On successful completion of this course students will be able to:

1	Explain key aspects of formation damage in different processes of oil production.
2	Explain reservoir physics of main formation damage mechanisms.
3	Describe the purpose of damage removal, prevention and mitigation, of well stimulation.
4	Discuss the concepts and equipment required for water management in onshore and offshore developments.
5	Analysis of mathematical models for formation damage in different processes of oil production (waterflooding, pressure depletion, EOR).
6	Describe the applicability of different mathematical models of formation damage.
7	Explain the process and importance of injected water treatment.
8	Apply knowledge of formation damage reservoir physics in design of damage-free oil production technologies.
9	Describe processes associated with formation damage in injection and production wells and its uses in exploration and production.
10	Apply a critical-thinking and problem-solving approach towards the principles of damage-free oil production technologies.

 
The above course learning outcomes are aligned with the Engineers Australia . The course develops the following EA Elements of Competency to levels of introductory (A), intermediate (B), advanced (C):  
 

1.1	1.2	1.3	1.4	1.5	1.6	2.1	2.2	2.3	2.4	3.1	3.2	3.3	3.4	3.5	3.6
C	C	C	B	B	B	C	—	—	—	B	—	—	—	—	—

The following two texts are an integral work book and reference for this course;

1. Civan, F.: Reservoir Formation Damage (Fundamentals, Modeling, Assessment, and Mitigation), Gulf Professional Publishing, 2nd ed (2007). Approximate cost = 150 US $

2. Tiab, D. and Donaldson, E.C., 2004, Petrophysics, Gulf Prof Publishing, 2nd Ed. Approximate cost = 160 US $

Useful Reference Books

• Schechter, R., 1987, Well stimulation, New Jersey, Prentice Hall, Engleswood, NJ, NY.
• Khilar, K. and Fogler, S., 1998: Migration of Fines in Porous Media, Kluwer Academic Publishers,   Dordrecht/London/Boston
• Bedrikovetsky P.G., 1993, Mathematical Theory of Oil & Gas Recovery (With applications to ex-USSR oil & gas condensate fields), Kluwer Academic Publishers, London-Boston-Dordrecht, 600 p.
• Bedrikovetsky P.G., 1999, Advanced Waterflooding, Textbook, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark, 450 p.

Additional lecture notes will be provided during the lecture

PDF’s of lecture power points and additional material will be provided via MyUni

The lectures provide an outline to formation damage and well stimulation, which is supported by problem-solving tutorials and practicals laboratory studies.

All lectures as well as Practical and Tutorials must be attended to gain the fullest knowledge in the subject. Pre-reading of the Lecture material from MyUni and recommended reference books will enable students to gain more depth of knowledge in the subject area of each lecture, and practical and tutorial classes.

Topics to be treated in order of presentation:

INTRODUCTION:
General aspects of oil/gas production and water injection
Technical, economical and environmental aspects
Examples for water management: WESTERN SIBERIA, CAMPOS BASIN, NORTH SEA, GULF OF MEXICO, CASPIAN SEA

WATER MANAGEMENT IN OILFIELD EXPLOITATION
Water Management cycle
The need of rate maintenance
Oil recovery with waterflooding
Directions for waterflooding project
Estimates for waterflood project (tutorial)
Skin effect in injection and production wells (tutorial)

FORMATION DAMAGE OF INJECTORS: PHYSICAL MECHANISMS
Sea water injection: pore size exclusion, fine migration, molecular forces, salinity, bridging, segregation
Produced water re-injection: adsorption, capillary sorption, deformation and mobilisation of trapped particles
Aggregation of solid and liquid particles. Effects of wettability
Fines migration in oil and gas reservoirs: drag, electrostatic, adhesion and lifting forces. Other forces acting on particles in porous media

INJECTIVITY TESTS: COREFLOODING WITH FORMATION DAMAGE
Mathematical model for permeability impairment
Filtration coefficient and formation damage coefficient
Laboratory studies of deep bed filtration
Exercise-tutorial: Filtration coefficient determination from laboratory measurements of outlet concentration
Exercise-tutorial: Formation damage coefficient determination from laboratory measurements of pressure drop on a core
Simultaneous determination of both coefficients from pressure measurements in 3 core points
Results of laboratory tests treatment (practical in lab)

WELL IMPAIRMENT WITH INJECTION OF WATER WITH SOLID PARTICLES
Prediction of well impairment based on laboratory test data
Direct recalculation of coreflood data to well impairment for the case of low filtration coefficient
Prediction of well impairment based on injection history
Exercise-tutorial: predict injectivity decline based on coreflood data
Exercise-tutorial: predict injectivity decline based on well data
Field case - already waterflooded field, Campos basin, Brazil
Field case - a young field, Campos basin, Brazil

EFFECTS OF PARTICLE AND PORE SIZES ON IMPAIRMENT
Mathematical model for deep bed filtration accounting for particle and pore size distributions
Calculation of flux reduction and accessibility factors
Analytical models for deep bed filtration for different particle and pore size distributions
Calculation of filtration coefficient for different particle and pore size distributions
Exercise-tutorial: practical calculations for injected water filtering

EXTERNAL CAKE FORMATION DURING SEA WATER INJECTION
Mathematical model for external cake formation
Erosion of external filter cake. Mathematical model. Laboratory study.
Determination of cake permeability from routine coreflood data
Results of laboratory tests treatment (practical in lab)
Exercise-tutorial: extrapolate the injectivity index curve for a well
Field case - already waterflooded field, Campos basin
Exercise-tutorial: explain the concave shape of injectivity index curve
Field case - a young field, Campos basin

WELL IMPAIRMENT WITH INJECTION OF OILY WATER (PRODUCED WATER REINJECTION)
Effects of remobilisation of oil droplets
Mathematical model for permeability impairment
Exercise: check whether oil drop would be mobilised at a given porous media and flow velocity
Laboratory studies of deep bed filtration for oily water (practical in lab)
Results of laboratory tests treatment
Well impairment prediction, field examples

BACKFLOW IN INJECTORS
Removal of internal cake
Removal of external filter cake

IMPAIRMENT OF HORIZONTAL INJECTORS AND INJECTIVITY PROFILE CHANGE
Formation damage in horizontal injectors
How to use the formation damage in horizontal injectors in order to improve sweep efficiency

INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL CAKE FORMATION IN FRACTURED INJECTORS
PRODUCED WATER DISPOSAL - TECHNOLOGICAL SOLUTIONS
Reinjection of produced water into aquifers - technological schemas
Injector impairment problems
Environmental concerns
Mathematical model for produced water disposal into aquifers
Prediction of oily drops propagation and of injectivity decline
Field case: produced water disposal into aquifer A (Campos Basin, Brazil)

DRILLING MUD INVASION AND FORMATION DAMAGE REMOVAL
Basic equations for internal and external cake formation during drilling
Analytical models (tutorial)
How to determine particle size distribution in drilling mud that would provide minimum formation damage

FINES MIGRATION IN OIL AND GAS FIELDS
Physics of fines migration
Effects of fines migration on formation damage
Fines production. Sand production control
Gravel packs. Sand screens

OILFIELD SCALING IN PRODUCTION WELLS – LABORATORY STUDY
Physics of sulphate scaling.
Mathematical modelling. Analytical models for 1-D linear waterflood with sulphate scaling.
Laboratory modelling of barium and strontium scaling. Laboratory set-up. A new method for determination of chemical kinetics in porous media.
Exercise-tutorial: calculate barium and strontium sulphate precipitation in a core
Exercise-tutorial: calculate sulphate deposition kinetics from outlet concentration
Exercise-tutorial: calculate permeability reduction from pressure drop history
Results of lab data treatment (Practical in lab)

OILFIELD SCALING IN PRODUCTION WELLS – MODELLING, FIELD STUDIES
Analytical model for BaSO4 scaling in axi symmetric geometry. Productivity index reduction and skin factor due to scaling
Exercise - tutorial: predict productivity decline based on lab test
Exercise - tutorial: predict productivity decline based on well data
CaSO3 oilfield scaling. Thermodynamic conditions for productivity reduction.
BaSO4 scaling prevention. Inhibitors. Solvents.
Field cases: Alba (North Sea), B (Brazil, Campos Basin)

OILFIELD SCALING IN INJECTION WELLS
Sulphate scaling and injectivity decline during reinjection of produced water
Analytical model for produced water reinjection and injectivity impairment

INJECTION AND PRODUCTION WELL STIMULATION AND FORMATION DAMAGE REMOVAL

TAKING ADVANTAGE OF FORMATION DAMAGE TO IMPROVE OIL PRODUCTION AND RECOVERY
Sweep efficiency increase due to distributed skin along the horizontal injector
Using fines migration to improve sweep during waterflooding

PRESENTATION OF THE PROJECT
Summary and Review Session

Assessment Task	Weighting (%)	Individual/ Group	Formative/ Summative	Due (week)*	Hurdle criteria	Learning outcomes
Home Assignments and Quizzes	25	Individual	Formative	Weeks 2-12		1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 10.
Design Group Project	15	Group	Summative	Week 10		1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Class Participation	10	Individual	Formative	Weeks 2-12		1. 2. 3. 4. 7. 8. 10.
Final Exam	50	Individual	Formative	Week 12		1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Total	100

* The specific due date for each assessment task will be available on MyUni.
 
This assessment breakdown complies with the University's Assessment for Coursework Programs Policy.

1. 25% corresponds to the project. The delivery includes 20-slide ppt file with 10-15 original figures, and word file with 3-5 exercises on engineering calculations. This is a group project. I will allocate the students into groups of 3 along with the papers to read and put it in MyUni.

2. 10% of class participation based on smart questions and comments, as usually.

3.  65% of home assignments, including 1st - 5%, 2nd - 15%, 3rd - 15%, 4th - 30%.

Attendance is compulsory at Practicals, Tutorials, Assignment, Project presentation and Final Exam.

Attendance at Lectures is highly advisable.

There will be two in-term tests that count towards the final assessment. Dates and times will be advised through MyUni in advance. Alternative test dates for students who cannot be present on the date of the test on medical and compassionate grounds can be requested through the Course Coordinator.

Individual assessment is based on marks awarded to tests and the final examination.
Group assessment is based on a group design report and assignment.

Submission of Work for Assessment
The assessment should be submitted with a completed copy of the assessment coversheet that is available from the school office. This should be signed to indicate you have read the above university policy statement on plagiarism, collusion and related forms of cheating.

Extensions for Assessment Tasks
Extensions of deadlines for the assessment task may be allowed for reasonable causes. Such situations would include compassionate and medical grounds of the severity that would justify the awarding of a supplementary examination. Evidence for the grounds must be provided when an extension is requested. Students are required to apply for an extension to the Course Co-ordinator before the assessment task is due. Extensions will not be provided on the grounds of poor prioritising of time.

Penalty for Late Submission of Assessment Tasks
The assessment task must be submitted by the stated deadlines. There will be a penalty for late submission of assessment tasks. The submitted work will be marked ‘without prejudice’ and 10% of the obtained mark will be deducted for each working day (or part of a day) that an assessment task is late, up to a maximum penalty of 50% of the mark attained. An examiner may elect not to accept any assessment task that a student wants to submit after that task has been marked and feedback provided to the rest of the class.

Provision of Feedback to Students
The assessment will be returned to students within two weeks of their submission. The detailed analysis of exercises will follow each test.

Communication
It is important that all students maintain active communication channels throughout the year. The primary communication channels to students in this course are as follows.

MyUni: Students should regularly check the MyUni website (http://myuni.adelaide.edu.au/).

Email: Each student should regularly check his or her University-provided email account (firstname.lastname@student.adelaide.edu.au) for information from members of the academic staff concerning course work matters and other announcements as they arise. Make sure you clean up your Inbox regularly as if it is full you will not receive our email! We will regard an email message being sent to your student email address or an announcement posted on the MyUni site as our having communicated with each member of the class. Not reading one’s University provided email or MyUni announcements will not be a valid excuse for missing important deadlines