Brine production averages seven barrels of brine per barrel of hydrocarbon equivalent and can amount to 30 - 50 barrels or more in some fields. Scale deposited within production systems associated with high volumes of produced brine can pose serious problems to the operator. Controlling scale affects the economics of the field and a scale problem left untreated can result in the total loss of production or costly replacement of facilities. Predicting potential scaling problems can be difficult and numerous saturation indexes have been developed to assist in this regard. Some of these will be compared and contrasted along with the advantages and disadvantages of mainframe computer codes. Methods to inhibit scale formation can be varied and are vastly different with respect to economic impact and result. Inhibitor chemistry and solubilities are discussed in relation to the inhibitor squeeze. Field examples of scale inhibition are given including successful squeeze and treat string applications.

Subject
Water, Precipitation (solids), Calcium carbonate, Scale inhibitors, Carbonate scales, Solubility, Calcium, Acidity, Saturation index, Scale formation, Corrosion inhibitors, Scale, Brines
© 1990 Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP). All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of AMPP. Positions and opinions advanced in this work are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of AMPP. Responsibility for the content of the work lies solely with the author(s).
1990
Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP)
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