Innovations in oil production: effective formation water control

13:48 03.06.2026 1165

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At long-term oil fields, particularly at the «Goturdepe» and «Barsagelmez» oil and gas fields, reservoir pressure decline is associated with factors such as premature ore flooding due to formation water influx into producing wells, sand plug formation at the wellbore bottom, and leakage of heavy oils with high paraffin content during the final stages of reservoir development.

During scientific research conducted in the well stimulation laboratory of an insitute «Nebitgazylmytaslama», industrial data on well productivity enhancement efforts were collected, their effectiveness was analyzed, and reservoir stimulation methods were improved.

With an emphasis on finding ways to utilize domestically available chemical technologies for stimulating oil wells' productive formations, experimental laboratory work was conducted to study the potential and significance of their use in production.

Oil and gas fields in the final stages of development often experience problems such as reduced reservoir pressure, ore liquefaction, asphaltene and paraffin deposits in the wellbore, and sand plugs in the bottom zone. When these problems arise, well productivity is significantly reduced, and in some cases, production ceases.

The fact that these problems are common in most oil and gas fields and create difficulties in oil production has led to the development and testing of a number of methods and compositions for stimulating the productive formation. One of the key requirements for the use of these methods and compositions is the geological structure of the oil-bearing formations, while another is the availability and affordability of the method and materials used.

To limit formation water in wells, a composition consisting of bentonite clay, a hydrophobic additive, and a hydrocarbon liquid was used, with pyrolysis oil, a byproduct of polymer production, serving as the hydrophobic additive.

Bentonite clay is a fine-grained clay from the «Oglanly» deposit in Turkmenistan. Gasoline, gas condensate, diesel fuel, and other hydrocarbon liquids can be used. Pyrolysis oil is a byproduct of polymer production (at a polymer plant in Gyýanly).

Preparation of the composition is simple and involves mixing pyrolysis oil and bentonite clay in a hydrocarbon solution. Laboratory tests were conducted to verify the limiting capacity of the resulting composition.

According to test results, the use of a hydrophobized bentonite suspension ensures higher water limiting efficiency, satisfactory oil consumption, and a specific ratio of bentonite clay to pyrolysis oil in the hydrocarbon liquid.

An application for a limited patent for this new composition, developed by laboratory specialists based on a hydrophobized bentonite suspension for limiting formation water in wells, has been filed with the State Intellectual Property Service. The research report, completed in December last year, was defended on a scientific basis and proposals were presented for the use of advanced technologies in production to increase the productivity of oil wells. https://www.turkmennebit.gov.tm/news-detail/4182

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