, show a
lower composition of asphaltenes in some cases less than 1%, its effects on precipitation in the near
wellbore can be very visible in terms of impact on well productivity. When precipitation of asphaltenes
occurs in volatil oil reservoir, traditional methods of inhibiting asphaltenes at reservoir level appear not
be effective; because asphaltenes inhibitors and asphaltenes dispersants have similar chemical
composition, which when those are squeezed into the reservoir can disperse deposits and diluted in crude
but with a little chance to maintain a residual in the reservoir.

The South Cupiagua field2,3 is located 110 kilometers northeast of Bogota in the foothills of the eastern
mountain chain of the Colombian Andes, close to other fields discovered in this area such as Floreña,
Pauto, Volcanera, Recetor, Cupiagua and Cusiana . Despite the fact that Cupiagua Sur is very close to
Cupiagua, this reservoir is totally independent and separate. It is formed by a back thrust structure with
several reservoir pressures, properties and contact fluids.
Cupiagua Sur is a compositional volatile oil reservoir with an average API gravity of 38°; there is no free
gas cap at initial conditions. The main formations are Mirador and Barco which are quite similar about
petrophysical and fluid properties (average permeability is 21 md and average porosity is 6.5%). It is a
prolific oil field that in fifteen years of production has recovered 88 MMstb gross out of 189 MMstb
originally in place from Mirador and Barco reservoirs in a developed area with four producer and two
injector wells.
The current reservoir conditions that can be expected in Cupiagua Sur field are highly dependent on the
way the reservoir has been produced and the gas injection support. The first production well CP XP1
started producing in March 1998, while the first gas injector well was put on injection in January 2000; at
that time one oil volatile well was on production. Currently in the field there are 6 active wells. The
number of producers and gas injectors are 4 and 2 respectively. Oil production reached its peak in March
2001, which was 41,722 SBbl/d. The average gas production (at that date) was 175 MMscfd. Today, the
recovery factors are 48.2%, and 29.5% in Mirador and Barco respectively.
In South Cupiagua, the wells have significant skin damage associated with asphaltenes precipitation; the
wells are stimulated with various conventional treatments for the purpose of stabilizing and reducing the
flocculation pressure of asphaltenes. Currently the reservoir is subjected to gas injection, leading to
compositional changes in the volatile oil at the reservoir, which directly affects asphaltenes stability.
Usually organic stimulations are performed for the purpose of periodical cleaning or removing
asphaltenes deposits that precipitate in these wells. Even when attempting to manage the pressure drops
in all the wells have large draw downs which accelerate flocculation and precipitation of asphaltenes. The
high flow rates and high draw downs impede good retention of asphaltenes inhibitors at the formation for
the conventional type of inhibitors. It is expected that the adsorption of asphaltenes inhibitors based on
IPTC 17344 5

nano-particles of such as nano-alumina, have a better affinity with the mineral structure of the reservoir
rock, and it can be retained for extended periods.

Background
Many important works have been developed, those focused on better understanding the nature of
asphaltenes and the way they maintain peptized in oil. Since these early studies may better understand
how the asphaltenes remains as a heavier fraction of crude and being insoluble in saturated or paraffinic
of crude oil fractions could be soluble in aromatic fractions such as toluene or benzene
Significant applications for asphaltenes inhibition have been developed based on amino compounds,
resins, and some other polymers with aromatic naphtha as solvent. In south Cupiagua there are important
background applications with asphaltenes inhibitors based on polymeric type, with positive results, but
short inhibition life, because the organic nature of the products and the high flow rates generates low
retention of the inhibitor into the reservoir.
Research about organic substances adsorbed on materials adsorbents have been evaluated over nearly a
century. Asphaltenes inhibition by nano particles is a new approach based on the former concept of
adsorption phenomena, in which the adsorbate (Asphaltenes) is adsorbed by the adsorbent (nanoparticles
with very high surface area). Adsorption is a consequence of surface energy. Inside the materials, the
bonding requirements of the constituent atoms of the materials are filled by other atoms. However, atoms
on the surface of the nano-materials with high surface area are not wholly surrounded by other atoms of
the material and therefore can attract other substances.4
Adsorption is naturally present in nature, and is used in industrial applications, for instance Activated
carbon is used as an adsorbent, Silica gel which is chemically inert and nontoxic is applied for gases
drying, Zeolites are used in catalytic cracking. Adsorption is described through isotherms as well, in
which the amount of adsorbate on the adsorbent as a function of its concentration at constant temperature.
The quantity adsorbed is normalized by the mass of the adsorbent in order to allow comparison for
different materials. Irving Langmuir5 was the first to derive a scientifically based adsorption isotherm in
1918. His model considers gases adsorbed on solid surfaces6. It is a semi-empirical isotherm with a
kinetic basis and was derived based on statistical thermodynamics. It is the most common isotherm
equation to use due to its simplicity and its ability to fit a variety of adsorption data. It is based on four
assumptions:
1-All of the adsorption sites are equivalent and each site can only accommodate one molecule
2-The surface is energetically homogeneous and adsorbed molecules do not interact
3-There are no phase transitions
4-At the maximum adsorption, only a monolayer is formed. Adsorption only occurs on localized sites on
the surface, not with other adsorbates. These four assumptions are usually true. However, there are some
imperfections on the surface, adsorbed molecules are not always inert, and the mechanism of adsorption
is not the same for the very first molecules to adsorb to a surface as for the last. The fourth condition is
the most troublesome, as frequently more molecules will adsorb to the monolayer, this problem was
addressed by using the BET isotherm for relatively flat surfaces or non-microporous surfaces. Very often
molecules of adsorbates form multilayer, and some molecules are adsorbed on already adsorbed
molecules and the Langmuir isotherm is not valid.

In 1938 Stephen Brunauer, Paul Emmett, and Mr. Edward Teller6-7 developed a model isotherm that
takes that possibility into account. Their theory is called BET theory, after the initials in their last names.
The main assumption used in deriving the BET equation is that the successive heats of adsorption for all
layers, except the first, are equal to the heat of condensation of the adsorbate. The Langmuir isotherm is
usually better for chemisorptions and the BET isotherm works better for physisorption for non-
microporous surfaces. For asphaltenes sorption onto alumina nano-particles the behavior is monolayer
and Langmuir model is used8-9.
The method of nano fluids containing alumina nanoparticles is expected to effectively extend the life
6 IPTC 17344

of organic stimulations. This will prevent asphaltenes precipitation at the down hole and perforations
while maintaining a sufficient residual of nanoparticles within the reservoir, therefore inhibiting the new
oil that is flowing to the well. With the implementation of the nanotechnology now it will be possible to
compare results between this novel method and the polymer inhibition method.

Experimental Description
Asphaltenes Isolation: First stage of the study was the asphaltenes extraction from a sample of oil,
using traditional methodology for asphaltenes flocculation, adding n-heptane. The mixture n-heptane/oil
was prepared in a volume ratio 40/1, and then the mixture was sonicated for 2 hours at 25°C, then by a
centrifugal process for two hours to complete decantation. The precipitated was then filtered through 8
microns watman paper, repeatedly washing with n-heptane to obtain a clean leachate. Finally the filter
containing asphaltenes cake was dried at vacuum for 24 hours. After extracting a sufficient amount of
asphaltenes, it proceeds to start the next stage.
Adsorption test: For adsorption testing a stock solution of 1 gram of asphaltenes in 0.5 liter of toluene
was prepared. Then, different dilutions were prepared from this stock solution in order to produced a
calibration curve using a spectrophotometer UV-VIS Genesys 10S, measuring runs at a wavelength of
295 nm.
Then to construct isotherms curves three different dilutions were prepared with concentrations of 250
ppm, 750 ppm and 1500 ppm and adding nanoparticles 0.1 mg per 10 ml of solution. The vessels
containing the solutions are taken to a magnetic stirrer for 15 minutes, then stop stirring and allowed to
stand for 5 minutes and then a sample of the supernatant was taken and absorbance measurement carried
in the spectrophotometer. This cycle is repeated continuously until two consecutive equal values, which
indicates that we have reached the equilibrium point. Recorded the time and elaborated a curve of amount
of adsorption vs. time, for the nano-material.
After known the kinetics of adsorption with alumina nano-particles, and proved that adsorption rates
are sought. It was prepared the nano-fluid using a mixture of solvents as carrier fluid for alumina nano-
particles. Physical properties of this carrier fluid or mixture of solvents should be such as viscosity
enough to maintain nano-particles in suspension, low surface tension in order to maintain appropriate
dispersion of the nano-particles. The solvent mixture also must have good compatibility with the nano-
material avoiding any further reaction to degrade or affect the nano-particles. Aromatic solvents were not
included in the nano-fluid, because it wanted to keep free of aromatics compounds for environmental
purposes. So finally the nano-fluid was prepared and proceeds to evaluate the effectiveness of this nano-
fluid in a core plug obtained from the Cupiagua sur Field.
Asphaltenes sorption measure Adsorbed Asphaltenes by the nano-material was measured for the
change in asphaltenes concentration in toluene solutions. Fig. 4 shows normalized data of asphaltenes
sorption in alumina nano-particles vs time for each of the evaluated Asphaltenes/toluene solutions 250
ppm, 750 ppm, and 1500 ppm. Asphaltenes sorption on nano-alumina shows better performance for
higher asphaltenes content.
IPTC 17344 7

Fig. 4 Normalized Asphaltenes adsorption onto Alumina nano-particles vs. time

Coreflooding test: These tests are fundamental to evaluate the nano- particles effectiveness for
asphaltene inhibition in a porous media and also determine returns of permeability in a porous media
after each flooding test stages. Following procedure was performed for the flooding test:
1. Preparation of core plug.
2. Injecting 10 vp of water. For measuring absolute permeability.
3. Injecting several pore volumes of oil until pressure keep constant. Measure Ko at Swr.
4. Injecting 20 vp of water. Measure efective permebility of water at Sor. Construction
curves of Kr and Np .
5. Injecting 10 Vp of oil, for oil saturation at Srw.
6. injecting 0,5 Vp N-heptane for induce asphaltenes precipitation and skin damage
generation.
7. Injecting 20 Vp of water. For making Kr and Np curves. Measure of effective permeability
for water.
8. Injecting 2 vp of DAX (diesel, alcohol; Xylene)
9. Injecting 10 vp of oil
10. Injecting 10 vp of wáter
11. Injecting 3 vp of oil
12. Injecting 0,5 vp of nanofluid containing alumina nano-particles
13. Evaluation of inhibition: Injection 0,5 vp of n-heptane
14. Injection of 0,3 vp of nanofluid containing alumina nano particles
15. Injection 50 vp of water for measure of Kw and construction curves of Kr and Np
16. Injection 50 vp of oil

Core flooding test Results: Changes in oil effective permeability show the alteration of permeability by
asphaltenes precipitation. After n-heptane injection, without inhibition asphaltenes precipitation creates a
8 IPTC 17344

skin damage above 99% if it is compared with the original permeability. After clean-out with the
injection of DAX (Diesel, Alcohol, Xylene) the skin damage is reduced to 37% and after application of
the nano-fluid containing nano-particles for asphaltenes inhibition an additional skin damage reduction
was achieved until 34%. Inhibition is proven after application of nano particles, the oil effective
permeability is maintained for a longer time after 50 pore volumes of injected oil. That is good indicator
of the perdurability of the treatment. And also the relative permeability to oil visibly increases after
application of the fluid containing alumina nano-particles. Table 1 resumes Effective permeability to Oil
and Effective permeability to water in a porous media after each flooding test stages.

Stage Effective permeability to Oil (Ko) Effective permeability to water

(Kw)
After Asphaltenes precipitation 0.09 mD 13.89 mD
with n-heptane (Induced skin
without inhibition)

After Clean out with DAX

(Diesel, Alcohol, Xylene) 5.79 mD 10.88 mD

After treatment with nano- 10.78 mD 15.72 mD

particles

After second Asphaltenes

precipitation with n-heptane
(Induced Skin after inhibition) 2.54 mD 6.48 mD

Table 1 - Effective permeability to Oil and Effective permeability to water in a porous media after each flooding test stages.

In the core flooding tests, the relative permeability to oil visibly increases after application of the fluid containing alumina
nanoparticles. Fig.5 shows the positive changes in relative permeability after the injection of 0.5 vp of nano fluid containing
nanoparticles.

Fig. 5 – Relative Permeability Curves before and after Nano particles injection3
IPTC 17344 9

FIELD APPLICATION
Pilot Wells selection
Wells CPSXL4 and CPSXL5 were the selected wells for testing the new stimulation technology on the
basis of inhibition work with nano-particles. Those wells were considered candidates because of the
following reasons:
• Precipitation of asphaltenes occurs in reservoir, traditional methods of inhibiting asphaltenes at
reservoir level were not effective; because asphaltenes inhibitors and asphaltenes dispersants have
similar chemical composition, those are mixtures of organic acids and derivatives aromatic
hydrocarbons, so when those are squeezed into the reservoir can disperse deposits diluted in the
crude, but with a little chance to maintain a residual in the reservoir.  
• Past interventions in the Cupiagua Sur wells have shown significant benefits of these works. Is
possible to obtain good information related with the formation damage mechanism, and this is
achieved with clear interpretations, analysis of production data and laboratory testing of the well
fluid.
• CPSXL4 and CPSXL5 Wells are some of the best wells in south Cupiagua.
• Since the beginning of Cupiagua Sur field an adequate pressure management has been accomplished.

CPSXL4 was completed as Mirador and Barco Formations and CPSXL5 was completed only in
Mirador formation like an oil producers. The main wellbore damages are: organic deposits (asphaltenes),
presence of inorganic deposits are mostly possibly barium sulfate (BaSO4) in Barco formation and
calcium carbonate (CaCO3) in Mirador formation, blocking fluid problems (condensate water,
completion fluid, etc.) and finally, fines migration, as shown in the skin characterization Diagram:

Mirador Barco CPSXL4

7% 30 % MSP (Mineral Scale Parameter)
21 % 17 % FBP (Fines Blockage Parameter)
31 % 14 % OSP (Organic Scale Parameter)
24 % 30 % KrP (Relative Perm. Parameter)
12 % 1% IDP (Induced Damage Parameter)
5% 7% GDP (Geomechanical Dam. Parameter)
Mirador I Mirador I Mirador III CPSXL5
34% 25% 33% MSP (Mineral Scale Parameter)
25% 25% 10% FBP (Fines Blockage Parameter)
25% 23% 19% OSP (Organic Scale Parameter)
18% 30% 30% KrP (Relative Perm. Parameter)
3% 25% 33% IDP (Induced Damage
Parameter)
34% 25% 10% GDP (Geomechanical Dam.
Parameter)
Table 2 – Damage Parameters for CPSXL4 and CPSXL5
10 IPTC 17344

Fig. 6 - Skin Characterization Diagram CPSXL4 and CPSXL5

Stimulation and inhibition job strategy in CPSXL4 and CPSXL5 Wells

The overall stimulation job was performed in several stages to ensure the best reservoir conditions for
the inhibition treatment (last stimulation stage).

CHEMICAL  
• ACID  PICKLING   STIMULATION   • NANO  FLUID  
• EDTA   • DAX  
• ORGANIC  
TREATMENT  
PICKLING   INHIBITION  

Fig. 7 – Stages for the stimulation job in CPSXL4 and CPSXL5

A pickling job was set to clean the production tubing, an EDTA begun to dissolve carbonate scale; and
organic treatment stage was intended to dissolve organic scale. The asphaltenes inhibition job in CPSXL4
was carried out in December 2012 pumping 220 bls of nano fluid containing alumina nano particles and
411 bbls of displacing fluid to reach the desired penetration radius of 7.2 ft. As displacing fluid (Over
flush) a mixture of DAX (diesel, Alcohol, Xylene) was used. For the asphaltenes inhibition job in
CPSXL5 well, the stimulation was designed within formation penetration radius of 9.2 ft, thus was
pumped 180 bbl of nano fluid containing alumina nanoparticles and over displacing with a mixture of
DAX for getting desired penetration radius.

In both wells, a coiled tubing unit was used and a selective packer was set between Mirador and Barco
formations, the job was performed pumping fluid at a very low rate and pressures below fracture
gradient. After 12 hours of soaking time wells were opened for production at controlled flow rates.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Production well tests were performed between each one of the stages to verify the post stages well
performance of the wells CPSXL4 and CPSXL5 (Fig. 8 and 9). The following performance was
observed:
• The net initial incremental OIL rate (IIOR) for CPSXL4 was 1280 Bopd and 1143 Bopd for CPSXL5.  
IPTC 17344 11

• The API performance increase from 40 at the beginning of the Stimulations jobs to 41.5 at the end of
the inhibition with nano particles stage.  
• Nodal system analysis showed the improvement obtained in IPR (Skin reduction) and also the VLP
performance was altered because of the increasing in oil production for CPSXL4 well.  
• The post inhibition stimulation production performance for both wells has been monitored for almost
8 months where the last three months of production has remained a constant behavior of 300 BLS
above the baseline for CPSXL4 and 100 BLS for CPSXL5.  
• The best performance in terms of oil increasing was observed after EDTA and organic treatment
stage for CPSXL4 with 1200 BOPD and 376 BOPD for CPSXL5 with respect to base case. Post
nano-particles inhibition gain 80 BOPD and 895 BOPD respectivily. This incremental was not
expected because the inhibition was intended to extend the life of the stimulation process.  

Fig. 8 – Well Performance after each stage CPSXL4

12 IPTC 17344

Fig. 9 – Well Performance after each stage CPSXL5

Well Treatment following up

The post inhibition stimulation production performance has been monitored for almost 8 months where
the last three months of production has remained a constant behavior of 300 BLS above the baseline
CPSXL4 Well.

Fig. 10 – Incremental Production after CPSXL4 Job

Figure 11 shows the Asphaltenes concentration in produced oil vs. Nanoparticles residual in water for
CPSXL4 well. Starting the treatment the asphaltenes concentration in oil is lower than 3% for the first 40
days. After the asphaltenes concentration increases up to 4%. Asphaltenes inhibition by the nanofluid is
represented for consistent concentration of asphaltenes in produced oil, for longer than 9 months after the
stimulation job. Figure 12 shows the Asphaltenes concentration in produced oil vs. Nanoparticles residual
in water for CPSXL5 well.
Figure 13 shows Oil Production gains in well CPSXL4with the nano-fluid containing nano-particles.
After 271 days of the application in well CPSXL4, more than 150,000 barrels of additional cumulative
production has been produced in the well CPSXL4. After 271 days For CPSXL4 inhibitor residual values
remained above to 0.1 mg / l in the produced water, which seems is the minum concentration of inhibitor
that there is able to keep asphaltenes stable.
IPTC 17344 13

FIGURA    11.  Asphaltenes  Concentra6on    vs    Nanopar6cles  Residual  CPS  

XL4  

PPM  
%  

DAYS  AFTER  JOB  

Nanopar<cles  In  produced  Water    
PPM  
ASPHALTENES  %  IN  PRODUCED  OIL  

Figura  12.Asphaltenes  Concentra6on    vs    Nanopar6cles  Residual  CPS  XL5  

%  ASPHALTENE  
PPM  

DAYS  AFTER  JOB  

Residual  of  Nanopar<cles    PPM  
ASPHALTENES  IN  PRODUCED  OIL    
14 IPTC 17344

FIGURA  13.Nanopar6cles  vs  Oil  Produc6on  CPSXL4  

BOPD  

PPM  
Oil  Produc<on  BOPD  

Nanopar<cles  In  
produced  Water    PPM  

CONCLUSIONS
• Incremental oil Production of 1200 bls and 376 bls in both wells after organic an inorganic remotion
stage indicated that those formation damages mechanisms are the main factor that affect the
productivity of the wells as Characterization and lab showed.  
• Post nano-particles inhibition gain 80 BOPD and 895 bls in CPSXL4 and CPSXL5 respectively. This
incremental was not expected because the inhibition was intended to extend the life of the stimulation
process.
• The concentration of nano particles in water produced showed that up to date the inhibition process
still work which is observed in the production performance above baseline.
• Experimental study permitted to evaluate the effectiveness of nano-fluids containing alumina nano-
particles for asphaltenes inhibition.  
• Wells stabilized Nano-fluid containing alumina nano-particles have a good performance into the
reservoir, even at very low permeability conditions.  
• Asphaltenes content measured in the produced oil increased after the well treatment with the nano
fluid containing alumina nano-particles.  
• Nano fluid containing alumina nano-particles had good retention into the formation for longer than 8
months.  
IPTC 17344 15

References

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Lafayette, Louisiana, US February 15-17, 2012.
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NanoFluid Containing NanoParticles for Asphaltenes Inhibition in Well CPSXL4”. This paper was prepared for presentation at the
Offshore Technology Conference Brasil in Rio de Janeiro. 29-31 October 2013.
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