Techno-Economic Evaluation of Simulated Matrix Acidizing Methods for Enhancing Well Productivity in Iranian Carbonate Reservoirs

Rostami, Mahdi; Najafinezhad, Ghazaleh; Soltani Soulgani, Bahram

doi:10.22050/ijogst.2026.534454.1746

Techno-Economic Evaluation of Simulated Matrix Acidizing Methods for Enhancing Well Productivity in Iranian Carbonate Reservoirs

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Mahdi Rostami ¹

Ghazaleh Najafinezhad ²

Bahram Soltani Soulgani ³

¹ Assistant Professor, Tehran Faculty of Petroleum, Petroleum University of Technology, Tehran, Iran

² MS in Reservoir Management, Tehran Faculty of Petroleum, Petroleum University of Technology, Tehran, Iran

³ Associate Professor, Ahwaz Faculty of Petroleum, Petroleum University of Technology, Ahwaz, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22050/ijogst.2026.534454.1746

Abstract

Matrix acidizing is an effective stimulation method for carbonate reservoirs that aims to reduce formation damage, enhance well productivity, and improve hydrocarbon recovery. Although numerous studies have investigated acid fluid types and their interactions with reservoir rocks, few have integrated the technical evaluation of matrix acidizing with an economic assessment for Iranian reservoirs. This study addresses this gap by providing a simulation-based technical and economic comparison of two acid systems—15% hydrochloric acid (HCl) and 15% emulsified acid (SXE)—applied to a carbonate reservoir well in Khuzestan Province, Iran. The performance of the two scenarios in terms of production rate, acid penetration, and wormhole development was modeled using WellBook software under identical conditions. The technical results indicated that emulsified acid achieved deeper wormhole penetration (approximately 5 ft compared with 2.5 ft for HCl), a greater reduction in skin factor (from +7 to −2.85 compared with +0.31 for HCl), and a larger increase in production rate (from 0.44 to 1.13 bbl/min compared with 0.75 bbl/min for HCl). Subsequently, the two scenarios were economically evaluated based on two procurement methods: domestic supply in Iranian rials and imported supply in U.S. dollars. The economic analysis was conducted using key financial indicators, including net present value (NPV), internal rate of return (IRR), modified internal rate of return (MIRR), and profitability index (PI). The technical and economic analyses demonstrated that emulsified acid outperformed 15% HCl in terms of production rate, wormhole penetration, and overall economic performance.

Highlights

· The selection of acid type significantly affects the production rate and well productivity in Iranian carbonate reservoirs.

· 15% emulsified acid (SXE) produced a more favorable wormhole regime than HCl 15% acid.

· The technical and economic results demonstrated that emulsified acid outperformed HCl 15% in terms of production rate and overall economic performance.

Keywords

Matrix acidizing

Carbonate reservoirs

Emulsified acid

Hydrochloric acid

Simulation

Wormhole propagation

Economic evaluation

Subjects

Petroleum Engineering

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