Production from Unconventional Petroleum Reservoirs: Précis of Stimulation Techniques and Fluid Systems

Abstract

An overview of the different categories of unconventional oil and gas reservoirs, and corresponding stimulation techniques appropriate for them is examined. Three main groups of unconventional oil and gas formations are appraised: heavy oil, oil shale and tight reservoirs. The scope of stimulation methods applicable to heavy oil reservoirs is limited. This kind of formation contains characteristic high-viscous hydrocarbons and are produced majorly by cold production and thermal stimulation. On the other hand, a wider range of stimulation methods are successfully used to produce tight and oil shales formations. For oil shales, these include drilling horizontal wells as substitutes to vertical wells, hydraulic fracturing, surfactant treatment, water imbibition, thermal treatment and acidisation; whilst for tight formations, these include hydraulic fracturing, surfactant treatment, water imbibition, acidisation and the application of electro-kinetics. Fracturing fluid systems are integral to the implementation of most stimulation operations and are evaluated herein under the following groups: water-based, oil-based, foam-based and acid-based. The most commonly used fracturing fluids are water based, albeit there are several instances where other types of fluids or combination of fluids are more suitable based on factors such as formation sensitivity, costs, wettability, rock solubility, surface tension, capillarity, viscosity, density, rheology and reactivity.