Kamel Ben Naceur, Chairman of DAMORPHE is speaking at The Unconventional Resources Technology Conference (URTeC) 2023, Denver, Colorado, USA.

Technical Program Theme: New Materials and Innovative Technologies

Paper # 3458461: Remote Monitoring of Stage Performance From Zonal Returns of Nanoparticle Tracers to Surface with Flowback, Deployed via Shaped Charges with Meta Materials Integrated in Its Liner

Date & Time: Wednesday, June 14, 2023; 14:25
Location: Room 6; Exhibition Hall E; Colorado Convention Center

Abstract:

Applications of Tracers in oil & gas for sensing and characterization are decades old and of late, being more commonplace, especially to improve production and performance of unconventional assets. However, current drawbacks are uncertainties relating deployment and recovery and a complex, time consuming analyses. With effective placement, tracers can yield information regarding fluid flow through a reservoir, breakthrough times from injector to producers, and provide useful estimations of the inter-well oil saturation. Recently there has been a lot of advancement in the area of nanoparticle tracers, encompassing quantum-dots embedded on particulates, and is being evaluated as means for remote sensing. Delivery of tracers via shaped charges is novel and is the objective of this research.

Shaped-charges, with a High-Entropy-Alloy (HEA), designed for 3-in OD guns, enabled the production of tailored entry-holes. This helped lowering of perf-friction, in turn reducing treatment-pressures, achieve higher flow across each perforation, uniform-drainage, and improved cluster-efficiency.

An industry first study was undertaken to deploy nanoparticle tracers in reservoirs via shaped charges to remotely monitor stage performance from zonal returns of the nanoparticles to surface with flowback. Functionalized rare earth oxide upconverted nanoparticles manifesting unique emission spectra and engineered decay times, identifiable in parts per billion dilution, designed to survive detonation events were integrated in the HEA liners and used to perforate multiple zones in 5 Permian wells.

Flowback emulsions sampled from client wells were scanned with collimated light of tailored wavelength to acquire unique after-glow spectra. Presence of tracers in the flow-back samples confirmed successful return of the nano-particulates to the surface. Our objectives are to (1) establish successful return of tracers with flowback fluids from producing wells (2) Remotely acquire information on contributions from near and far-field fractures, connectivity and conductivity. Calibration are being conducted through lab testing in cement targets shot with different weights percentages of tracers in the liner. Our paper will discuss salient results from tracer identification in fluids sampled from field trials to lab calibration for a better understanding of zonal performance.