A Strategy for Attacking Excess Water Production

R.S. Seright, R.H. Lane, R.D. Sydansk – 2003

Abstract

This paper describes a strategy for diagnosing and solving excess water production problems — advocating that the easiest problems be attacked first and that diagnosis begin with information already at hand. A ranked listing of water production problem types is provided, along with their relative ease of solution. The major focus is when and where gels can be effectively applied for water shutoff. Problem types are organized into categories ranging from Category A (conventional treatments — cement, mechanical devices — normally effective) through Category D (problems that gels typically cannot solve, such as 3D coning). For each problem type, the appropriate class of technology is identified. The paper emphasizes that many operators skip diagnosis, leading to poor treatment success rates, and provides a cost-effective methodology for correct problem identification before treatment selection.

Key Takeaways

  • Attack the easiest problems first: the most cost-effective water shutoff strategy prioritizes near-wellbore, mechanically simple problems (casing leaks, flow behind pipe) before attempting more complex conformance treatments — and starts diagnosis with available well data.
  • Four problem categories are defined by treatment difficulty and appropriate technology: Category A (conventional cement/mechanical), Category B (gel treatments suited), Category C (gel treatments with limitations), and Category D (problems gels typically cannot solve, including 3D coning and open perforations to water zones).
  • Gel treatment success depends critically on matching gel properties to flow channel aperture: Portland cement is favored for large-aperture problems (aperture > 1/16 in.) while gels are suited to small-aperture channels (< 1/16 in.) — applying the wrong material to the wrong aperture scale is a primary cause of treatment failure.
  • Perhaps 30 different diagnostic methods exist for excess water production — but many operators skip diagnosis entirely due to time, cost, or incorrect belief in a universal solution, directly causing low treatment success rates across the industry.
  • Gels cannot solve all water production problems: 3D coning, open perforations to water zones, and highly mobile water-wet matrix flow are problem types where gel treatments typically fail and where reservoir management or mechanical solutions are required instead.
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