Matrix Acidizing in Dolomitic Rocks: Wormhole Development and Injection Performance Analysis
4 affiliations
- 1Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte , , ,
- 2Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte , , , ,
- 3Petrobras Research Center (CENPES), Petrobras , ,
- 4Federal University of Pernambuco , , , ,
Abstract
Matrix acidizing is widely used to improve the productivity of carbonate reservoirs, particularly those with significant dolomitic content, which account for a substantial fraction of global hydrocarbon reserves. In this study, the pore volume to breakthrough (PVbt) behavior of a dolomitic rock was investigated during acidizing with 15 wt % HCl containing commercial additives, namely a corrosion inhibitor (0.5% v/v) and an emulsion preventer (0.2% v/v). Eight core flooding experiments were conducted at 60 °C under a confining pressure of 2000 psi, a backpressure of 1200 psi, and an axial stress of 500 psi, with injection flow rates ranging from 0.4 to 4.0 mL/min. The samples exhibited porosities from 13.99% to 14.94% and permeabilities between 0.28 and 2.47 mD. The PVbt curve followed the dissolution trend described by the Buijse and Glasbergen model, with an optimum PVbt of 2.03 at 2.0 mL/min, corresponding to the most efficient stimulation condition and the formation of a dominant wormhole requiring the minimum acid volume for breakthrough. X-ray microcomputed tomography images revealed three main dissolution patterns: face dissolution and/or conical wormholes at low flow rates, dominant wormholes with branched structures under optimal conditions, and highly branched wormhole networks at high flow rates. The results demonstrate the strong influence of dolomite dissolution kinetics on acidizing efficiency and highlight the importance of selecting an appropriate injection rate for the stimulation fluid under investigation. This study provides new insights into reactive transport and wormhole development in dolomitic rocks and supports the optimization of acid stimulation treatments in dolomitic carbonate reservoirs.
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BibTeX
@article{silva2026matrix,
title = {{Matrix Acidizing in Dolomitic Rocks: Wormhole Development and Injection Performance Analysis}},
author = {Aline Maria Fernandes Galdino da Silva and Ernani Dias da Silva Filho and Guilherme Mentges Arruda and Marcos Allyson Felipe Rodrigues and Mateus Palharini Schwalbert and José Antonio Barbosa and Leonardo José do Nascimento Guimarães and Osvaldo de Freitas Neto},
journal = {ACS Omega},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1021/acsomega.6c08425},
url = {https://pubs.acs.org/acsodf/article/11/42/65662/5451436/Matrix-Acidizing-in-Dolomitic-Rocks-Wormhole},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Matrix Acidizing in Dolomitic Rocks: Wormhole Development and Injection Performance Analysis
AU - Aline Maria Fernandes Galdino da Silva
AU - Ernani Dias da Silva Filho
AU - Guilherme Mentges Arruda
AU - Marcos Allyson Felipe Rodrigues
AU - Mateus Palharini Schwalbert
AU - José Antonio Barbosa
AU - Leonardo José do Nascimento Guimarães
AU - Osvaldo de Freitas Neto
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/14
JO - ACS Omega
DO - 10.1021/acsomega.6c08425
UR - https://pubs.acs.org/acsodf/article/11/42/65662/5451436/Matrix-Acidizing-in-Dolomitic-Rocks-Wormhole
AB - Matrix acidizing is widely used to improve the productivity of carbonate reservoirs, particularly those with significant dolomitic content, which account for a substantial fraction of global hydrocarbon reserves. In this study, the pore volume to breakthrough (PVbt) behavior of a dolomitic rock was investigated during acidizing with 15 wt % HCl containing commercial additives, namely a corrosion inhibitor (0.5% v/v) and an emulsion preventer (0.2% v/v). Eight core flooding experiments were conducted at 60 °C under a confining pressure of 2000 psi, a backpressure of 1200 psi, and an axial stress of 500 psi, with injection flow rates ranging from 0.4 to 4.0 mL/min. The samples exhibited porosities from 13.99% to 14.94% and permeabilities between 0.28 and 2.47 mD. The PVbt curve followed the dissolution trend described by the Buijse and Glasbergen model, with an optimum PVbt of 2.03 at 2.0 mL/min, corresponding to the most efficient stimulation condition and the formation of a dominant wormhole requiring the minimum acid volume for breakthrough. X-ray microcomputed tomography images revealed three main dissolution patterns: face dissolution and/or conical wormholes at low flow rates, dominant wormholes with branched structures under optimal conditions, and highly branched wormhole networks at high flow rates. The results demonstrate the strong influence of dolomite dissolution kinetics on acidizing efficiency and highlight the importance of selecting an appropriate injection rate for the stimulation fluid under investigation. This study provides new insights into reactive transport and wormhole development in dolomitic rocks and supports the optimization of acid stimulation treatments in dolomitic carbonate reservoirs.
SN - 2470-1343
ER -