Principles of Acid

Fracturing

1Acid
Fract

Acid Fracturing Basics

Acid is injected above fracturing pressure
A hydraulic fracture is created
Limestone and Dolomite
Fracture faces are dissolved and etched
Conductive channels are created
Length of etched fracture

Determined by acid type, volume, strength, leakoff

parameters, reaction rate and spending rate.
Effectiveness determined by
Fracture length
Fracture conductivity

2Acid
Fract

Candidates for Acid

Fracturing

Cleaner limestone and Dolomite formations

Must have good fracture containment to generate length

Dirty carbonate rocks (< 70% solubility in HCl)

are poor candidates

Acid etched channel will be impaired

Release of insoluble material will plug the channel

Chalk formations may not be suitable

Soft, unable to retain conductivity after closure

Not applicable to sandstone formations

HCl, even HF will not adequately etch sandstone

fracture face

Materials released through dissolution will plug the

fracture

3Acid
Fract

Acid & Propped Fracturing

Comparison
Acid Fracturing

Propped Fracturing

Equipment/Treatment

Less complicated

More complicated

Proppant problems

No

Yes

Proppant Transport Problem No

Yes

Fluid Loss Control

Poor

Better

Candidates

Carbonates Only

Carbonates +

Sandstones

Residual Damage in Fracture

No Yes

Fracture Length Achievable Shorter

Longer

4Acid
Fract

Factors Influencing Fracture Length &

Conductivity
Acid type, strength and volume
Affects etched width and fracture lengths
Acid leakoff

Additional complication due to gel cake erosion and

wormhole development
Acid viscosity
Governs fracture width and acid transport along length
Injection rate
Formation type
Mineralogy, temperature, saturation, wettability

5Acid
Fract

Consideration of Acid Fracturing

Design
Fracture propagation to the desired length
Acid is capable of dissolving large amount

of reservoir rock
Retain adequate length and conductivity
after closure
Rapid cleanup of treatment fluid
Cost effective

6Acid
Fract

Acid Fracture Mechanics

Acid Leakof

Acid Reaction

Acid Transport

7Acid
Fract

Acid Reaction
Strength
Type of Acid
acid at 100F

LB CaCO3 Dissolved
(%)
/1000 gal

Hydrochloric
20
28

15
2,515
3,662

1,833

Formic

726

Acetic

10

422

Higher strengths and higher volumes

8Acid
Fract

will create more fracture width

Different Acid Types and

Strengths

9Acid
Fract

Acid Leakoff
Acid leakoff cause the decline in treating

pressure during pumping

Fracture extension becomes impossible
Conventional filter cakes are destroyed by the acid
Natural Fissures and Fractures
Fissures get wider as more acid is introduced
Limit the fracture propagation
Wormholes
Divert larger volume of acid away from the
primary fracture

10Acid
Fract

Wormhole Development
Major source of leakoff

limiting penetration
Wormholes also

reduce fracture width

Form in the porosity of

rock matrix
11Acid
Fract

Wormhole Development
Effect of Temperature

12Acid
Fract

Wormhole Development
Effect of Acid Concentration

13Acid
Fract

Wormhole Development
Effect of Injection Rate

14Acid
Fract

Controlling Acid Leakoff

Acid Swellable Polymers
Used to control wormhole early during treatment
Oil Soluble Resins
Limited commercial application
Gelled water pad ahead of acid or within stages

of acid
Increased penetration due to reduced acid
reaction rate
Gelled acid
Reduced leakoff by increasing filtrate viscosity

15Acid
Fract

Controlling Acid Leakoff

Acid Swellable Polymers

Used to control wormhole early during treatment

Oil Soluble Resins

Limited commercial application

Gelled water pad ahead of acid or within stages of acid

Increased penetration due to reduced acid reaction rate

Gelled acid

Reduced leakoff by increasing filtrate viscosity

16Acid
Fract

Controlling Acid Leakoff

Acid Swellable Polymers

Used to control wormhole early during treatment

Oil Soluble Resins

Limited commercial application

Gelled water pad ahead of acid or within stages of acid

Increased penetration due to reduced acid reaction rate

Gelled acid

Reduced leakoff by increasing filtrate viscosity

17Acid
Fract

Controlling Acid Leakoff

Polymeric pad - Acid stages
Reduced leakoff due to

wormhole plug-up
Accelerated leakoff

following gel cake

erosion

18Acid
Fract

Controlling Acid Leakoff

DuoFrac II
Alternating stages of

acid and gel

Increased efficiency

and fracture length

19Acid
Fract

Acid Transport

C
Cv Cv Cv
C

t
x
y
z
z
z
y

advection, convection
difusion

Transport from the center of the fracture to

the fracture walls, i.e. diffusion.

Transport along the fracture length. Effects
due to pressure and density differences, i.e.
advection and convection
20Acid
Fract

Acid Diffusion
Acid transport due to

concentration
differences
Affects acid reaction

rate, and hence

fracture geometry

Acid Difusion

Fluid Leakof

Rock Etching

21Acid
Fract

Parameters Controlling Acid

Diffusion
Reduce fluid turbulence: Addition of

viscosifiers and wider fractures.

Reduce acid leakoff: Limited particle
velocity to the fracture walls.
Increase fracture width: More time for
particle transport.
Reduce temperature: Cooldown fluids

22Acid
Fract

Acid Transport along Fracture

Length
Governed by fluid

pressure, density
differences and
gravity.
Used to promote

longeretched fracture
lengths due to viscous
fingering.
23Acid
Fract

Acid Transport along Fracture

Length
Viscous fingering

Occurs when viscous fluid is displaced by

less viscous fluid

Three positive effects:
Acid velocity is increased
Acid etched length is increased
Acid leakoff area is decreased
A DUOFRAC II treatment also experience

viscous fingering
24Acid
Fract

Acid Transport along Fracture

Length
Standard Analysis vs. 3-D
Numerical Analysis
4896
0.00 - 0.01
0.01 - 0.01
0.01 - 0.02
0.02 - 0.02
0.02 - 0.02
0.02 - 0.03
0.03 - 0.03
> 0.03

4916
4936
4956
4976

W
e
ll D
e
p
th- ft

W
e
ll D
e
p
th- ft

4896

4916

0.01 - 0.02
0.02 - 0.02
0.02 - 0.03
0.03 - 0.04
0.04 - 0.05
0.05 - 0.06
0.06 - 0.07
> 0.07

4936
4956
4976
4996

4996
5016
0

100

200

Fracture Half-Length - ft

One dimensional
25Acid
Fract

5016
0

100

200

Fracture Half-Length - ft

Three dimensional

Acid Reaction Rate

The number of acid molecules with

carbonate rock per unit of time

Controlling mechanism
Diffusion and reaction kinetics
The diffusion and kinetic mechanism can

be
By decreasing the temperature
By increasing the viscosity of acid mixture
26Acid
Fract

Acid Reaction Rate

Depends on detailed chemical composition of
species involved
m
M acid
K r C wall C eqm
t

Macid = moles of acid at fracture wall

Kr

= Reaction rate constant

Cwall = Acid concentration at fracture

wall
27Acid
Fract

Ceqm = Equilibrium acid concentration

Acid Reaction Equilibrium

Acid concentration at surface balanced by that
transported through diffusion

M acid
K g C C wall C C wall v L
t
Macid = moles of acid at fracture wall
Kg

= Diffusion constant

Cwall = Acid concentration at fracture

wall
C
28Acid v
L
Fract

= Average acid concentration

= Leakoff velocity

Acid Reaction Equilibrium

Diffusion limited acid fracturing:
Extremely fast reaction rate. Etching limited
by diffusion acid transport
Kinetic limited acid fracturing:
Rapid acid transport. Limited acid - rock
reaction.

29Acid
Fract

Optimizing Conductivity &

Etched Fracture Length
No theoretical limitation of conductivity

value
A matter of pumping more acid to widen the
etched width
Maximum stimulation ratio achieved
Corresponds to the case of infinite
conductivity fracture
k w penetration
Optimum acid fracture
x
f

30Acid
Fract

50 k

Fluids for Deeper Acid

Penetration

Leakoff control is imperative

Decreasing leakoff through natural fissures
100 mesh resin/sand, or fine salt
LCA and viscous pads
Decreasing leakoff due to wormholes

LCA
Viscosified acid (DGA)
DUOFRAC II
Decreasing leakoff through fracture walls
Viscous fluid bank

31Acid
Fract

Fluids for Deeper Acid

Penetration

Leakoff control is imperative

Decreasing leakoff through natural fissures
100 mesh resin/sand, or fine salt
LCA and viscous pads
Decreasing leakoff due to wormholes

LCA
Viscosified acid (DGA)
DUOFRAC II
Decreasing leakoff through fracture walls
Viscous fluid bank

32Acid
Fract

Fluids for Deeper Acid

Penetration

Leakoff control is imperative

Decreasing leakoff through natural fissures
100 mesh resin/sand, or fine salt
LCA and viscous pads
Decreasing leakoff due to wormholes

LCA
Viscosified acid (DGA)
DUOFRAC II
Decreasing leakoff through fracture walls
Viscous fluid bank

33Acid
Fract

Cooldown
Cooldown in Acid Fracturing

Controls diffusion and surface reaction rates

BHST > 200F, rapid reaction with HCl

Acid etching is limited to a flow test

Best fluid for cooldown

High leakoff fluids

Affected by volume, rate and fluid invasion to the primary
porosity
Requirement in a fissured reservoir

Initiate cooldown once the leakoff to fissures has been limited

34Acid
Fract

Retarded Acid
Acid with a reduced reaction rate
Penetrates more deeply into the fracture
Fracture width is decreased
The degree of retardation is defined by

retardation factor (RF)

HCl, RF = 1
Retarded Acid, RF > 1

35Acid
Fract

Retardation Factor
Base values

RF

- HCl, DGA and LCA

- DAD

- Surfactant retarded with

F98

- Organic acid

- SXE

10

36Acid
Fract

Retardation Factor-Static &

Dynamic Conditions

37Acid
Fract

Acid Fracturing Design

Fundamentals
Achieving acid fracture penetration
Maximize acid fracture length

BHST < 200F, use fluid and lowest leakoff

BHST > 200F, use cooldown + acid retardation
Acid fracture length should be limited
Where no barrier to limit height growth
To prevent communication with water or gas zones
Fracture length = 1/2 thickness of producing interval (radial)
Maximize the injection rate

Deeper penetration
Dictated by maximum allowable wellhead pressure

38Acid
Fract