Experimental Evaluation of a New Nonaromatic Nonionic Surfactant for Deep Carbonate Stimulation

Matrix acidizing improves productivity in oil and gas wells. Hydrochloric acid (HCl), because of its many advantages such as its effectiveness, availability, and low cost, has been a typical first-choice fluid for acidizing operations. However, HCl in high-pressure/high-temperature (HP/HT) wells can be problematic because of its high reactivity, resulting in face dissolution, high corrosion rates, and high corrosion inhibition costs. Several alternatives to HCl have been tested; among them, emulsified acid is a favorable choice because of its inherent low corrosion rate, deeper penetration into the reservoir, fewer asphaltene/sludge problems, and better acid distribution due to its higher viscosity. The success of the new system is dependent upon the stability of the emulsion, especially at high temperatures. The emulsified acid must be stable until it is properly placed, and it must also be compatible with other additives in an acidizing package. This study develops a stable, emulsified acid system at 300°F using aliphatic nonionic surfactants. This paper introduces a new nonaromatic, nonionic surfactant to form an emulsified acid for HP/HT wells. The type and quality of the emulsified acid were assessed through conductivity measurements and drop tests. The thermal stability of the system was monitored as a function of time through the use of pressure tubes and a preheated oil bath at 300°F. A LUMisizer® (LUM GmbH, Berlin, Germany) and Turbiscan® (Formulaction, S. A., L’Union, France) were used to determine the stability and the average droplet size of the emulsion, respectively. The viscosity of the emulsified acid was measured at different temperatures up to 300°F as a function of shear rate (1 to 1,000 s−1). The microscopy study was used to examine the shape and the distribution of acid droplets in diesel. Coreflood studies at low and high flow rates were conducted to determine the performance of the newly developed stable emulsified acid in creating wormholes in carbonate rocks. Inductively coupled plasma and computed tomography (CT) scans were used to determine the dissolved cations and wormhole propagation, respectively. Superior stimulation results with a low pore volume of acid to breakthrough (PVBT) were achieved at 300°F with the newly developed emulsified acid system. The wormhole propagation was narrow and dominant compared to branched wormholes resulting from conventional emulsified acid systems. Results indicate that a nonionic surfactant with optimal chemistry, such as a suitable hydrophobe chain length and structure, can form a stable emulsified acid. In this study we introduce a new and effective aliphatic nonionic surfactant to create a stable emulsified acid system for matrix acidizing at HP/HT conditions, leading to a deeper penetration of acid with low pore volume to breakthrough. The successful core flood studies in the laboratory using carbonate cores suggest that the new emulsified acid system may efficiently stimulate HP/HT carbonate reservoirs.