Abstract
Hydrodynamic factors, such as shear stress and turbulence, are known to affect scale deposition and corrosion in oilfield production systems. Systems in which the configuration promotes sudden changes in the degree of turbulence can be particularly susceptible to scale deposition problems, as is often observed in chokes, pumps, valves and (most relevant here) in the vicinity of inflow controls devices (ICDs).
This paper documents the development of pilot rig testing methodology, which aims to achieve far more field-realistic flow regimes than typically obtained in laboratory tests, and applies it to the study of scaling phenomena in and around ICDs, using up to 8000 liters (L) of scaling brine flowing through the system on a single-pass basis at a fluid flow of 10 L/min. Custom designed and manufactured test pieces were incorporated into the rig to determine the extent and location of scale deposition as a function of varying wall shear stress. Interpretation of the observations was enhanced through the use of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to quantify and assess the contribution of various hydrodynamic factors on scale deposition.
The work therefore demonstrates the effectiveness of pilot-rig test methodologies for use in oilfield applications where the influence of the hydrodynamic regime is likely to be significant. Moreover, by showing how the scaling results correlate with CFD predictions, it increases the confidence that design decisions based upon laboratory tests will be valid under field conditions.
