Successful Gas Shutoff with Polymer Gel Using Temperature Modeling and Selective Placement in the Prudhoe Bay Field

Abstract

ABSTRACT A combination of known crosslinked gel chemistry with careful problem diagnosis, wellbore and formation temperature modeling, and zone isolation techniques yields a high success rate for shutting off unwanted gas influx into production wells in the Prudhoe Bay Field of Alaska. The paper includes candidate selection criteria, methodology of temperature simulation, job design, field operations case histories, and pre- and post-job production data for evaluation of success. This approach has led to a 60% technical success rate, primarily on wells that had cement squeeze failures. Job costs are about 75% those of comparable cement squeezes.