Inhibitor squeeze treatments have been regularly carried out to prevent both sulfate and carbonate scale depositions in reservoirs in North Sea fields. Some of the wells, especially for the short perforation, high water production wells with relatively clean sandstone and little amount of clay material, had experienced a relatively short squeeze life with traditional squeeze treatments.

In this paper, a squeeze field application in a short perforation and high water production Electric Submersible Pump (ESP) lifted well in the North Sea was carried out with satisfactory results. A long squeeze life had been achieved. Several squeeze life enhancement techniques, including new environmentally acceptable inhibitor chemistry, squeeze life enhancer and squeeze design, have been applied and will be discussed in detail.

This paper outlines a special monomer was introduced to a new scale inhibitor chemistry. The monomer enhanced the inhibitor’s adsorption properties as its special functional group has a good affinity with the reservoir rock and offers a good squeeze life. In addition, the environmental properties of the polymer were also improved due to the introduction of the special monomer. A number of static beaker and dynamic loop tests were carried out, with the inhibitor showing excellent efficiency for both sulfate and carbonate scale inhibition under the test conditions.

In order to reduce the well intervention frequency and extend an inhibitor squeeze life, a method involving a polymer interaction between a polymer scale inhibitor and polymer additive was deployed. In addition to the enhanced adsorption; attributed by the surface charge modification by the adsorption of the positively charged polymer additive on the sandstone surface, the interactions between the polymer inhibitor and additive further increase the inhibitor retention in the formation. This polymer interaction approach is different from a conventional precipitation squeeze where calcium chloride was used.

The paper also presents the detailed laboratory and field data. In addition, the treatment design strategy and deployment method of the scale inhibitor are discussed.

Subject
Water, Inhibitor performance, Permeability, Squeeze treatments, Scale inhibitors, Seawater, Polymers, Inhibitor treatment, Scale formation, Scale, Brines, Microbiologically influenced corrosion, Oil
Keywords:
scale, polymer inhibitor, squeeze, ESP
© 2013 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).
2013
Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP)
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