“Liquid” Packer Showed Efficiency in the Development of Natural Bitumen
The blocking fluid protects horizontal wells from steam breakthrough.
At the fields of Tatneft, the introduction of a “liquid” packer has begun. The technology proved its effectiveness for the company and became one of the best practices of Tatarstan oilmen. Oil News writes about this (Elena FILATOVA).
Recall that in 2020, the Bugulma Institute TatNIPIneft developed the composition of a high-temperature “liquid” packer and a method for directional isolation of formation transition zones.
The packer allows you to block water-saturated intervals and eliminate steam breakthroughs in producing horizontal wells of extra-viscous oil deposits (SVO or natural bitumen). Steam breakthroughs occur either in the middle of a horizontal wellbore or in areas adjacent to the “heel”. This leads to an increase in temperature, failures of pumping equipment, a decrease in the volume of liquid withdrawn and an increase in water cut.
A “liquid” packer is a blocking fluid whose physical and chemical properties prevent it from being filtered into the formation. Installing the packer does not require additional wellbore preparation. The emulsion temporarily blocks oil-saturated zones in the “toe” of the well, protecting the reservoir from the gel-forming rim.
This allows you to set the thermal gel composition in a given interval in the “heel” or the middle of the wellbore. During the technological pause during the gelation period, the “liquid” packer is destroyed under conditions of elevated temperature, without creating problems for further operation.
“At the same time, the created emulsion is adapted to reservoir conditions,” said Timur ZAKIROV, head of the SVN asset No. 3 of JV Tatneft-Dobycha, “It has good adhesive properties, increased viscoelastic characteristics, plugging ability at low injection volumes, as well as an adjustable destruction time. All components for the emulsion are produced in Russia, and the emulsifier itself is produced at a subsidiary of Tatneft.
Injection using this technology has already been carried out at seven sites. At first, it was carried out only at production wells. Now the “liquid” packer is also used on injection units. The technology is environmentally friendly.
