European Scientific Journal March 2017 edition vol.13, No.

9 ISSN: 1857 – 7881 (Print) e - ISSN 1857- 7431

Formation Damage Removal Through Acidizing of an

Oil Well After Drilling and Completion

Sarhad A. Farkha
Farhad A. Khoshnaw
Pshtiwan T. Jaf
Department of Petroleum, The Faculty of Engineering,
Koya University, University Park,
Kurdistan Region, F.R. Iraq

doi: 10.19044/esj.2017.v13n9p154 URL:http://dx.doi.org/10.19044/esj.2017.v13n9p154

Abstract
This paper discusses a real case study on how formation damage can
be removed after finishing all operations in drilling and completing a well
that is used vertically for producing commercial hydrocarbons using Over
Balanced Drilling (OBD) techniques. Formation damage happens in every
drilled well during field operations. It is an undesirable and complicated
situation usually caused by solids invasion, fines movements, organic
precipitation and deposition, and collapse and swelling formations (clay
formations).
The production performance of drilled well is significantly affected by the
scale of damage in the invaded formation of the pay zone. The process of
finding ways to solve this problem and the mechanism of preventing
formation damages are the most important efforts faced by oil and gas
industries. Formation damage is even a difficult problem to diagnose, but
there are still some steps used for indicating it. For instance, this includes;
well testing, well history reports, and well logging analysis. However, these
techniques can only carry out diagnosis and an overall measure of the
damage. Also, the results can apply suitable mechanisms for minimizing the
risks and reducing the causes. After drilling and completing a well in Field A
in Kurdistan region-north of Iraq, acid job is performed for the well
considering the other wells potential and productivity. This is because the
level was not enough for oil to be delivered to degassing station with the
request pressure as shown in the appendix figures of pressure versus depth
and tables of surface well testing results.
Acidizing is a mean of production optimization for naturally flowing wells,
whereby a designed acid volume is pumped to remove the damaged interval.
Hence, it aims to increase the flow of oil to the surface. The type of acid used

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was Hydrochloric acid (HCL) with a concentration of 15%. In choosing the

acid concentration, historical stimulation operation and lab tests were
considered as the field is been developed a long-time ago. Here, enough
programming data were made available for proposing operation of which one
of them is acidizing.
In the mentioned Field A, wells with high pressure drop between the well
that was shut in and flowing pressure are required to be stimulated through
acidizing. In this case, the pressure difference was about 300 psig before
performing the job. Thus, the aim of this job was to obtain the optimum
pressure difference between Bottom hole flowing pressure 𝑃𝑤𝑓 and Sand
face well pressure 𝑃𝑤𝑠 which yields to the maximum oil production rate.
The objectives of the job were achieved after obtaining a high flow rate of
8000 bbl/day at the surface and from the slickline data measurement. This
recorded too much lesser draw down pressure of 11 psig between 𝑃𝑤𝑓 &
𝑃𝑤𝑠.

Keywords: Over Balanced Drilling (OBD), Hydrochloric acid (HCL),

Bottom hole flowing pressure (𝑃𝑤𝑓), Sand face well pressure (𝑃𝑤𝑠)

Background
Formation damage is a term used to describe a formation when its
permeability impair due to every field operations. This situation usually
occurs after doing some subsurface oil field procedures. For example, the
processes that are applied on a well starting from drilling until producing oil
in the well include: drilling, work over, and stimulation procedures. This
situation is undesirable because it has a negative impact on the well and it
will reduce the production capacity of the well. For instance, Amaelule et al.
(1988) stated that “Formation damage is an expensive headache to the oil
and gas industries.”
However, any destroyed section inside the formation is due to the
restriction to the flow of the hydrocarbons during the production process in a
well. For example, it reduces the permeability of the reservoir that is known
as impairment of permeability. To recapitulate, the processes of producing
oil which start by drilling will have a significant effect on the formation,
especially against the well bore. This, however, causes formation damage
and consequences in the skin factor.

Common Formation Damage Problems

a. Sudden changing in the formation properties because of the varieties of
down hole situations. For example, permeability reduction, change in
wettability, lithology alteration, and particles appearing of minerals.

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b. Variation in the fluid properties which includes change in the fluid

viscosity that is created by emulsion block and mobility change.
c. The contact between drilling fluids and the formation fluids causes fluid
instability that leads to incompatibility between these two fluids. This is
because the invaded zone by drilling fluids that have bacterial agents will
touch formation. Also, this will affect permeability and would have a
negative impact on the well productivity and will also reduce the well
performance (Amaelule et al., 1988).
d. As it is known during the drilling operation of a well, there will be falling
of drilling solids while drilling a hole and/or from the solids that was
added to the drilling mud. This will cause formation damage because as
these solids invade the formation face, blocking will happen (Civan,
2000).
e. Fines migration, the movement of fines affects the on production
performance of a well, especially in the sandstone formation reservoirs,
because the existing of fines inside the well bore and their migration
towards the formation will block pore throats (Clegg, 2007).

Main Causes and Mechanisms of Formation Damage

Formation Damage Caused by Drilling Fluids (Water-Based Mud)
The components of drilling fluids vary, which contains Bentonite,
Barite, and Polymers that gave the drilling fluid some required specification.
These specifications, however, include cutting carrying capacity, losses
controlling capacity and dissolving with salts, and maintaining PH of the
mud. The existence of these components inside drilling fluids leads clearly to
formation damage. For instance, solids when they invade the formation will
cause formation damage resulting in the lowering of the well productivity
performance. Furthermore, filtrates, fresh water, can also create formation
damage. In addition, the existence of polymers inside drilling mud has
negative impact on formation. Consequently, the formation damage occurs
especially during the mixing of the polymer products with brines water from
the invaded formation.

Formation Damage Caused by Drilling Fluids (Oil Based Mud)

Oil based mud that contains water droplets will resulted in formation
damage. This status will happen, because water droplets are stabilized by
emulsified and organopheric clays. The invasion of solids and water droplets
inside oil-based mud affect filter cake. As a result, there will be a significant
lowering in production which means that formation damage occurred.

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Formation Damage Caused By Completion and Work Over Fluids

When a well is drilled and it reached its required total depth, it will
be followed by perforation, gravel packing, and acidizing. In each of these
operations, there is circulating of drilling fluids especially during
completion. This occurs when the component of the drilling fluids is brine.
The brine does not quite clear because it contains corrosion products and
debris. The existing of these particles inside brines leads to increase of the
hydrostatic pressure. As a result, the effected formation will damage and
follow the reduction of its production as well as lower the well performance
(Clegg, 2007).

Formation Damage Caused by Cementing and Perforation

During the pumping of cement into the annulus between the
production casing, the well bore usually causes a differential pressure
between the cement pumping pressure and formation pressure. In this case,
the probability of formation damage will increase. As perforation processes
follow the cementing process, this will also result to formation damage.

Fines Migration Causes Formation Damage

Some formations of oil reservoirs have been affected by formation
damage due to the migration of fines. Evidences have shown that this usually
happen in sandstone formations. The characteristic of sandstone results due
to the instability of formation during production. The accumulation of fines
adjusted the formation which will precipitate sands. Also, this will result in
the blocking of the pore throats and reduce the production capacity of the
well due to impairment in formation permeability (Jiaojiao et al., 2010).

Formation Damage Caused by Paraffins And Asphaltenes

Crude oil, which mainly contains organic compounds (Table 1), are
mainly composed of Paraffins and Asphaltenes which are the bigger
problems of oil production. Paraffins are high-molecular-weight types of
Alkanes which can create a burial adjust to the wellbore because they can
easily be deposited during production. The mechanism of formation damage
by Paraffins is due to the change in temperature, pressure, and the
components of crude oil especially because of dissolved gases.
Consequently, paraffins are easily separated from crude oil because they
have higher melting point as a result of their high molecular weight. For
example, C60 Alkane will deposit when the temperature of the mature region
reaches to 250 ºF. Asphaltenes are compounds that contain high molecular
weight of inorganic compounds, such as Nitrogen, Oxygen and Sulfer. In
addition, the existence of these compounds will create resins and formation
damage.

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The way of occurrence of formation damage through Asphaltenes is

due to change in the crude oil parameters and the compounds. For example,
when a reservoir pressure is depleted, the bubble point will result in
Asphaltenes depositing into the wellbore.

Figure 12. Cross Compositions of Crude Oil (Clegg, 2007)

Diagnosis of Formation Damage

The step to address this problem and to put a remedy program for the
well varies according to the way of dealing with the problem and also the
mechanism which could be implemented. In most cases, diagnosing the
formation damage usually relies on well testing, history of the well, well
logging tests, and analyzing of the extracted fluid. In terms of standard, there
are three main steps by which the formation damage can be indicated (Figure
1):
i. Quantifying the degree of existing formation damage.
ii. Indicating the down-hole damage mechanisms.
iii. Performing laboratory study skills to apply an accurate and specific
mechanism.

During testing to indicate the types of formation damage, there will

be some special experiments. These includes; well-test analysis to scale the
quantities of the damage, down hole video to monitor the damaged area and
well bore, and taking samples inside well bore in both fluids and solids/or
taking core samples when the well is drilled with open hole completion
through using side well coring tool.

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Figure 13. Determinations and diagnosis of formation damage (Civan, 2000)

Formation Damage Impacts on Well Production

Evaluations and diagnosis for formation damage minimizing were
conducted to reduce the scale of risks during sensitive operations, such as,
well drilling, completion, and production. Basically, there are two main
impacts of formation damage on well production:

Volume Reduction (Reduction in Pore Sizes of the Pay Zone)

This situation occurs when fillings inter the pore space of the
formation and when it interacts with other materials. For instance, circulating
fluids in both the drilling and the completion processes create solid invasion.
Furthermore, cement procedure, mineral and paraffinic precipitations, and
the debris that accumulated due to the perforation process also result to
formation damage and volume reduction. Another reason which may cause
formation damage and consequences in reduction in the well production is
the production of reservoir fluids and destruction in fractures resulting to
formation compaction (Baker Hughes INTEQ, 1994).

Flow Reduction
The presence of oil and gas inside the reservoirs has their
permeability in different categories. Thus, the existing of other fluids such as
formation water will alter the permeability to relative permeability. Due to
the interaction between fluids inside the well bore, there will be a reduction
in relative permeability. This is because the existing of brines will create
emulsion. Also, an increase in the formation water will cause water conning.
Due to interaction, these fluids will result to the blocking of pore
throats and will impair the permeability. The dehydration and swelling of
clay dispersion and the movement of these particles with the fluids that came
from drilling fluid or the formation water or from injected water will damage
the permeability (Tiab & Donaldson, 2004).
Therefore, change in the parameters of down hole such as pressure
reduction results in the gas break out and water conning. Consequently, fluid

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saturation will occur and will reduce the flow of hydrocarbons from the well
(Baker Hughes INTEQ, 1994).

Case Study
Damaged Formation Indication through Flow Efficiency
Standing (1970) essentially extended the application of Vogel's
(Vogel did not consider formation damage) who proposed a companion chart
to account for conditions where the flow efficiency was not equal to 1.00.
This is as shown in the figure below.

Figure 14. Inflow performance relation modified by standing

The figure above shows IPR curves for flow efficiencies between 0.5
and 1.5. Thus, several things can be obtained from this plot:
 The maximum rate possible for a well with damage.
 The maximum rate possible if the damage is removed and 𝐹𝐸 = 1.0.
 The rate possible if the well is stimulated and improved.
 The determination of the flow rate possible for any following
pressure for different values of FE.
 The construction of IPR curves to show rate versus flowing pressure
for damaged and improved wells.
Furthermore, Standing proposed a companion chart to account for
conditions where the flow efficiency is not 1.0.
As shown in figure 4.0, the flow efficiency is defined as:
Ideal drawdown PR − P’wf
FE = = … Eq. 2.1
Actual drawdown PR − Pwf
– P’wf = 𝑃𝑤𝑓 + ∆𝑃𝑠𝑘𝑖𝑛

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Figure 15. Effect of Skin Factor (Damagity) on Near Wellbore Paramters

The above standard sketch is used to measure the damages of the

formation followed by measuring the bottom-hole pressure at two different
well conditions. One of the figure shows when the well is a closed (build-up)
pressure test, while the other shows when the well is a flowing (draw-down)
pressure test.
Additionally, one datum line for measuring the bottom-hole pressure
for both situation (flow and close) is 630 meter AMSL. This datum line was
assumed to be the measured point for reservoir pressure for the whole field.
Consequently, at this level, the following pressure data were recorded for the
studied well under two different situations:

A. Before Acidizing
BHCIP (Pws) = 1206 psig & BHFP (Pwf) = 914 psig
Pressure Difference (Drawdown) = Pws − Pwf = 1206 − 914 = 293 psig
The above data shows that the drawdown pressure is too high. Hence, there
is damage in the pay-zone which is caused by drilling operation.

B. After Acidizing Treatment

BHCIP (Pws) = 1206 psig & BHFP (Pwf) = 914 psig
Pressure Difference (Drawdown) = Pws − Pwf = 1206 − 1194 = 11 psig

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Figure 16. Effect of Acid on Pwf

Results and Analysis

The overall results show that the well before acidizing had damaged
zone. Thus, this resulted to high pressure difference between Bottom-Hole
Closing In Pressure and Bottom-Hole Flowing.

Conclusion & Recommendations

Conclusion
 Formation damage is a common problem in oil and gas fields, which
yield reducing production rate.
 The stimulation technique, which can be used to reduce damaged
section in the invaded zone due to participating scales and organic
compound, is acidizing technique.
 HCL acid for Acidizing is a proper stimulation technique for this
described field based on historical stimulation data.
 The process achieved the purpose by reducing draw down pressure
between 𝑷𝒘𝒇 & 𝑷𝒘𝒔 from 300 psi to 11 psi with high production rate.
 Based on the final test point after acidizing process, the result showed
that the production rate increases to approximately 74% of the oil production
rate.
Recommendations
 Selecting the stimulation process requires some historical and lab test
data.
 For further stimulation technique, hydraulic fracturing can be used to
increase formation permeability in the cleaned zone to increase production
rate and reduce pressure differences between 𝑷𝒘𝒇 & 𝑷𝒘𝒔.

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References:
1. Amaelule, J.O., Kersey, D.G., Norman, D.K. and Shannon, P.M.
(1988). ‘Advances In Formation Damage Assessment And Control
Strategies’, Annual Technical Meeting of the Petroleum Society of
Cim .Calgary, June 7-9. Alberta : Petroleum Society of Canada, pp.
65-1 _ 65-37.
2. Baker Hughes INTWQ (1994). Oil Field Familiarization: Training
Guide. Houston : Baker Hughes INTEQ.
3. Bennion, D.B., Thomas, F.B., Jammaluddin, A.K.M., Ma, T. and
Agnew, C. (2000). ‘Using Underbalanced Drilling to Reduce
Invasive Formation Damage and Improve Well Productivity-An
Update’, Journal of Canadian Petroleum Technology, 39(7).
4. Civan, F. (2000). Reservoir Formation damage: Fundamental,
Modeling, Assessment and Mitigation. Houston, Texas: Gulf
Publishing Company.
5. Clegg, J.D. (2007). Petroleum Engineering Handbook: Volume IV
Production Operations Engineering. Richardson: Society of
Petroleum Engineers.
6. Jiaojiao, G., Jienian, Y., Zhiyoong, L. and Zhong, H. (2010).
‘Mechanisms and Prevention of Damage Formations with Low-
porosity and Low-permeability’, International Oil and Gas
Conference. Beijing, June 8-10. Beijing: Society of Petroleum
Engineers.
7. Tiab, D. and Donadson, E.C. (2004). Petrophysics : Theory And
Practice Of Measuring Reservoir Rock And Fluid Transport
Properties. 2nd edn. Oxford : Gulf Professional Publishing.
8. Zhou, Z.J., Gunter, W.D. and Jonasson, R.G. (1995). ‘Controlling
Formation Damage Using Clay Stabilizers: A Review’, Annual
Technical Meeting. Calgary, June 7-9. Alberta : Petroleum Society of
Canada.

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Appendices
Bottom-Hole Field Measurement Data
Table 2. Field Measurement Data Before Acidizing

Table 3. Field Measurement Data After Acidizing

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Table 4. SWT Result Before Acidizing

Table 5. SWT Result After Acidizing

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Figure 17: Pressure Diff. (Drawdown Press) ( Pws-Pwf) / Before Acidizing

Figure 18: Pressure Diff. (Drawdown Press) ( Pws-Pwf) / After Acidizing

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Table 6: Acidizing Procedure Detail

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