Maintaining Injectivity of Disposal Wells: From Water Quality to Formation Permeability

An extensive laboratory study was carried out with two objectives: to evaluate the effect of water quality on injectivity of disposal wells with reservoir core plugs and to restore injectivity of damaged wells.

January 31, 2018

Journal of Petroleum Technology

Fig. 1—Mechanisms of permeability impairment reflecting conditions when (a) particles present in the injected water are smaller than the average pore-throat diameter of the formation, (b) particles are smaller than the average pore-throat diameter of the formation, and (c) particles are significantly smaller than the average pore-throat diameter of the formation.

An extensive laboratory study was carried out with two objectives: to evaluate the effect of water quality on injectivity of disposal wells with reservoir core plugs and to restore injectivity of damaged wells. In this paper, water-quality guidelines to minimize or prevent formation damage are recommended. On the basis of laboratory work, a novel chemical treatment was successfully applied to restore injectivity of several damaged disposal wells. This novel treatment reduced the long operation time and cost of a typical treatment practice while effectively stimulating the well.

Effect of Water Quality and Formation Permeability on Injectivity

Water quality has a major influence on the injectivity of injection and disposal wells.

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