Chapter 10

FLUID LOSS CONTROL

Introduction
Fluid loss should be controlled or managed but not necessarily stopped. As mentioned in Chapter
8, the amount of fluid loss that can be tolerated during the completion is site specific. Ideally,
nothing would be done to stop fluid loss, but when expensive high density brine is being lost,
completion fluid reserves are low or the loss rate makes operations unsafe, some type of loss
control system must be employed. Also, the formation damage potential of continued fluid loss
(even though the fluid is filtered) should be considered in light of the potential damage from
employing a fluid loss control system.

The normal methods for controlling fluid loss are:

• Reduced hydrostatic pressure
• Viscous polymer gels
• Graded solid particles
• Mechanical means

The type of fluid loss control that is recommended depends upon where in the well completion
process you are. Since the completion process should be considered as beginning as soon as the
bit enters the pay and continues through the running of production tubing, fluid loss may become
an issue at the following times:

• While drilling the reservoir

• During an open hole gravel pack (especially for a highly deviated hole)
• Immediately after perforating
• After prepacking
• After gravel packing

When selecting a fluid loss control technique, the condition of the well at the current time,
operations that still must be completed, and available remedial techniques for elimination of the ill
effects of fluid loss control must all be considered. These considerations will lead to different
fluid loss control techniques being utilized throughout the completion process.

Hydrostatic Pressure
Fluid loss is a direct result of differential pressure into the formation due to the overbalanced
condition created by the hydrostatic pressure of the completion fluid. A reduction in the rate of
fluid loss can be accomplished by simply lowering the density of the completion fluid. Some
operators have even allowed the hydrostatic pressure exerted by the completion fluid to equalize
with the formation pressure by letting the completion fluid seek its own level in the wellbore.
Working with a low fluid level in the well would only be acceptable in wells that are not capable
of flowing to surface. Regulatory authorities and/or operator imposed safety regulations may

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dictate the minimum hydrostatic overbalance allowed which could limit the effectiveness of this
technique.

The rate of fluid loss associated with a given overbalance pressure is controlled by several
factors. To estimate the fluid loss rate for a given differential pressure, Darcy’s Law for radial
flow can be examined.

kh∆P
Q=
 r  
. × B0 × µ ×  ln e  − 0.75 + S
24 × 1412
  rw  
Where:
Q= Loss rate (bph)
k= Permeability (md) h= Net sand thickness (ft)
∆P = Pressure differential (psi) Bo = Formation vol. factor of comp. fluid
µ= Visc. of comp. fluid (cp) ln(re/rw) = Assume = 8
S= Skin

This equation indicates that the flow of fluids from the wellbore for a given differential pressure is
controlled by the formation’s permeability, the interval thickness, the viscosity of the flowing fluid,
the compressibility of the reservoir fluids, as well as the degree of formation damage surrounding
the wellbore. Figure 10.1 illustrates the level of fluid loss rates associated with a 1 cp fluid leaking
off to formations of different permeabilities with overbalance pressures ranging from 0 to 500 psi.
This plot makes it clear that while a reduction of overbalance pressure may successfully control
fluid loss for moderate to low permeability formations, for high permeability formations excessive
loss rates may still occur even for overbalance pressures down to 100 to 200 psi. Overbalance
pressures much below this level will impose additional well control concerns on the operation.

160

Interval Length = 25 ft
140 Fluid Viscosity = 1 cp
Skin = 5

120

100
Loss Rate (bph)

50 md
100 md
80
250 md
500 md
60

40

20

0
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500

Differential Pressure (psi)

Figure 10.1
Effect of Differential Pressure on Fluid Loss rate for 1 cp Fluid

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There are two factors, increased brine viscosity and formation damage, that can improve the
ability of hydrostatic head reductions to control fluid loss. Figure 10.2 is a plot of fluid loss rate
for a 3 cp brine, with all other well conditions being the same as those modeled in Figure 10.1.
Comparison of Figure 10.2 to Figure 10.1 illustrates that a 3:1 increase in viscosity leads to a 3:1
reduction in fluid loss rates. However, for high permeability formations, the losses can still be
excessive.

50.0
Interval Length = 25 ft
45.0
Fluid Viscosity = 3 cp
Skin = 5
40.0

35.0
Loss Rate (bph)

30.0 50 md
100 md
25.0
250 md
500 md
20.0

15.0

10.0

5.0

0.0
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500
Differential Pressure (psi)

Figure 10.2
Effect of Differential Pressure on Fluid Loss rate for 3 cp Fluid

The effect of a damaged zone surrounding a well is also to reduce the fluid loss rate, but not as
significantly as does an increase in fluid viscosity. Figure 10.3 indicates that a doubling of skin
from 5 to 10 results in a 30 percent reduction in fluid loss rate

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30

Interval Length 25 ft
25 Fluid Viscosity = 1 cp
Formation Permeability = 100 md

20
Loss Rate (bph)

Skin = 5
15
Skin = 10

10

0
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500
Differential Pressure (psi)

Figure 10.3
Effect of Skin on Fluid Loss Rate

Viscous Polymer Gels

Examination of Figures 10.1 and 10.2 shows that fluid loss rate is directly affected by the viscosity
of the fluid that is lost to the formation. This relationship between loss rate and viscosity has led
to the common use of viscous polymer gels to control fluid loss. Viscous gels are very effective
at controlling losses provided the permeability of the formation and the overbalance are not too
great. In general, it becomes impractical to control fluid loss if the wellbore pressure exceeds the
reservoir pressure by more than about 500 psi. In addition, elevated temperatures are detrimental
to the ability of gels to control fluid loss. The gels will degrade at high temperatures and often
additional gel pills will be required throughout the course of the completion or workover to keep
the loss rate at an acceptable level. The total volume of pills likely to be needed can be calculated
based upon Darcy’s Law calculations combined calculations of viscosity increase as the velocity
decreases with radial distance into the formation. Figure 10.4 illustrates the results of such a
calculation.

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90

80

80 pptg HEC
70 30 ft Interval Length
Desired Fluid Loss Rate = 4 bph

60
Pill Volume (bbls)

50
Formation Permeability
1000 md
40
500 md
250 md
30 100 md

20

10

0
1000 750 500 250
Differential Pressure (psi)

Figure 10.4
Volumes of HEC Pills Required to Control Losses to 4 bph
for Various Reservoir Conditions

If the temperature is such that the gel degrades too slowly or incompletely, chemical breakers
may be required. Breakers are chemicals which act to degrade the polymer and restore the
viscosity to the original value of the base brine in which the polymer was mixed. The biggest
disadvantage to the use of viscous polymer gels as a fluid loss control technique is a tendency of
residual polymer or viscous gel to remain in the near wellbore area where it inhibits flow.

Hydroxy-ethyl-cellulose (HEC) is one of the most commonly used polymers for viscosifying
oilfield brines. It is supplied as a dry powder and is easy to transport, safe to handle and
environmentally acceptable. It is also compatible with a wide range of completion fluids and may
be broken with a wide range of breakers. If required to be stored for more than a few days after
hydrating, biocide must be added because bacteria present in the brine, tanks or lines will cause
the polymer to break prematurely. Biopolymers like XC and Shellflo-S have also been used for
fluid loss control, but like HEC, are not effective in extremely high permeability formations.

HEC is commonly mixed in ratios of 65 to 75 pounds per 1,000 gallons of brine when used as a
gravel pack carrier fluid. For fluid loss applications, HEC can be mixed in ratios of 90 to
150 pounds per 1,000 gallons. At 194ºF, an HEC gel pill without a breaker will probably
completely break in a few days. At 185ºF, approximately 14 days will be required for an HEC
gel pill to totally break. Below that 185ºF, the gel is unlikely to completely break without the use
of a chemical breaker. HEC gel can be broken at low temperatures with a weak solution of any

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of the commonly available enzymes. At medium to high temperatures oxidizers and weak acids,
such as sulfamic, formic, citric, hydrochloric, etc. are used as breakers.

Before oxidizers are used as breakers, consideration should be given to the possibility of the
damage to the formation caused by the oxidizer. The freshness of oxidizers is also important,
since the quality of oxidizers deteriorates fairly quickly once a container has been opened. If the
oxidizing agent is not fresh, then the gel will not break completely, and in some circumstances may
not break at all for a significant length of time causing plugging in the near wellbore area and
inhibition of production.

At normal well temperatures, a maximum of 0.15 percent by volume of HEC remains behind as
residual solids after complete viscosity reduction with chemical breakers. If large quantities of gel
are pumped into a well which has been cased and perforated, consideration should be given to the
resultant volume of residual solids produced by the broken gel. The solids volume may prove to
be a significant portion of the volume of the perforation tunnels. As discussed in Chapter 8, the
HEC gel should always be pumped through a shear device to ensure that all the dry HEC material
has completely hydrated. The hydrolyzed gel should then be filtered before being pumped into the
well.

Crosslinked HEC systems have been investigated for use as a fluid loss control technique in high
permeability formations; however, they should be used with caution. The high viscosities and
sophisticated breaker systems of crosslinked HEC may give promising sealing and dissolving
results under laboratory conditions, but their use is questionable for field applications. A
crosslinked HEC system is not filterable to 2 micron specification, is very sensitive to hydraulic
shearing and involves the use of exotic breaker systems that have not been totally reliable in field
operations. Crosslinked HEC systems designed to control fluid losses over time normally involves
the use of encapsulated, delayed chemical breakers designed for formation fracturing operations
that can cause dramatic permeability impairment in wells that will be gravel packed.

Graded Solid Particles

The third class of fluid loss control materials is the use of graded solid particles. These materials
consist of solid particles of different types that have been carefully sized to form a filtercake
either on the formation face or on gravel pack sand. These solids should be designed to provide
fluid loss control by creating a thin filter cake to reduce adhesion and operational problems and to
provide better opportunity for complete removal. Particle sizing must be designed so that little
invasion of solid particulate occurs. The general assumption is that particles with sizes as small as
1/3 of the pore throat openings of the formation will aid in plugging or bridging of the pore throats
to form a thin impermeable filter cake. The square root of the formation permeability in
millidarcies can be used as a rough estimate of the size of the pore throat opening.

The base fluid used to carry the solids into the well must be compatible with the formation fluids
and matrix mineralogy of the formation. The solids and viscous carrier fluids must be stable under
downhole conditions without phase separation and migration of particles. The final density of the
material must be heavier than the completion brine to prevent density underbalance effects in
deviated wellbores.

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The three most common fluid loss systems using graded solids mixed in viscous carrier fluids are:
• Resin particles (soluble in solvents like xylene or diesel)
• Salt particles (soluble in undersaturated brine)
• Calcium Carbonate particles (soluble in acid)

Oil Soluble Resins

Establishing a mechanical bridge at the formation face requires carefully sized solids mixed in a
viscous carrier fluid and pumped in the well. One such solid material is oil soluble hydrocarbon
resins. Oil soluble resin systems were developed for use as fluid loss control and acid diverting
agents, and have been utilized successfully in gravel pack applications in some fields. Oil soluble
resin fluid loss control systems were improved considerably at the end of the 1980’s and have
been used extensively in the North Sea.

A typical oil soluble resin systems consist of:

• Brine as a base fluid
• HEC as a viscosifying agent
• Graded oil soluble hydrocarbon resins for loss control in larger pore throats
• Starch and/or crosslinked starch for fluid loss control in the smaller pore throats
• Magnesium oxide as a pH buffer at higher temperatures

Oil soluble resins normally have an upper temperature limit of 212ºF. The most common type of
oil soluble resin is made of polymerized hydrocarbons. A new type oil soluble resin made by
processing natural pine resin has recently been developed. This resin is stable in temperatures up
to 300ºF and easier to dissolve.

Laboratory testing of oil soluble resins at actual well conditions and formation parameters is
recommended to determine the suitability of the resin system. In addition to bridging particles at
the face of the formation, some of the resin can liquefy. The amount of liquefied resin depends
on the amount and type of hydrocarbons the resin contacts in the well and on the downhole
temperature. In some cases, this liquefying effect has been known to produce a gummy mass
which effectively invades the formation and is difficult to remove. Resins have also been seen to
coagulate into a hard mass causing operational problems. These examples serve to emphasize the
need for laboratory testing prior to using oil soluble resins in a particular field for the first time. Oil
soluble resins have a specific gravity of approximately 1.10 and may tend to float when the
density of the brine in the well exceeds the resin density. This has also caused some operational
problems.

The size of the oil soluble resin pill needed to control fluid loss is normally equal to twice the hole
volume of the perforated or open hole interval. The pill should be displaced downhole and
squeezed into the formation at the maximum practical rate. The seal effectiveness of the pill
should be tested by applying 200 to 300 pounds per square inch of pressure against the filter cake.

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The oil soluble resin is removed using a hydrocarbon based resin solvent that is pumped into the
well. In the past, xylene (mutual solvent) at a 25 percent concentration was used because it was
very effective in cleaning the resin from the formation. However, the use of xylene has been
discontinued in may parts of the world because of environmental and safety concerns. The most
successful and practical resin removal method employed today is a mixture of approximately
75 percent diesel with approximately 25 percent oil-wetting surfactant or mutual solvent.

The proper sizing of the oil soluble resin beads with respect to the formation is important and
becomes obvious at the two extremes. If the particles are too large, they will not form an
effective filter cake at the formation face and fluid loss will continue. If the beads are too small,
they will completely or partially invade the formation and are less likely to be removed during
clean-up operations. This can result in formation damage and reduced well productivity.

Oil soluble resin systems designed to work in highly permeable formations are much more
expensive than graded salt or graded calcium carbonate. In addition the fluids required for clean-
up are more expensive. This makes oil soluble resins unsuitable as a drill-in or underreaming fluid
for open-hole gravel packing. Also resins in large quantities will cause disposal problems since
they cannot be disposed of in the sea due to environmental restrictions.

Oil soluble resins have very good fluid loss control characteristics and can, if properly designed,
completely stop losses to the formation. The limited use of oil soluble resins as a fluid loss control
technique is due to uneasiness regarding adequate clean-up, since a poor clean-up job can
severely reduce well productivity. Failure to achieve a satisfactory clean-up is the greatest single
problem with using oil soluble resins, and may be affected by several factors, including, but not
limited to:
• Improper diesel/surfactant diversion technique
• Temperature of the formation
• Improper sizing of the resin beads in relation to the formation pore size
• Ineffective final clean-up due to low production flow rate and/or gravity of the formation oil.

Graded Salt Systems

Another widely available system using solid material for fluid loss control is graded salt pills.
Graded salt pills contain various sized solid salt particles and starches which act as bridging agents
on the face of the formation. The combination of solid salt particles of different sizes and the
starch act as a membrane with a lower permeability than the formation. The overbalance created
by the completion fluid hydrostatic pressure holds the particles in place.

The graded salt systems are designed for application in completion and workover operations to
provide fluid loss control in a wide range of fluid densities and downhole temperatures of up to
300ºF. The system consists of:
• Brine as a base fluid
• Xanvis as a viscosifying agent and suspending agent
• Graded salt particles for loss control in larger pore throats
• Crosslinked starch for fluid loss control in the smaller pore throats

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• Magnesium oxide as a pH buffer at higher temperatures

The graded salt particles are added to the system to achieve a seal on the formation face in the
wellbore. A proper concentration and distribution of the correct size salt particles is essential to
form a thin, ultra low-permeability filter cake on the formation face. Controlling fluid loss in
micro-fractures, extremely high permeability sands or on the inside of a slotted liner or wire
wrapped screen is possible, but requires coarser salt particles. The optimum blend of salt particle
sizes that provide fluid loss control and good clean-up characteristics may have to be determined
from field experience.

The salt particles are not subject to deformation like the oil soluble resins and will not liquefy and
be squeezed into the formation pore throats. The filter cake created by a graded salt pill is
capable of withstanding extremely high pressure differentials. In some workover applications, up
to 1,000 pounds per square inch of pressure has been applied to the filter cake with no detrimental
effects. Normally an overbalance pressure differential of 200 to 300 pounds per square inch is
sufficient to hold the filter cake in place.

The volume of graded salt pill required to control fluid losses is normally very small since it is only
necessary to establish the filter cake on the face of the formation. In a gravel pack application it
is advantageous to place small volumes of graded salt pill at the formation face and allow the
particles to bridge. It is important to limit the amount of total treatment placed in the wellbore to
the minimum which will accomplish the desired effect of controlling fluid loss. The salt particles
have a specific gravity of 2.165 and the coarser particles may settle out of the pill after
placement; however, this has not caused major operational problems as compared to the upwards
migration of light oil soluble resins in heavy brines.

From laboratory tests and field operations, temperature is seen to have an effect on the dissolving
efficiency of the salt particles in the filter cake. At temperatures above 176ºF the speed at which
the filter cake dissolves in undersaturated fluid with a breaker is significantly increased compared
to lower temperatures. For cased hole applications at 185ºF, weak organic acids like citric and
formic, are recommended. The acids attack the polymers in the filter cake prior to using
undersaturated brine for dissolving the remaining salt. Proper diversion techniques are vital in
achieving a uniform dissolution of the filter cake with minimal productivity impairment.

Clean-up is accomplished by circulating undersaturated brine, produced brine or acid which

dissolve the salt particles. However, prior to dissolving the salt, an oxidizer is required to break
the polymer and allow the salt to be contacted. Another difficulty in obtaining complete cleanup is
that the cubic structure of NaCl (Figure 10.5) leads to a tightly packed tough filtercake. This
strong cake can cause clean up fluids to “worm-hole” through the cake, and not provide total
removal.

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Figure 10.5
Scanning Electron Microscope Image of Graded Salt Filter Cake

Calcium Carbonate System

Another method of fluid loss control which is functionally similar to the graded salt system is the
sized calcium carbonate system. As with graded salt systems, calcium carbonate is pumped into
the well to the perforated interval and forms an extremely low permeability cake on the face of
the formation or on the gravel pack sand.

As with the oil soluble resin and graded salt system, a proper concentration and distribution of the
correct size particles is essential to forming a thin, ultra low-permeability filter cake on the
formation face. If the calcium carbonate particles are too large, they will not form an effective
filter cake at the formation face and fluid loss will continue. If the calcium carbonate are too
small, they will be completely or partially invade the formation and are less likely to be removed
during clean-up operations. This can result in formation damage and reduced well productivity.

One definite advantage of calcium carbonate pills is the primary removal technique is acid which
also has a stimulation effect on many formations. If the formation will not be damaged by
exposure to acid or if an acid treatment is already planned as part of the gravel packing program,
the calcium carbonate can be applied and fluid loss control established after the perforations have
been prepacked. With this done, the gravel pack can be installed and the screen and casing
annulus packed. With the gravel pack in place, the acid job is pumped to dissolve the calcium
carbonate filter cake.

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PERFFLOW®
Baker Hughes has developed a new fluid loss control system which solves many of the problems
and difficulties inherent in existing fluid loss control methods. Designated as PERFFLOW, the
fluid contains suspended sized calc ium carbonate in a brine base and is applied directly to the
formation face in an open hole or prepacked perforations having unacceptably high fluid losses.
The solids are placed at the formation face or the prepacked sand face in the same way that
graded salts are applied and the overbalance of the well holds the solids in place. When fluid loss
control is no longer required, the well is allowed to flow, carrying the solids out of the formation or
prepacked sand face with the produced fluid. The PERFFLOW system is compatible with light
completion fluids. PERFFLOW has also been tested to seal against highly permeable formations.

PERFFLOW is a blend of bridging, viscosifying and filtration control agents. It is formulated in a

single packaged product to simplify the mixing and to ensure uniform composition of the fluid.
The bridging material utilized in PERFFLOW is a specially selected hard, graded, angular to sub-
angular calcium carbonate blend with a particle size distributions ranging primarily from 1 to 192
microns (Figure 10.6). The filtration and viscosifying agents are a combination of modified starch
and biopolymers which actively coat (Figures 10.7 and 10.8) the calcium carbonate particles. This
coating prevents the particles from adhering to each other and therefore allows for ease in
particle removal upon production of the well.

100

80
% Less Than

60

40

20

0
1 1.5 2 3 4 6 8 12 16 24 32 48 64 96 128192
Particle Size, um

Figure 10.6
PERFFLOW  Particle Size Distribution

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Old Carbonate System

New Carbonate System

Figure 10.7
Schematic Illustrating Polymer Coating of Carbonate Grains in PERFFLOW 

Figure 10.8
Photomicrograph Illustrating Polymer Coating of Carbonate Grains in PERFFLOW 

The net effect of the above features of the PERFFLOW system is that the filtercake formed is a
very thin, yet friable cake (Figure 10.9). Because of the wide particle size distribution, the
calcium carbonate bridges very quickly, preventing the filtercake from penetrating the formation

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(Figure 10.10). The result of producing a friable, non-penetrating filtercake is that it can be
removed from the formation face with very little back pressure (Figure 10.11). Likewise,
because of the wide particle size distribution, the smaller end of the carbonate particles can be
produced back through the gravel pack sand providing in excess of 80% return permeability
(Figure 10.12). Both the elevated breakout pressure, and the somewhat reduced return
permeability for the test performed at 265º F, result from polymer breakdown at the elevated
temperature. Finally, the friable nature of the filtercake becomes important when the filtercake
must be flowed back through a screen in a non-gravel packed completion. The PERFFLOW
filtercake breaks up easily to allow flow through the screen without plugging.

1 mm

Figure 10.9
PERFFLOW  Filtercake

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Solids Bridged
at Pore Throat

Unfilled
Pore
Opening

Figure 10.10
Pore Throat Bridging with PERFFLOW 

60

50
Breakout Pressure (psi)

40

30

20

10

0
PERFFLOW W-307 W-307 @ 265ºF
DIF

Figure 10.11
Low Filtercake Breakout Pressure with PERFFLOW 

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120

100

Return Permeability (%) 80

60

40

20

0
PERFFLOW W-307 W-307 @
DIF 265ºF

Figure 10.12
Return Permeability with PERFFLOW  When Bridging on 40/60 Gravel

One concern when using PERFFLOW, or any other solids-based fluid loss control material, is
attempting to bridge against gravel that is 20/40 Mesh or larger. To prevent excessive penetration
of the calcium carbonate into the gravel pack sand, additional carbonate at the larger end of the
particle size distribution can be added. Figure 10.13 indicates that this approach allows successful
fluid loss control being obtained on gravel sizes of at least 12/20 Mesh.

35

30

25
Fluid Loss (ml)

20

15

10

Time (min)

Figure 10.13
PERFFLOW  with Adjusted Particle Size Distribution Effectively Bridges on 12/20

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Gravel Pack Sand

Gravel Pack Sand

In gravel packed wells, a critical factor to obtaining a successful completion, is to fill perforation
tunnels with high-permeability gravel-pack sand. As will be detailed in Chapter 12, fluid leakoff
during the perforation packing process is required to accomplish this. Therefore, if a fluid loss
control pill is pumped prior to perforation packing, very poor perforation filling may result. For this
reason, the use of gravel pack sand as a fluid loss control material can prove to be very benefic ial.
Gravel pack sand does not require removal, has no temperature limitations and when placed in the
perforations to limit fluid loss has the added effect of greater perforation filling efficiencies. If
sand is utilized in conjunction with the perforating hardware, potentially damaging fluid loss control
agents can be eliminated. This eliminates the need to remove fluid loss control agents prior to
gravel packing and provides two opportunities to place the gravel in the perforations. The results
include higher productivity and higher production longevity. This issue will be further expanded in
the Chapter 12 on prepacking.

Mechanical Fluid Loss Control

Since any type of fluid loss control pill has the potential of damaging the formation, it is
advantageous for fluid loss to be controlled through mechanical means whenever possible. Two
of the most commonly applied devices for this purpose are the Knock-Out Isolation Valve
(KOIV) and the Iso-Sleeve assembly.

Knock-Out Isolation Valve. The Knock-Out Isolation Valve (KOIV) is a mechanical fluid loss
device that prevents completion fluid losses and subsequent damage to the formation after
performing the gravel pack. The downward closing flapper in the KOIV is held open by the
gravel pack service tools during the gravel pack. When the service tools are pulled out of the
KOIV, the flapper closes preventing fluid loss to the formation (see Figure 10.14). The gravel
pack service tools can be removed from the well and the completion tubing run. Under producing
conditions the flapper will open. Alternatively, the flapper is made of a friable material and can be
broken hydraulically or mechanically prior to producing the well.

Iso-Sleeve . The Iso-Sleeve assembly (Figure 10.15) straddles the entire gravel pack screen
assembly, totally isolating the zone. The washpipe seals in seal bores located above and below
the screen. The washpipe is also mechanically locked to prevent premature actuation during
gravel packing. The washpipe can be perforated with a tubing punch to open the zone for
production. Alternatively, sliding sleeves can be included in the assembly.

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Washpipe

C urved Flapper

Housing

Figure 10.14
Model “C” Knock-Out Isolation Valve

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Figure 10.15
Iso-Sleeve

Recommended Applications
Given the wide range of available fluid-loss control techniques, it is important to review when, or
if, each of these are recommended. If we examine the list of possible times during the completion
operation when fluid-loss control may be required, it is recognized that not only is the wellbore
condition different during each of these operations, but the subsequent operations yet to be
performed are also different. Table 12.1 is provides an explanation of the most important aspect
of the completion operations that dictate the fluid-loss control technique recommendation. This
table also lists the primary, and where applicable, a secondary recommendation.

Table 12.1
Recommended Fluid-Loss Control Techniques for Each Stage of Completion
Operation

Stage of Critical Issue Primary Secondary

Completion Recommendation Recommendation
Drilling of High Quality Filtercake PERFFLOW DIF Graded Salt DIF
Reservoir
High Quality Filtercake PERFFLOW “Virgin” PERFFLOW
Prior to Filtercake Cleans Up w/ (no Calcium Carbonate)

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Open Hole GP Production (if losses occur after

running screen)
Following Don’t Totally Shut Off Gravel Pack Sand Xanvis w/ Breaker
Perforating Leakoff PERFFLOW if loss rate
high
Following Bridges on Gravel Pack PERFFLOW Pills Graded Salt Pills
Prepacking Sand
Following Non-Damaging to Mechanical Devices PERFFLOW
Gravel Gravel Pack (with large particle size
Packing distribution)

During the drilling of the pay section, the choice of drill-in fluid should be strongly influenced by
the type of completion planned. If a stand-alone screen completion is planned, the filtercake must
be able to be produced back through the screen. The friable PERFFLOW filtercake greatly
assists this process. Graded salt systems have also been used with some success. If the well is
to be gravel packed, the filter cake also must withstand the pumping of brine during the gravel
packing operation. This requirement eliminates the applicability of graded salt systems.

There are two points during a gravel packing operation that the improper use of fluid-loss control
materials can be very detrimental. First, as will be discussed in Chapter 12, for cased-hole gravel
pack completion, it is critical that all of the perforations be completely filled with gravel pack sand.
Since leakoff is required to pack perforations, it is recommended that the well be prepacked just
as soon as possible, ideally immediately after perforating. In this situation, the gravel pack sand
itself can be thought of as a fluid-loss control material.

If it is not possible to prepack the perforations, the next choice would be to use just enough HEC
to reduce losses to a manageable level. If losses are excessive, PERFFLOW can be used in
empty perforations; however, an acid soak will be required to remove the filtercake prior to
gravel packing. A caution that must be addressed is that PERFFLOW is not compatible with
HEC. Therefore, if it is recommended that another gel such as Xanvis be used if there is a
possibility that PERFFLOW may also be required.

Another critical point for the use of fluid-loss control materials, is at the conclusion of gravel pack.
When losses occur at point, the typical practice is to spot the fluid loss pill out of the end of the
workstring, and allow it to be pulled into the screen. Once losses have been controlled, the
workstring is pulled from the hole. The difficulty with this approach is that if this pill does not
clean-up with production, a coiled-tubing workover is required. An alternative approach is to use
some sort of mechanical fluid-loss control technique, so that pills do not have to be spotted inside
the screen. If mechanical options are not acceptable, then a PERFFLOW pill with the coarse
calcium carbonate particle size distribution is recommended to prevent the pill from penetrating
the gravel pack.

The special situation of an open-hole gravel pack requires that the filtercake be able to flow back
through the gravel pack, as well as provide good leakoff control during the complete gravel
packing operation (including pumping). Because of the unique formulation of the PERFFLOW

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Fluid Loss Control Chapter 10

system, this is the only material that we have found that meets this requirement. However, even
though the PERFFLOW is extremely durable, and experience indicates that screen can easily be
run across it without damaging it fluid-loss control capabilities, there are situations when additional
fluid loss control is required after the screen has been run. To help limit the probability of screen
plugging, it is recommended that fluid loss control at this time be accomplished by the base
PERFFLOW polymer system (without the calcium carbonate).

Summary
Fluid loss is a common occurrence in gravel packed well completions due to the relatively high to
extremely high permeabilities of unconsolidated formations. Fluid loss is further aggravated by the
fact that the formation may be exposed to losses for several days after perforating while the
gravel pack is installed and completion tubing run. The absolute best alternative to dealing with
fluid loss is to accept it. Although perceived as a problem in the completion process, fluid loss
after perforating indicates the perforations are open and clean, the completion fluid is compatible
with the formation and the reservoir is permeable. The real problem occurs when fluid loss is
stopped, indicating that something either intentionally or unintentionally has plugged the formation.

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