Abstract

Excessive water production is consistently burdening the oil industry, especially as lifting and facility costs rise and disposal of produced water becomes increasingly difficult, expensive and environmentally sensitive. Oil company profitability is suffering in high water cut areas and a focus on methods for water control is parmount in the engineers plans to increase profits. High water cuts are often due to common oilfield phenomenons such as water fingering, coning or early break-through during flooding projects. A previously developed amphoteric polymer material (APM) (SPE Paper No. 14822) has been successfully applied in Indonesia. This product reduces volumes of produced water and very often increases hydrocarbon production by effectively reducing the permeability to water without significantly changing the formation permeability to hydrocarbons. This paper will review the mechanism, application and associated lab results by which the APM polymer reduces water cut with the primary emphasis on the Indonesian case histories.

Most wells treated during the late 1995/early 1996 study showed a water cut reduction, an increased oil cut, and a reduced volume of total produced fluid. More field wells were able to be placed on line and not exceed water management capabilities of the production facilities.

Results indicate that high permeability sandstone reservoirs, with water production problems, can benefit from APM treatments. The product can successfully and economically reduce water production with the added benefit of increased hydrocarbon production often noted. Laboratory and field results indicate good product application under high shear situations and temperatures up to 275°F.^1,2,4 Careful candidate selection and good placement techniques, in conjunction with production logging to determine water location, are important to the success of APM jobs.