Metodología para la evaluación de la eficacia de tratamientos de inhibición de arcilla en pozos inyectores: caso de estudio en un campo colombiano

In the mature fields of the Middle Magdalena Valley Basin (VMM), high water production and limited disposal capacity pose operational challenges, particularly due to the declining efficiency of injection wells. The operating company, in collaboration with the Industrial University of Santander (UIS), evaluated the use of chemical inhibitors based on the hypothesis that injectivity loss was caused by clay swelling. However, laboratory tests ruled out swelling and identified fines of migration as a potential limiting factor. To validate these findings, a field evaluation methodology was developed, involving real-time monitoring of injection rates and pressure variations using different concentrations of chemical product. The results confirmed that the injected chemical product does not significantly improve injectivity, leading to the conclusion that discontinuing the injection of the inhibitor is the best option to optimize field operations from a cost-benefit perspective.