HiTech Fluid Systems Employs New Aphron Micro-Bubble Drilling Fluid Technology to Unlock Canada's Depleted Oil & Gas Wells

Micro-bubbles breathe new life into old wells.

Calgary, Canada (PRWEB) October 24, 2007 -- HiTech Fluid Systems (www.hitechfluid.com) announced the results of employing aphron micro-bubble technology in over 45 depleted wells in Western Canada.

Approximately 70% of Oil in North America Still Untapped in Mature Wells
Pumping oil from a well is like drinking from a juice box. As you drink, more and more pressure is required to draw liquid up the straw. As suction effort increases, juice flow begins to slow, and you eventually reach a point of diminishing returns. Most domestic wells have reached this point after only producing a fraction of their full potential.

Accessing oil in these depleted wells is challenging. The altered pressure mechanics causes the special fluid used while drilling to flood directly into the surrounding rock formation. This is called invasion. The same happens in formations that are undersaturated (dry regions, with little water) or those with high porosity. Like a dry sponge, these wells soak up tons of drilling fluids, trapping chemicals in the rock causing formation damage. Formation damage lowers the overall permeability of a well, making production difficult.

Micro-Bubbles Prevent Loss of Drilling Fluid & Formation Damage
As soon as invasion begins, micro-bubbles zip ahead of the surrounding fluid into the low pressure rock formation. The changing pressure causes them to expand and form a barrier preventing the fluid behind from invading further. The eco-friendly seal is pressure-dependent and cleans up easily when you complete the well, leaving little fluid behind to cause formation damage.

Another Breakthrough: HiTech Discovers Synergistic Benefit of Special Additive
By mixing the micro-bubble fluid with a special additive (provided by associates at ARC Fluid Technologies, LLC www.arcfluids.com), HiTech discovered they could drastically improve the system even further. The new solution uses aphrons to seal against invasion then allows a small stream of nano-sized particles to infiltrate through the barrier into the formation. These particles reduce the surface tension within the reservoir, effectively lubricating the well - allowing oil and gas to flow out more freely. HiTech is also:

• The first in Canada to use the Aphron system for remediation
• The first in world to use the Polyphron System (a lighter, oil-based version of the system)

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