Use of tracers for mud filtrate and completion fluid invasion studies

The objectives of this work are (1): to study sorption/desorption of mud filtrate ions near the wellbore region by using water sampled with a formation tester equipment (FTE); (2) to study sorption/desorption of ions in the mud filtrate and the completion fluid by monitoring the ionic composition of produced water; (3) to determine the fraction of mud filtrate and completion fluid water in produced water; and (4) develop a suitable and safe tracer method. A tracer method was developed to measure sorption/desorption of various ions infiltrating the reservoir during drilling and completion of a well. Tritiated water (HTO) was used to tag the mud filtrate and bromide ion (Br−) to tag the completion fluid. The measurements are based on analysis of FTE and produced water samples. The ionic concentrations observed are compared with corresponding “no sorption/desorption” concentration values determined theoretically. Special attention is paid to the “tracer diagram” of an open well, because a “no sorption/desorption curve” can be expressed in a straight line in a linear coordinate system. Observed deviations from these curves show that sorption/desorption processes have taken place. The tracer method presented was useful to determine the distribution of ions in the pore-water/sedimentary rock system near the wellbore.