SPE 50621
New Applications for Enzymes in Oil and Gas Production.
R.E. Harris, SPE, Cleansorb Ltd.; I.D. McKay, SPE, Cleansorb Ltd.
Paper presented at the 1998 SPE European Petroleum Conference held in The Hague, The Netherlands, 20–22 October 1998. Copyright 1998, Society of Petroleum Engineers, Inc. (reproduction of abstract is permissible).
ABSTRACT
Historically, enzymes have been used in the oil industry both for improving the characteristics of a range of biopolymers employed in the industry and as breakers for biopolymer gels.
Until recently, the use of enzymes downhole was limited to gel breaking applications where suitable enzymes are used to break down or degrade a specific gel. In this case, the enzyme is used to remove a chemical which is no longer required, such as biopolymers in filter cakes following drilling or in fracing gels after the frac has occurred.
More recently, enzymes have been used to produce useful chemicals in-situ. An enzyme-based method has already been reported which generates organic acids for a variety of acidizing applications such as matrix acidizing, the stimulation of natural fracture networks, damage removal over long horizontal intervals or gel breaking. The generation of acid in-situ following placement of the fluid ensures the even delivery of acid over the whole of the treated zone.
The use of enzymes for generating useful oilfield chemicals has now been extended. Examples in the use of enzymes for the in-situ generation of minerals, gels and resins with potential for use in applications such as water shut off and sand consolidation are now reported.
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