Title: Characterization of Polymer Solutions and
Crosslinked Gels at Downhole Conditions Using an Advanced
High Pressure Simulator
Author(s): S.N. Shah, The University of Oklahoma
Presentation: 3rd International Conference on
Reservoir Conformance Profile, Water and Gas Conference
Location: Houston, Texas USA
Date: August 6-9, 1997
Abstract: The petroleum industry to-date has used
various techniques to enhance the hydrocarbon production
from low and high permeability oil and gas reservoir. The
design and implementation of a scientifically and
economically sound treatment, due to lack of knowledge and
understanding of the rheological behavior and
characterization of the complexed fluids used in these
treatments under field conditions, remains a challenge.
Furthermore, as often the case, the current level of
technical knowledge with research institutes, service
companies, and operators does not translate to field
applications. One of the principal reasons for this
technology gap, is the lack of understand of the rheological
behavior of fluids under field conditions, which primarily
related to the limitations in scaling down the field
conditions to the laboratory. The state-of-the-art
Fracturing Fluid Characterization Facility (FFCF) was,
therefore, designed and built to conduct research with
fluids used for various applications using an advanced High
Pressure Simulator (HPS). The HPS is a large, parallel-plate
flow cell designed to measure fluid properties under high
temperature and pressure conditions. Maximum operating
pressure is 1200 psi and maximum temperature is 250 degrees
F. The HPS, together with the onsite auxiliary field-size
equipment, duplicates to the maximum degree practical, the
actual downhole conditions. This paper describes the FFCF
facility and the high-pressure simulator in detail, points
out the unique capabilities of the slot-flow test apparatus,
and presents results of testing conducted in various
research areas with polymer solutions and gels. The fluids
evaluated to-date have application, primarily, in the
stimulation of oil and gas wells. Research includes the
areas such as rheology of clean and proppant-laden fluids,
dynamic fluid leak-off, perforation pressure losses,
proppant transport, frictional losses in coiled tubing, and
heat transfer characteristics. Results will be presented and
discussed. The findings will be of great interest to the
petroleum industry where these fluids are widely used. The
impact of some of these results will also be discussed in
the paper.
