Field Implementation of In-Depth Conformance Gel Treatment Prior to Starting an ASP Flooding Pilot

Mature carbonate reservoirs under waterflood in Kuwait suffer from relatively low oil recovery due to poor volumetric sweep efficiency, both areal, vertically, and microscopically. An Alkaline-Surfactant-Polymer (ASP) pilot using a regular five-spot well pattern is in progress targeting the Sabriyah Mauddud (SAMA) reservoir in pursuit of reserves growth and production sustainability. SAMA suffers from reservoir heterogeneities mainly associated with permeability contrast which may be improved with a conformance treatment to de-risk pre-mature breakthrough of water and chemical EOR agents in preparation for subsequent ASP injection and to improve reservoir contact by the injected fluids. Each of the four injection wells in the SAMA ASP pilot was treated with a chemical conformance improvement formulation. A high viscosity polymer solution (HVPS) of 200 cP was injected prior to a gelant formulation consisting of P300 polymer and X1050 crosslinker. After a shut-in period, wells were then returned to water injection. Injection of high viscosity polymer solution (HVPS) at the four injection wells showed no increase in injection pressure and occurred higher than expected injection rates. Early breakthrough of polymer was observed at SA-0561 production well from three of the four injection wells. No appreciable change in oil cut was observed. HVPS did not improve volumetric sweep efficiency based on the injection and production data. Gel treatment to improve the volumetric conformance of the four injection wells resulted in all the injection wells showing increased of injection pressure from approximately 3000 psi to 3600 psi while injecting at a constant rate of approximately 2,000 bb/day/well. Injection profiles from each of the injection well ILTs showed increased injection into lower-capacity zones and decreased injection into high-capacity zones. Inter-well tracer testing showed delayed tracer breakthrough at the center SA-0561 production well from each of the four injection wells after gel placement. SA-0561 produced average daily produced temperature increased from approximately 40°C to over 50°C. SA-0561 oil cuts increased up to almost 12% from negligible oil sheen prior to gel treatments. Gel treatment improved volumetric sweep efficiency in the SAMA SAP pilot area.