Chemical scale inhibitors are commonly used to prevent or inhibit scale formation in production. The most economic treatment of scale inhibitor is via chemical squeeze. However, there is little agreement regarding the primary mechanism by which the threshold scale inhibitor fixes itself in the producing oil or gas formation as a result of the squeeze procedure. Considerable research has been done at Rice University Brine Chemistry Consortium to determine the mechanisms that control the fixation and return of phosphonate inhibitors. This paper will discuss the squeeze simulation using a "totally contained" squeeze simulation approach to determine the reaction sequence between scale inhibitor and formation rock over the injection and flow back phases. From the observations, it is concluded that the inhibitor retention following a squeeze is not controlled by formation composition as commonly believed. Instead, the squeeze chemistry determines the inhibitor retention and release following the squeeze.

Subject
Acids, Ions, Reaction products, Phosphonates, Solids, Scale inhibitors, Dissolution, Solubility, Calcium, Calcite, Acidity, Corrosion inhibitors, Chemical reactions
Keywords:
Scale inhibitor, squeeze, inhibitor return, calcite
© 2004 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).
2004
Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP)
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