An overview of formation damage

Formation damage has been, and continues to be, a concept that is accepted or rejected on the basis of personal opinions, experiences, and perceived understanding of the process of producing oil and gas. It should be a concern for all oilfield people, whether derrick hands or managers, because it affects the economics of the companies that employ us. Formation damage is a very real problem that must be addressed equally by all departments within a company. In this paper, the author relates the concepts and ideas formulated from his work and from communication with other oilfield people. The author thinks that with improved techniques and practices, the authors will eventually improve the present norm of a 20 to 30% recovery factor achieved at the cost of probably 80 to 90% of the reservoir energy. The author hopes that recovery factors improve significantly.