Fracture Initiation with Perforating Reactive Fluid for Plug and Perf Operation in High Pressure High Temperature Formations

ABSTRACT: Hydrochloric acid is the most common fluid for reduction of breakdown pressure for plug-n-perf operations. At the same time, HCl-based systems might cause corrosion of standard wireline cables or BHA, and generally are used upon wireline operation completion in HPHT formations. As result the first fluid introduced to formation after perforating is inert brine, slickwater or linear gel. For formation with high fracture initiation pressure, it may lead to cycle of pumping attempts when maximum pressure limitation dictates necessity to interrupt injection and wait on pressure decline. Such cycles can compromise integrity of frac plug, lead to time and resource consuming remedial operations: pumping another plug over already perforated interval or setting plug with coiled tubing. This paper describes alternative procedure for plug-n-perf operation in HPHT formation with high fracture initiation pressure. Wireline perforating can be done in reactive fluid systems based on chelating agents that address carbonates dissolution and drilling induced injectivity damage. It will be demonstrated that fluid is compatible with most common casing steel and wireline equipment at BH temperatures, but reactive in near wellbore area with formation or drilling mud chemicals.