Paper: Stimulation and Backflow of Water Input Wells Using Nitrogen Techniques

A stimulation treatment of water input wells in the massive San Andres limestone has shown the benefits that can be expected with the inclusion of nitrogen in the treatment followed by the use of nitrogen for displacement to the formation and the subsequent backflow. The San Andres is interspersed with water zones and the multiphase system helps prevent the fracturing of the formation due to gas compressibility and carefully controlled injection rates. The inclusion of a gas phase in stimulation treatments has been practiced for many years in production wells, but it has been only recently accepted in the treatment of water input wells in the Southwest. Wells treated cover the six-county area of Hockley, Terry, Cochran, Yoakum, Gaines and Scurry Counties. Two treatment techniques developed have shown that with a properly engineered treatment an increase of water input and effective cleanout of solids can be expected.