Laboratory Evaluation of In-Situ Gelled Acids for Carbonate Reservoirs

Summary Three different commercial formulations (A, B, and C) of in-situ gelled acids are compared in detail at temperatures up to 150°F and acid concentrations from 5 to 20 wt% HCl. In-situ gelled acids are said to work by a gelation mechanism that occurs at the rock surface as the acid is spent. These acids contain a polymer, a crosslinker, and a breaker, in addition to other additives. Detailed viscosity measurements of each in-situ gelled acid were made with live, partially neutralized, and spent acid. A new experimental procedure was developed to partially neutralize the in-situ gelled acid with calcium carbonate, and then the apparent viscosity was measured as a function of shear rate in the range 1 to 3,000 s−1. The pH values of these samples varied from 0 to 6. Relative reaction rates with reservoir rock of the three in-situ gelled acids were compared at 100°F. Coreflood experiments were conducted with small acid volumes, so that permeability could be measured before acid breakthrough occurred. In-situ gelled acids all retarded the reaction of acid with reservoir rock, primarily as a result of the polymer present in the acid formulae. From viscosity measurements, live in-situ gelled acids A and B behaved more like gelled acids. Their viscosity in live acid was significantly higher than that of Acid C. In spent acid, the viscosity of Acid C was higher than that of Acids A or B. Acid C was most effective at initial HCl concentrations of 5 and 10 wt% at 100 and 150°F. Acids A and B were effective only at an initial HCl concentration of 10 wt% and 100°F. Coreflood studies showed that the polymer and crosslinker component of in-situ gelled acids irreversibly reduced the permeability of carbonate reservoir rock. As with any spent acids, mixing spent in-situ gelled acids with seawater resulted in calcium sulfate precipitation for all three of the acid systems.