The University of Regina, Nexen Inc. and Petroleum Technology Alliance Canada (PTAC) invite you or a representative of your organization to attend an information session to introduce new methods for improving the performance of gel placement for blocking the flow of water through fractures. There is no charge for this session and lunch will be provided.
Background
Many operational oil and gas reservoirs suffer from excessive water production: in the case of oil wells, gross effluent may contain between 80 and 98 percent water. Such excess water problems result in increased lifting costs, increased remediation/environmental costs, and an overall reduction in the operating lifetime of a production well. The production of excess water is often the result of conformance problems. It is well understood that poor conformance is significantly more pronounced in fractured reservoirs - a result of the very high permeability of fractures compared to the surrounding matrix. The presence of fractures not only adversely affects production profiles, but injection schemes may also suffer from conformance problems.
Blocking highly permeable fractured thief zones in order to divert water toward unswept regions is a common remedy, and in particular, in-depth gel placement stands as one of the most widely used techniques. The standard practice is to pre-form the gel at the surface before injecting it into the reservoir, which results in the requirement of very high injection pressures that, in many cases, makes it impractical to place gel deep enough in the fracture system.
Description
Researchers at the University of Regina have developed innovative methods to enhance the blocking ability of polymer gels in fractured reservoirs, and thus improve conformance and sweep efficiency problems during production and/or injection processes. These innovative methods allow for the injection of gel mixtures in the liquid state, thereby allowing the solution to be injected deep into reservoirs without the requirement of prohibitively large injection pressures. Laboratory tests confirm significant improvements in Residual Resistance Factors (RRF).
These proprietary methods provide an efficient and cost-effective means to improve conformance and sweep efficiency in fractured reservoirs.
Opportunity
Laboratory tests are complete and US and Canadian patent applications are pending. The University of Regina is seeking industrial partners to further develop, license and field test these technologies.
Who Should Attend
- Reservoir engineers and managers
- Production engineers
- Members of companies providing services for improving water/gas conformance in oil and gas reservoirs.
To obtain technical information, please contact: Niel Pearce of the University of Regina by phone at (306) 585-4983 or email: niel.pearce@uregina.ca
DISCLAIMER:
PTAC is only a facilitator for this presentation. PTAC makes no representation regarding ownership or quality of any technology described by a presenter, or generally as to the contents of a presentation. PTAC does not endorse any presenter nor the technology presented. Please use your own judgment. PTAC trusts that each presenter will engage in fair trade practices, but does not police or otherwise enforce this policy in any manner.
