Case study: South America

AquaCUT relative permeability modifierdoubled oil production, reduced waterby more than 700 BWPD in mature wellAn operator in South America wasexperiencing high water cut from ahigh permeability zone (1+ darcy)
in a mature sandstone reservoir.
The operator’s sellable production
had become constricted by highdisposable production, leading tohigh treatment and disposal costs.
While the customer had pumped
successful relative permeability
treatments the same area, it had
difficulty qualifying a product thatwould tackle the watercut in its
high permeability zones.
Baker Hughes suggested theAquaCUT™ relative permeability
modifier (RPM). AquaCUT RPM isa subsurface water conformance
product that decreases the water
cut in mature sandstone wells,
reducing associated processing anddisposal costs while also extending
the productive life of the well. By
selectively targeting only the waterphase of produced fluids, AquaCUT
RPM products reduce the amount ofproduced water with minimal impact
on hydrocarbon production. In thepresence of oil, the AquaCUT RPM
components deform and minimize therestriction of the formation pore throat,allowing oil or gas to flow unimpeded.
Alternatively, in the presence of water,
the water-wetting polymer expands,
filling the pore throats which increases
the resistivity of water flow.

For the qualification process AquaCUT
RPM would need to show desirable
results in the lab before it could bepumped in the field. A thoroughtesting matrix along with robust
testing procedures was developedwith inputs from the Baker Hughes
R&D, region engineering, andcustomer representatives.

Challenges

Flawless Execution• Lowered disposable production
by more than 700 BWPD

AquaCUT RPM was pumped in arigless operation with zero NPT orHSE incidents. After a successful job
performed with flawless execution,
the well was put back into production.
The water production was reduced bymore than 700 barrels of water per day(BWPD) and oil production doubled.

• Mature sandstone field• High water cut restricting
oil production• High cost for rig intervention

Results• Doubled sellable production• Reduced overall carbon
emissions by reducing water
cut, requiring less treatment
and disposal• Lowered intervention costs byeliminating the need for a rig

This successful application ofAquaCUT RPM lowered intervention
costs, doubled sellable production,lowered disposable production bymore than 700 BWPD, and reduced
overall carbon emissions. Pleased
with the results, the customer plans
to use AquaCut for upcoming jobs.

bakerhughes.com

AquaCUT Treatment Core Flow Test Results –Permeability Regain
300

Oil

Polymer attaches to the sandstone formation through a
covalent bond – preferentially in tight spots (pore throats).
The highly water-wetting polymer “lays down” in thepresence of hydrocarbons (repelled).

Permeability (mD)

250
20076%

Water72%150
1005009%Initial

AquaCUT
Treatment

Cycle 1

9%Cycle 2After treatment, permeability to water was reduced by over 90% and remained constantafter a second and third cycle, showing longevity of the treatment.

In the presence of water, the highly water-wetting polymer
expands, filling pore throats, thereby increasing resistanceto water flow (Rw).

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