Matrix Acidizing

of Sandstones
14.
Bernard M. Pi& and Her& G. Perthuis
Dowel1 Schlumberger

14-l INTRODUCTION These other systemsand their particular fluids are dis-
Acidizing sandstoneformations results primarily in dis- cussedonly briefly.
solution of permeability-damagingminerals rather than
in creationof new flow paths, asis the casewhen acidiz- 14-1.1 Need For Fluid Tailoring
ing carbonates. All too often, an acid formulation, whether mud acid or
Besidesthebasicquartzgrains,sandstones containother one of the HF-basefluids, is pumpedinto the formation
silicoaluminate compoundsthat are often located in the without design considerations.It may appearsuccessful
pore spaceand provoke flow restrictions. Sandstonesoc- when, in fact, it failed. The basic mechanismsinvolved
casionally contain carbonates,metallic oxides, sulfates, in acidizingareknown, but the couplingof thesephenome-
sulfidesor chlorides,and amorphoussilica. They may also na with conditionssuchasreservoirheterogeneities,natu-
have drilling mud or cement filtrates from invasion. rally occurring impure minerals, and distribution of
Hydrofluoric acid (HF) is the only common acid that mineralsinto the reservoiris extremelycomplicated.This
dissolvessiliceousminerals. Therefore, all formulations explains why matrix acidizing hasbeen considereduntil
used in matrix sandstoneacidizing involve hydrofluoric now asmore an art thana science,andwhy simple recipes
acid or its precursors.The mostcommonlyusedacid sys- that work well in one areamay fail completelyin another.
tem is “mud acid,” a mixture of hydrochloric and Selecting the treatment fluid is an important step in
hydrofluoric acids in variable proportions. These com- designing a matrix treatment. The processof selecting a
positionsarepreparedeither by diluting concentratedfor- fluid is complex becausemany parametersare involved,
mulations or by reacting ammonium bifluoride with
andeachparametermay vary widely. Theremay be sever-
hydrochloric acid.
This chapterdiscusseshydrofluoric acid from a chem- al fluids that are appropriatefor a givenproblem,but some
ical point of view andoutlines issuessuchas dissolution, may have advantagesover others.
reprecipitation,andkinetics.Physically,reactionsare cou- This chapter provides a comprehensivediscussion to
pled with injection into the porousmedium. Other acidiz- help designersselectthe optimum fluid to solve a given
ing systemsminimize someof the drawbacksof standard problem. Although all parametersrelevantto fluid selec-
mud acid solutions; they perform functions such as: tion are discussed,the mineralogyof the formation is em-
l retardinghydrofluoric acid spendingto achievea suffi- phasized,particularly in the caseof sandstonereservoirs.
cient acid penetration around the wellbore, especially The decisionpathsarebasedon experienceandon merg-
in high-temperaturewells; ing expertisein the fields of chemistry,geochemistry,and
l avoiding precipitation of reactionbyproductstoo close geology. This selectionprocessis basedon tailoring the
to the wellbore; fluid not only to the damagebut also to the conditions
l avoiding deconsolidationof the injection zone for very that causedthe damageitself.
reactive formations;
l providing stabilizationof fine particlesthat may other- 14-1.2 Job Design
wise causenew formationdamageafter they arereleased Having chosenthe proper treatmentfluid, selectionsof
from the rock through the dissolution of their cement- fluid sequence,fluid volumes, pumping rates, and other
ing materials. job parametersmust be made.Whenthe acid reactionand

14-l
RESERVOIR STIMULATION

injection modeling are not available for simulating the determinethe characteristicsof the treating fluid and the
process,volumeselectionis basedonly on experiencewith techniqueused to reach the damageand remove it. The
the given problem and formation. Job evaluation tech- location of the damageis important becausethe treating
niques, discussedin Chapter16, are extremelyimportant fluid contactsseveralother substrates(i.e., rust from tubu-
for assessingthe validity of the design. lar goods or carbonatecementingmaterial from the for-
mation) before it reachesthe damage.It must still be ef-
14-2 CRITERIA FOR FLUID SELECTION fective when it reachesthe damagedarea. Additionally,
14-2.1 Basic Concepts proper diversiontechniques,discussedin Chapter15, must
A matrix treatmentconsistsof removing the damagethat be used.
impairs the productivity of the well. Therefore, it is im- In sandstoneformations, hydrofluoric acid is used to
portant to know the extent and type of damage,the loca- dissolve silicates. Nonacid systemsare sometimesused
tion, and its origin. Damageis characterizedby two im- to dispersefines and allow them to be producedwith the
portant parameters:its composition and location. They treatingfluid. Fig. 14-l showsa decisiontree for designing

Silts and Clays

I

Native D&g Production Induced by Canpl&s Operations

(Sandstones Only]

I I

No Embedment

StabilV+g/ LOW Susr$ng SusE$ing S&r@

Fio&aag Temperatyre
Fluobwc %I$ Solution Solution SusjendiI!g:
Solution Acid 13.5-1.5
Solution Acid Sandstones
Solution I
Regular Sus~w&iing SuspeLding Dispersing/ I
Fly&ic s~$~~$‘g HCI Solubilityx20% HCI Solubility~ZO%
Solution Solution
r-l kz5&0 md

Fe,dspamsz20% Chlorite-2 10%

, , , T22,30° DWell mWe,l

Chlorite 5 10% ChloriteziO% water or water or

Oil Well Oil Well
T<i30°F Tzl3OOF

Mud Acid sl.5

Mud Acid 12.3

Solutk
Regular
Fluoboric
Acid
Solution
Mud Acid 3..05 Mud Acid 61.5 3-0.5
135-1s
Regular
Regula!
Fluobdc
Flu&~
Solution
Solution

Figure 14-l-Treatment fluid selection in sandstone acidking.

14-2
 MAi-RlX AUDIZING OF SANDSTONES

a treatmentfor a sandstonereservoir that is damagedby

silts and clays. The criteria for selectingthe treating fluid I. Permeabiiify Distribution Prior To Acidizing

are mineralogy, mechanismsof formation damageand its

removal, petrophysics, and well conditions. *w Wellbore radius
Damaged zone radius
g Initial permeabflhy
The treating fluid’s compatibility with the rock is an b Damaged zo”e permeabilily
important factor. Compatibility implies that permeabili-
ty does not decreasewhen the formation is contactedby 3. Permeability Distribution . Small lnjec\ion Volumes

the fluid. This conceptof compatibility appliesespecial-

J
kdam Permeabilily of precipitate
t
ly to sandstones,where many damaging reactions may 4
damaged zo”e within damaged
zo”e radius

occur. k”r Permeability of zo”e containing

only inert qua*= (precipitates re-
moved) within damaged area

3. Permeabilhy Distribution ~ lnlermediafe lnjeclion Volumes

142.2 Mineralogy Criteria 1

lke Concept Of Sensitivity k’: Permeability of precfpilate

As statedby McLeod (1984), a successfnlmatrix treat-

ment dependson the favorable responseof the formation 4. Permeabilily Distribution ~ Large fnjeclion Volumes
to the treatment fluid. Thus, the treating fluid must re-
move damageandbe completelycompatiblewith the for- Perm,eability of wne c??taining
only !“Kl q”arlz (precIpltates re
mation rock and fluids.
The sensitivity of a formation to a given fluid includes
all the detrimentalreactionsthat can takeplace when this
fluid contactsthe rock: the deconsolidationand collapse Figure 14-2-Permeability changes when acidizing a
of the matrix, the releaseof fines, or the formation of damaged well. (From Walsh et al., 1982.)
precipitates. A formation is “sensitive” if the reaction
between the rock minerals and a given fluid induces From a mineralogicalview, two factorsaffect the reac-
damageto the formation. tivity of a given mineral: chemical compositionand sur-
This concept, explained by Walsh et al. (1982), is face area(Table 14-l). The compositionand constitution
representedin Fig. 14-2. Acid penetration is described (petrography) of the rock are important factors used to
as the movementof chromatographicwaves. Damaging determine potential sensitivity. Fig. 14L3schematically
reactionscan occur both in the damagedzone and in the representsthe common constituentsof a sandstone.
undamagedformation.Theprecipitationof somedamaging
compoundscannotbe avoided.Sufficientvolumesof treat- Solubility
Minerals Surface Area HCI HCI-HF
ing and overflush fluids push potential precipitatesdeep
Quartz Low No Very Low
enoughinto the reservoir that their effectsare minimized Chert Low to Moderate No Low to Moderate
becauseof the logarithmic relationshipsbetweenpressure Feldspars Low to Moderate No Low to Moderate
drop and distancefrom the wellbore. Micas Low No Low to Moderate
The sensitivityof a sandstoneis affectedby hydrofluoric Kaolinite High No High
acid, damage,and otherfactors.Sihcon,aluminum,potas- lllite High No High
sium, sodium, magnesium, and calcium ions can form Smectite High No High
Chlorite High Low to High
precipitatesat a giventemperature,oncetheir productsolu- Moderate
bility is exceeded,anddamagethe formation. Thus, sen-
sitivity dependson the overall reactivity of the formation Calcite Low to Moderate High High, but CaFz
Dolomite Low to Moderate High Precipitation
minerals with the acid. Reactivity also dependson the Ankerite Low to Moderate High
structureof the rock andthe distribution of mineralswith- Siderite Low to Moderate High High
in the rock; i.e., the probability of the acid reaching the
soluble minerals. Table 14-l-Surface area and solubility of sandstone
minerals.

14-3
RESERVOIR STIMULATION

Typically, sandstonereservoirs are made of a frame- be used;however, to avoid additional deconsolidation

work of silicategrains, quartz, feldspars,chert, andmica. problems, straight fluoboric acid treatment is often
This framework is the originally depositedsand. Secon- preferred.
dary minerals, precipitated in the original pore spaces, l Clay content
arethe cementingmaterialsfor the grains(mostfrequently It is important to know the amountsof each type of
secondaryquartzovergrowthor carbonates)andthe authi- clay within the formation. However, it is much more
genie clays. This meansthat the clays were precipitated important to know the position and distribution of the
in the pore spacelong after the initia1 formation of the clays in the reservoir - they determine the rock’s
rock. Thesenewly formed clays appeareither aspore lin- responseto the treatment.
ing (attachedto grain surfaces)or as pore filling.
14-2.3 Methodology Of Fluid Selection
Fluid selection is basedon a simple principle: the fluid
Constituents Of Sandstone
must efficiently remove the damageand increaseperme-
Quartz ability. The damagethat could result from precipitates
Secondary ’
Cement *Feldspars must also’be considered.
6 :arbonate
Quartz)
There is some controversy regarding the degree of
*Chert
damagecausedby precipitates.For instance,Shaughnessy
Clays
(Pore Lining *Mica and Kunze (1981) have emphasizedthe damagingpoten-,
i.e., lllite)
tial of Si(OH)+, whereasCrowe (1984) has shown that
Clays
(Pore Filling k+
Framework
such precipitation may not causea serious problem.
i.e., Uaolinite)
Remainini Pore Space
The complexmineralogyof manysandstones encourages
the formation of severalpotentiallydamagingprecipitates.
Porosity *Mud Acid .SolubleKX?nsitive The potential damageof precipitatesdependson several
Filling
Minerals* factors:
l chemical factor: i.e., solubility of the precipitates in
the after-flush fluid and the native reservoir fluids;
Figure 14~3-Typkal constituents of sandstones. 0 crystallographic factor: i.e., whether the precipitates
are amorphous or crystalline;
Rock Struc@re l morphologicalfactor: relatingto the extractionof grains
The actual solubility of minerals in a sandstonereservoir that can migrate (precipitation out of solution in the
strongly dependson their position within the rock struc- pore space),and whether they cover undissolvedpar-
ture. Thus, a petrographicstudyis help&t1in understanding ticles (precipitation on the surfaceof existing grains);
the responseof a rock to a treatmentduring a flow test. l concentrationfactor: i.e., whether the concentration
It is important to note the following:
is high enoughto causeplugging of the pore system;
l HCl solubility
l reservoirfactor: the damagea given amountof precipi-
The solubility of the rock in hydrochloric acid is gener-
tate can causeis also related to rock properties such
ally consideredto representthe carbonatecontent of
as permeability, pore size, pore configuration, etc.
the sandstone.This assumptionmust be verified dur-
ing a.petrographicstudy becauseother minerals, such The possibility of precipitation and its effects on the
as oxides,sulfides,andchlorite clays, are also.partially formation permeability can be determinedby flow tests,
soluble in HCl. A sandstonewith an HCl solubility and that information can be usedto developthe optimum
greaterthan 20 % should not be treatedwith a straight treating fluid. Flow testsunder realistic conditionsare the
HF acid. HF reactswith calcium carbonateto form a only laboratory teststhat can detectthe effectsof incom-
calcium fluoride precipitate.When the solubility is less patibility betweeninjected fluid and formation minerals.
than 20%, an HCl preflush helps prevent contactbe- Not only is a potential damageor permeability reduction
tween HF andthe carbonaterock. When the solubility quantitatively assessed,but the nature of the damaging
is higher than 20 %, an HCl-base treatment fluid can processcanalsobe identified by a combinationof effluent

14-4
 MATRIX AUDIZING OF SANDSTONES

analysisand core analysisafter treatment (SEM, X-ray, affects the type and extent of damage(Gidley, 1985). A
thin section), as outlined by Bertaux (1986). highly permeableformation can easily be penetratedby
foreign solid particles or fluids, and the depth of the
14-2.4 Acids Used To Avoid Damaging Precipitates damage can be large. On the other hand, a low-
Using available data on HF acids/sandstoneinteractions permeability sandstonewill merely be damagedby inva-
(see Section 14-5 and Fogler et al., 1976; Hekim and sion of foreign particles. However, this type formation
Fogler, 1977; and Walsh et al., 1982), McLeod (1984) canbe more sensitiveto the invasion of foreign fluids be-
proposedguidelinesfor acid usein sandstonematrix treat- causethe smallporesoften containa largequantityof clays
ments. These guidelines, shown in Table 14-2, recom- that have a high reactivity toward fluids.
mend specific acid formulations to avoid or retard The permeability also influencesthe amountof damage
precipitation. Lowering the HF/HCl ratio is one way to causedby precipitates. A low-permeability formation is
retardprecipitation;HCl acid increasesthe dissolvingpow- more severelydamagedby precipitatesthan a formation
er of HF acid (Fogler et al., 1976; Hekim and Fogler, of high permeability.The sameis true for damageresulting
1977), and a low HF contentreducesthe precipitation of from water block.
silica Si(OH)dand, probably, of other compoundsas well
(Walsh et al., 1982). This explains the successfuluse of The Produced Fluids ,,
low HF acid formulations, suchas the 13.5% HCl-1.5 % In somecases,the type of produced fluids precludesthe
HF or 6.5 % HCl-1 % HF formulations. use of some treating fluids. This applies to gas wells,
whereit is preferableto minimize the useof purely water-
Condition Acid basefluids. Agentsthat lower surfacetension(surfactants,
ICI Solubility > 20% Use HCI Only alcohols)and/or gases(foams)are recommended.In other
ligh Permeability (100 md plus) cases,adversereactionsbetweenacidsand formation oils
or formation waters dictate the use of only specific acid
High Quartz (80%) low clay (< 5%) 12% HCI - 3% HF (1)
High Feldspar (> 20019) 13.5%HCl- 1.5% HF (1) formulations.
High Clay (> 10%) 6.5% HCI - 1% HF (2)
High Iron Chlorite Clay 3’Yo HCI - 09/o HF (2) Physical Conditions Of ‘TheWell
ow Permeability (10 md or less) The formation temperatureis an important factor because
it influencesthe efficiency of corrosion inhibitors and the
Low Clay (< WO) 6% HCI - 1.5% HF (3)
High Chlorite 3Yo HCI - 0.5% HF (4) reaction rates. Several treating fluids decreasereaction
rates at high temperaturesand provide,deeperlive-acid
lotes: penetration.
(I) Preflush with 15% HCI.
(2) Preflush with sequestered 5% HCI. Reservoir pressure influences the flowback of spent
(3) Preflush with 7.5V0 HCI or iO’J/o acetic acid. fluids. In order for a fluid to flow back, the pressure
(4) Preflush with 5% acetic acid. differential must exceedthe capillary pressure.Surface-
active agents are used to lower capillary pressure and
Table 14-2-Acid use guidelines-sandstone acidizing.
facilitate cleanup. Energized fluids can also be used for
(From McLeod, 1984.) this purpose.

The selectiontree proposedin Fig. 14-1 is an improve- Damage-RemovalMechanism

ment over theseguidelines and includes recent develop- There are several types of acid/sandstonereactions and
ments; particularly, fluoboric acid formulations, which expectedresults:
have demonstrateda very good ability to avoid damag- l acid that only dissolvesthe damageand fines, such as
ing reactions (Bertaux, 1986). plain HF (or mud acid) formulations,
l fluid that dissolvesand/or dispersesdamageand fines,
14-2.5 Other Criteria For Fluid Selection
such as suspendingformulations, whether acid based
Permeability or not, and
The permeability of the formation influences the selec- l acidthatdissolvesand stabilizesundissolvedfines, such
tion of the treating fluid in two ways. First, permeability as fluoboric acid formulations.

14-5