Acid Selection for Volcanic Tuffaceous Sandstone With High Analcime Contents: A Laboratory Study in Kita-Akita Oil Field, Northern Japan
Authors: Ueda Kenji , Matsui Ryoichi , Ziauddin Murtaza , Teng Ling Kong , Wang Wei Kan 
Published: April 2019

Investigation of the effectiveness of matrix stimulation treatments for removing drilling induced damage in Akita region in northern Japan is of interest due to the presence of large quantities of acid-sensitive minerals, such as analcime. Feasibility study of the sub-commercial field redevelopment in the Kita-Akita oil field, one of the satellite fields of main Yabase oil fields, which produced from 1957 to 1973, and were plugged and abandoned, were conducted. As a part of the studies, matrix acidizing laboratory experiments were performed. Conventional mud acids and formic-based organic mud acid systems cause significant permeability damage due to instability of analcime in these acids. This study focuses on the development of a treatment fluid that removes drilling-induced damage and is also compatible with the formation.

Petrology studies and core flow tests were used in conjunction with geochemical modeling to achieve this objective. A petrographic analysis on the untreated cores showed abundant tuffaceous pore-filling mineral phases, ranging from 12 to 20% in volume. Smectite clay and microcrystalline quartz are the major constituents as alteration products of volcanic glass. Analcime was present in significant quantities in all samples tested.

Six core flow tests were performed on formation cores to optimize the acid preflush and main acid stage. Permeability change due to the treatment fluids was recorded for the tests. Chemical analysis of the effluent was performed on three core flow tests. Core samples before and after acidization were characterized based on thin section, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy(SEM) and mineral mapping.

Core flow tests with a conventional retarded organic mud acid resulted in only a 75% retained permeability. The permeability damage by the retarded organic mud acid was surprising because it usually performs well in acid-sensitive formations. A chelant based retarded mud acid was tested next and resulted in minor formation damage. It can potentially be used in a field treatment as its high dissolving power is expected to more than compensate for the damage. The highest retained permeability was obtained with an acetic-HF acid system. It was successfully able to remove drilling-induced damage and was also compatible with the native mineralogy. Core flow tests were used to calibrate permeability-porosity relationship used in the geochemical simulator. The geochemical simulator was then used to predict field-level acid response.

The analytic methods presented are general enough to be of interest to sandstone acidizing studies where detailed analysis is needed for damage identification and removal. The fluids developed for this formation area good candidates for other formations where conventional acid systems have not performed well. This study also highlights close collaboration between an operator and service company to find a workable solution to a challenging stimulation requirement.