What is it about?
This study investigates the extent and mechanisms of formation damage caused by fuzzy-ball working fluids (FBWFs) in tight petroleum reservoirs, focusing on both single-layer and multi-layer (commingled) formations. Through laboratory core flooding experiments and microscopic analyses (SEM/EDS), the researchers assessed how FBWFs affect permeability and flow behavior in different rock types (coal, sandstone, carbonate). The findings show that FBWFs induce only weak to medium formation damage, particularly lower in commingled reservoirs, and they form temporary protective layers that reduce damage from solid and fluid invasion. This work pioneers the lab-based validation of flow rate index as a formation damage metric and supports the use of FBWFs as low-damage fluids in field applications.
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Why is it important?
This study is important because it provides the first scientific evidence through laboratory experiments of how fuzzy-ball working fluids (FBWFs) interact with real reservoir rocks, addressing a major gap in understanding their formation damage potential. FBWFs have been used in the field, but without experimental validation, their safety and effectiveness remained uncertain. By quantifying the level of damage and revealing the protective mechanisms at work (like temporary plugging and reduced fluid invasion), this research helps build confidence in using FBWFs, especially in complex multi-layer tight reservoirs, where minimizing damage is critical to maintaining oil and gas productivity. It also introduces a new flow-based damage evaluation method, offering a more practical tool for optimizing low-damage fluid systems across various reservoir types.
Perspectives
From my perspective, this study is a crucial step toward bridging the gap between field use and scientific understanding of fuzzy-ball working fluids (FBWFs). While FBWFs have shown promise in real-world applications, I see the lack of experimental data as a major limitation that this research effectively addresses. The use of dynamic damage evaluation under realistic flow conditions resonates with my belief that practical, reservoir-representative testing is essential to assessing fluid performance. I also appreciate how the study introduces a new damage characterization method, which I believe could be adapted or expanded for other emerging fluid systems. Overall, I see this work as advancing both technical validation and innovation, making it highly relevant for improving wellbore protection strategies in tight and multilayered reservoirs.
Chinedu Okere
Texas Tech University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Experimental study on the degree and damage-control mechanisms of fuzzy-ball-induced damage in single and multi-layer commingled tight reservoirs, Petroleum Science, December 2023, Tsinghua University Press,
DOI: 10.1016/j.petsci.2023.05.017.
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