Maximizing Production Life With the Use of Nanotechnology to Prevent Fines Migration

Abstract

Abstract Sand-producing reservoirs sometimes contain particles that are small enough to pass through the regular sand control media such as proppant and screens. The tiny particles, referred to as fines, are produced into the near-wellbore region where they can cause plugging of proppant packs and perforations that can severely decline production. These formation fines can cause major erosion of screens and can plug surface equipment, and are very expensive to dispose of. As a result, many solutions have been presented in an attempt to prevent fines from being produced. These solutions range from resin applications to formation consolidation treatments, which have proven to be expensive and which most often fail to achieve their purpose. In order to approach the problem from a different perspective, nanoparticle technology was applied in conjunction with hydraulic fracturing to combat the fines migration issue. The particular case in this paper is focused on the Gulf of Mexico; however, the technology can be applied to any reservoir in the world where formation fines affect the production life of a well. The use of nanotechnology in a hydraulic fracture allowed the operator to achieve near-initial production rate without producing fines particles. The postponement of fines entering the near-wellbore region will also protect the investments made in the downhole assembly and fracture as well as surface equipment, while extending the production life of the well and minimizing the frequency of intervention.