A History of Success

Based in Houston, Texas, Nissan Chemical America Corporation is a division of Nissan Chemical Corporation founded in Japan in 1887. A forerunner in chemical innovations for more than 130 years, Nissan Chemical has been perfecting nanoparticle technology since 1951, making it one of the first companies in the world to produce highly surface-modified colloidal particles for industrial applications.

×

Flowback Performance Evaluation

Enhancing Hydrocarbon Recovery

Interface Fluidics · Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Nissan Chemical America Corporation is committed to innovative product development. Third-party evaluation provides valuable and unbiased insight into the effectiveness of our solutions and are an integral part of our pursuit of greater product performance and increased customer profitability.

Methodology

Interface Fluidics Flowback Test uses a porous pattern analogue that replicates the inherent geometries of the reservoir rock. The analogue simulates the relevant porosity, permeability and pore throat size distribution of the reservoir.

IF Flowback Analogue

Prior to testing, the analogue is saturated with brine and oil, and the systems wettability is modified to reflect the reservoir. Testing is conducted at specified reservoir conditions. During testing, frac water/additive is injected from left to right, then allowed to soak at the same flow rate, followed by continuous oil flowback from right to left.

IF Flowback Flow

The primary performance metric is the total volume of oil produced during the first half hour of steady state flowback. Steady state oil flowback is representative of the flow of oil from the reservoir, once the pressure equilibrium is reached after fracturing. Secondary performance metrics are also evaluated including displacement efficiency and wettability modification.

Summary

Flowback tests using nanoActiv® HRT and nanoActiv® EFT were conducted in a Wolfcamp reservoir analogue, in both oil-wet and water-wet conditions. The results are compared to a highly-effective surfactant control. Both nanoActiv® products were able to modify wettability by reducing interfacial tension and contact angle. Oil fragmentation was also observed.

nanoActiv® EFT flowback at 1.0 GPT in oil-wet conditions exhibits efficiently created flow paths.

IF Flowback Frag

Oil fragmentation was observed during flowback.

nanoActiv® HRT

  •  At 5 wt% concentration, increased oil flowback in oil-wet conditions by 74% and at 5 wt% in water-wet conditions, outperformed the control by 13%
  •  Completely saturated the frac zone after flowback, for potential use of all possible flow paths

nanoActiv® EFT

  •  At 1 GPT concentration, was the top performer in both oil-wet and water-wet test conditions, significantly increasing oil flowback in oil-wet conditions by 236% and in water-wet conditions by 119% over the control
  •  At 1.0 GPT on flowback exhibited the greatest flow rates through preferential/efficient flow paths
Flowback Aid Loading Volume of Oil in
30 Minutes of Constant
Pressure Drop (nL)
Improvement
Over Control (%)
Oil-Wet Control Surfactant 1.0 GPT 1633 0%
nanoActiv® HRT 5.0 wt% 2836 74%
nanoActiv® EFT 1.0 GPT 5494 236%
Water-Wet Control Surfactant 1.0 GPT 1736 0%
nanoActiv® HRT 5.0 wt% 1968 13%
nanoActiv® EFT 1.0 GPT 3804 119%
IF Flowback Oil Wet
IF Flowback Water Wet
Wettability Modification

nanoActiv® is made in the USA · Patented in the US and other countries