1. FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY
Summer Internship Project:
Rockperm
David Wagenmaker
Note: Surfactant names have been
edited out; proprietary information

2. 2FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY
Safety Moment
▌ The Importance of hearing protection
 Damage is done without noticing
▌ Example from the lab

3. 3FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY
About Me
▌ Missouri University of Science and Technology
▌ Petroleum Engineer
▌ Graduate this December
▌ Why I am here- the Shale Boom
 “The biggest innovation in energy so far this century has been the
development of shale gas and the associated resource known as
‘tight oil.’ Shale energy ranks at the top not only because of its
abundance in the United States, but also because of its profound
global impact – as events in 2014 will continue to demonstrate.”
-Daniel Yergin

4. 4FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY
Rockperm Service
▌ Column Flow Test (CFT)
 Measures Surfactant
effectiveness when exposed to
the fracture environment
− Produced Water
− Produced Oil
− Formation Cuttings
− Fracturing Fluid
 Process Description
 Metrics

5. 5FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY
Problems
▌ Test Inconsistency
▌ Orders have slowed down

6. 6FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY
Problem Identification
▌ Voids
 Large example at right
 Could they form within the
sediment column, out of
view?
▌ Decided to test if modified use
of the massager prevented
formation

7. 7FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY
Diagnosis
▌ Voids caused by massager
 Clearly seen when used without
sediment (see picture-->)
▌ Voids appear to form within sediment
column
 Example: column with calculated
pore volume of 2.4 mL absorbed 6.5
mL of oil before breakthrough
▌ Solution: see if consistency improves
without the massager

8. 8FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY
Measuring Consistency
▌ Single Variable Analysis
 Use same surfactant, cuttings, fluid, etc.
 With massager and without
 See if variability improves
▌ AAAAAAAAAA Surfactant used

9. 9FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY
Single Variable Analysis Results
▌ With Cuttings
 Massager dramatically affected Breakthrough Times
 BTT is more consistent without the massager

10. 10FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY
Single Variable Analysis Results: 100% Sand
▌ Massager made very little difference
 Variation is much larger than the standard “victory” distance
▌ CFT is less reliable with 100% sand

11. 11FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY
Single Variable Analysis Results
▌ Displaced Fluid unaffected by massager or sediment composition
▌ Massager affects time, not volume

12. 12FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY
Measuring Consistency
▌ Primary analysis method: conduct CFT three times with massager
and three times without
 10 surfactants
 See if ranking changes
▌ Different measurement metrics given, least important first

13. 13FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY
First Metric: Breakthrough Time
Unmassaged
Massaged

14. 14FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY
Second Metric: Displaced Fluid
Unmassaged
Massaged

15. 15FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY
Displaced Fluid: The Numbers
▌ Massager makes little difference
▌ The most consistent Metric

16. 16FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY
Third Metric: Displacement Rate
▌ The most important
▌ More consistent than Breakthrough Time, less than Displaced Fluid
▌ Again, better unmassaged

17. 17FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY
Displacement Rate: the numbers
▌ No Massager gets the best results
 LOSURF 300D won every time without the massager
 The “winner” changed with the massager

18. 18FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY
Conclusions
▌ Test Consistency, not Accuracy, improved
▌ Rival Surfactant Selection Method: Performance History
 Presents long-term challenge to the CFT’s utility
▌ Future: Integration with the Laser-strat test
 Take geologic composition, surfactant type (anionic, cationic,
nonionic) into account
 Travis Honeycutt’s breakout project may enhance the long-term
usefulness of this service

19. 19FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY
Number One reason to get rid of the massager-

20. FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY
Questions?