Application of Phase Change Tracking Approach in Predicting Condensate Blockage in Tight, Low, and High Permeability Reservoirs

Prediction of the timing and location of condensate build-up around the wellbore in gas condensate reservoirs is essential for the selection of appropriate methods for condensate recovery from these challenging reservoirs. The present work focuses on the use of a novel phase change tracking approach in monitoring the formation of condensate blockage in a gas condensate reservoir. The procedure entails the simulation of tight, low and high permeability reservoirs using global and local grid analysis in determining the size and timing of three common regions (Region 1, near wellbore; Region 2, condensate build-up; and Region 3, single-phase gas) associated with single and two-phase gas and immobile and mobile gas condensate. The results show that permeability has a significant influence on the occurrence of the three regions around the well, which in turn affects the productivity of the gas condensate reservoir studied. Predictions of the timing and location of condensate in reservoirs with different permeability levels of 1 mD to 100 mD indicate that local damage enhances condensate formation by 60% and shortens the duration of the immobile phase by 45%. Meanwhile, the global change in permeability increases condensate formation by 80% and reduces the presence of the immobile phase by 60%. Finally, this predictive approach can help in mitigating condensate blockage around the wellbore during production.

Pore-Scale Analysis of Condensate Blockage Mitigation by Wettability Alteration

Liquid banking in the near wellbore region can lessen significantly the production from gas reservoirs. As reservoir rocks commonly consist of liquid-wet porous media, they are prone to liquid trapping following well liquid invasion and/or condensate dropout in gas-condensate systems. For this reason, wettability alteration from liquid to gas-wet has been investigated in the past two decades as a permanent gas flow enhancement solution. Numerous experiments suggest flow improvement for immiscible gas-liquid flow in wettability altered cores. However, due to experimental limitations, few studies evaluate the method’s performance for condensing flows, typical of gas-condensate reservoirs. In this context, we present a compositional pore-network model for gas-condensate flow under variable wetting conditions. Different condensate modes and flow patterns based on experimental observations were implemented in the model so that the effects of wettability on condensing flow were represented. Flow analyses under several thermodynamic conditions and flow rates in a sandstone based network were conducted to determine the parameters affecting condensate blockage mitigation by wettability alteration. Relative permeability curves and impacts factors were calculated for gas flowing velocities between 7.5 and 150 m/day, contact angles between 45° and 135°, and condensate saturations up to 35%. Significantly different relative permeability curves were obtained for contrasting wettability media and impact factors below one were found at low flowing velocities in preferentially gas-wet cases. Results exhibited similar trends observed in coreflooding experiments and windows of optimal flow enhancement through wettability alteration were identified.

Effect of a synthesized anionic fluorinated surfactant on wettability alteration for chemical treatment of near-wellbore zone in carbonate gas condensate reservoirs

The pressure drop during production in the near-wellbore zone of gas condensate reservoirs causes condensate formation in this area. Condensate blockage in this area causes an additional pressure drop that weakens the effective parameters of production, such as permeability. Reservoir rock wettability alteration to gas-wet through chemical treatment is one of the solutions to produce these condensates and eliminate condensate blockage in the area. In this study, an anionic fluorinated surfactant was synthesized and used for chemical treatment and carbonate rock wettability alteration. The synthesized surfactant was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. Then, using surface tension tests, its critical micelle concentration (CMC) was determined. Contact angle experiments on chemically treated sections with surfactant solutions and spontaneous imbibition were performed to investigate the wettability alteration. Surfactant adsorption on porous media was calculated using flooding. Finally, the surfactant foamability was investigated using a Ross–Miles foam generator. According to the results, the synthesized surfactant has suitable thermal stability for use in gas condensate reservoirs. A CMC of 3500 ppm was obtained for the surfactant based on the surface tension experiments. Contact angle experiments show the ability of the surfactant to chemical treatment and wettability alteration of carbonate rocks to gas-wet so that at the constant concentration of CMC and at 373 K, the contact angles at treatment times of 30, 60, 120 and 240 min were obtained 87.94°, 93.50°, 99.79° and 106.03°, respectively. However, this ability varies at different surfactant concentrations and temperatures. The foamability test also shows the suitable stability of the foam generated by the surfactant, and a foam half-life time of 13 min was obtained for the surfactant at CMC.