Abstract
Various types of scaling are common causes of flow reduction associated with oil and gas production. Halite scaling is the most severe and often needs chemical treatments and physical intervention to put a well back in production. Producing wells with halite deposition often become uneconomic due to the severity of scaling and the short term between physical interventions.
This paper describes a physical, nonchemical, and environmental friendly method of controlling salt scale deposits to reduce nonproductive time required for maintenance on clogged production tubular. The proposed method proved cost efficient in allowing the production to flow without interruptions. By injecting a modulated electric signal on the tubular, the discussed method enhanced production by avoiding daily workover production interventions.
It was observed that this new method eliminated the need for daily interventions on the producing well and needed only a regular weekly visit to assess its working parameters. Based on the results from dozens of cases in Latin America, this method is proven to be efficient on controlling halite scale deposition. This method has been previously used on controlling carbonates and sulfates scales, but this is the first time worldwide it has been used to control halite scale on a producing well.
This paper will present the results from Mexico, where this environmentally friendly method proved very effective in controlling halite scale on wells where chemical and water injection had not provided a satisfactory solution. Prior to this treatment, production was severely impaired by tubular clogging with scale, and worsened by the amount of time spent on workover. The paper will present how this new method solved these issues with minimum impact to the client's installation.
