Summary
Technologies for horizontal-well fracturing in China include multistaged
fracturing and hydraulic jetting. As in many other parts of the world, this
type of well stimulation employs mechanical zonal isolation or sand and polymer
plugs. All of these technologies are used by us in a number of reservoirs, but
they depend on the presence of newly targeted and intentionally perforated
sections of horizontal wells that are not already perforated. However, because
most horizontal wells in the mature Huabei oil field have been producing for a
very long time and the perforations are all along the horizontal sections, it
is practically impossible to use these technologies.
To prevent multiple-fracture initiation in a given section, sealing-ball
staged fracturing has been developed and used successfully in horizontal wells
of the Huabei field. Three kinds of sealing balls--with densities of < 1,
1, and > 1 g/cc, respectively--are pumped between stages of fracturing.
They can seal perforations 360° around the horizontal-well section.
Higher-permeability zones are sealed off preferentially. Because staged
fracturing can be carried out effectively without stopping the pumps while
running ball sealers downhole, the process can be accomplished in a
significantly shorter period of time than other techniques. And, because these
sealing balls are made of wax, they can be dissolved and removed later by the
oil produced from the formations.
In this paper we present field case studies of staged hydraulic fracturing
using ball sealers, and we demonstrate the success of this form of zonal
isolation in both execution and especially post-fracture well performance. We
also provide guidelines for the effective length of horizontal-well section in
which ball sealers can be used for zonal isolation.
© 2012. Society of Petroleum Engineers
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History
- Original manuscript received:
10 June 2011
- Meeting paper published:
25 January 2011
- Revised manuscript received:
9 September 2011
- Manuscript approved:
29 November 2011
- Published online:
31 July 2012
- Version of record:
7 August 2012
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