Conformance & WSO

Diving into the technologies and design approaches for conformance control and water shut-off.

In this podcast episode featuring Randy Seright, we discuss the basic (yet important) concepts behind water shut-off and conformance technologies:

Differences between conformance and water shut-off
Water-cut: How did I decide there was a problem?
What did I do to diagnose the problem – the importance of diagnostic
When gel treatments apply best
Sizing, implementation, success in fractures
Conformance technologies: microgels, nanogels, etc.

Overview of conformance technologies

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Decision tree for conformance & WSO

It often astounds me that, in light of the vast amounts of water produced, conformance and WSO interventions aren’t more favored. Conversations reveal a success rate hovering around 50%, akin to flipping a coin and gauging the likelihood of it landing heads or tails—it evens out to a mere 50/50 chance. From what I’ve observed, many firms resort to a one-size-fits-all approach, indiscriminately using gels regardless of the issue at hand: it’s hit or miss. At times, it’s effective, occasionally it’s not, and every so often, it lasts a mere month, just enough to cover the costs. Does that reflect sound engineering? The judgment rests with the observer. In my perspective, a thorough diagnosis is the cornerstone of success. Determining “where the water originates” and discerning whether “the flow is radial or linear” emerge as paramount queries before looking for a remedy. I suggest a decision-making flowchart, open to ongoing enhancements and feedback.

Conformance-WSO Download