Case Study: a leading gas storage company achieves trouble-free underground gas storage completion with SLB reservoir drill-in and filtercake breaker systems

Reservoir Drill-In and Filtercake Breaker Systems Deliver Trouble-Free Completion

SLB worked with a leading gas storage company in Italy that wanted to convert an existing reservoir into underground gas storage while using openhole completions to limit sand production. The company needed to drill horizontal wells through alternating sands and shales, where high shale shear failure and the need for easy filtercake removal added drilling and completion complexity.

SLB designed custom reservoir drill-in fluids and a filtercake breaker system for the openhole gravel pack completion, using DIPRO LD low-density divalent reservoir drill-in fluid, a solids-free screen running pill, and the BREAKDOWN enzyme and chelant system with D-SOLVER EXTRA. The approach removed filtercake uniformly and improved contact with the wellbore, helping the operator exceed gas production expectations, achieve lower-than-expected drawdown pressures, and successfully core a 102.5 m interval with full recovery.