Estimation of field production profiles in case of asphaltene deposition

Abstract

In this work, we aimed to predict possible field production scenarios in case of asphaltene deposition based on field data as well as recommend remediation and stimulation measures to mitigate the risks of asphaltene deposition in the reservoir. We considered the influence of asphaltene formation in the near-wellbore of producers on the production data without reservoir pressure maintenance system in one of the oil fields. The asphaltene envelope in the reservoir oil was obtained, and the operating conditions of the field were evaluated under the possibility of asphaltene deposition. According to the results of dynamic modeling, the pressure map was plotted and the low-pressure areas in the near-wellbore were shown, which contributes to the aggravation of the problem associated with the asphaltene envelope. Based on the geometrical features of the low-pressure area, the dependence of the permeability reduction in the near-wellbore of the production well on the operating time was obtained using the asphaltene deposition model proposed by Wang and Civan. Based on the Buckley-Leverett theory, the field production profiles were calculated with and without asphaltene deposition. A decrease in the oil rate and consequently, the decrease in cumulative oil production in the field is expected due to the damage formation by solids. Maintenance of the production level will be facilitated by treating the nearwellbore with aromatic solvents and maintaining the reservoir pressure above the asphaltene onset pressure.