Surfactant-Assisted Frac-Hit Production Recovery in Gas-Lift Wells

Frac hits in unconventional developments often cause persistent liquid loading, increased flowing pressures, and reduced lift efficiency in offset gas-lift wells. These effects are largely driven by trapped frac fluids, elevated water saturation, and unstable multiphase flow, all of which delay production recovery. This paper evaluates the use of targeted surfactant treatments to accelerate post–frac-hit cleanup and restore gas-lift performance.

Laboratory screening—including foam height, foam break test, and emulsion tendency test on fluid samples collected from candidate wells. The results confirmed the efficacy of the surfactant and showed no adverse effects on oil emulsion or water quality. The surfactant was then tested for compatibility with the combination corrosion/scale inhibitor to verify no adverse effects. Field applications in impacted gas-lift wells showed improved unloading, lower flowing bottomhole pressures, and faster stabilization compared to conventional lift optimization alone. Several wells achieved earlier return to pre-hit production trends and incremental oil uplift.

Results demonstrate that surfactant-assisted recovery provides a low-cost, low-intervention method to mitigate frac-hit impacts and enhance gas-lift effectiveness in tightly spaced unconventional developments.