Publications

Hydraulic fracturing has been applied in Medco since 2002 and become one of the stimulation technique since then due to the good results. Hundred of wells have been fractured mainly in Telisa Formation in Rimau block, located in South Sumatra, Indonesia. Telisa Formation in this block is widely known as a formation that have low productivity since it has low permeability around 5 md and low resistivity 3 Ohmm. Oil from Telisa formation could not be produced without fracturing. This formation also have high clay content, 20 - 40 % clay. From mineralogy analysis also shown, this formation contains water sensitive clay such as smectite and kaolinite. Refer to the mioneralogy then it was decided to use hydrocarbon (crude oil and diesel) as the fracturing base fluid. Good result from the early campaign in 2002 has made the oil based frac fluid as the prefer fluid. Fracturing in Telisa, Kaji field results a peak rate of 8000 BOPD after fracturing 70 well in year 2006. More challenge came when we dealt with tighter formation that have permeability less than 1 md, where as the wells with this kind of formation are very numerous in this Block. In this type of formation, in order to get production improvement, theoretically need more volume of fracturing job and thus increasing the cost. The current practices of using oil based then become not economically feasible anymore. Water based frac fluid was then become the alternative to be used. This paper will cover brief success story of oil based fracturing in Rimau, case study during first water based frac fluid trial in one of the Rimau block Well. Laboratory test was held to assess the water based chemical compatibility and effect to the formation. There are three tests being held for this, they are Formation Stability Test, Capillary Suction Test and Return Permeability Test. Furthermore this paper will share the lesson learned during execution stage and the result of the first frac trial in this block.