Key words: scale precipitation in oilfield lines, casing head pressure increase, increased oil underproduction, scale precipitation inhibitors, barium sulphate deposition, sulfuric acid slug injection, critical concentration of barium ions and sulphates mixture.
The problem of scale precipitation in field gathering lines and process facilities of Oil and Gas Production Department Almetyevneft still persists. Scale precipitation occurs when critical mass of salt present in the wellstream has been exceeded. Salting-up is fraught with serious problems: narrowing of pipe ID with the resulting decreased throughput, underproduction due to increased casing head pressure and idle time while workover jobs, as well as escalation of operating costs associated with remedial actions. Early detection of salting-up drivers and prevention thereof is particularly critical for mature-stage fields, when cut-down of oil production OPEX is among top-priority objectives.
References
1. Kashchavtsev V.E., Mishchenko I.T., Soleobrazovanie pri dobyche nefti (Salt formation during oil production), Moscow: Orbita-M Publ., 2004, 432 p.
2. Patent no. 2325515 RF, MPK8 E 21 V 43/20, 37/00, F17 D 3/00, Sposob ekspluatatsii dobyvayushchey skvazhiny i neftepromysovogo truboprovoda (Method of exploitation of production wells and oil pipelines), autors: Ibragimov N.G., Taziev M.Z., A.F. Zakirov, Ozheredov E.V., Rakhmanov A.R., Gilya-Zetdinov A.G.
