Preventing gravel pack and formation dissolution during steam injection

Conference · Fri Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1985 · Soc. Pet. Eng. AIME, Pap.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5199129

Watkins, D R; Holm, J A; Kalfayan, L J; Watanabe, D J

Gravel pack and formation dissolution during steam injection can cause well failures and formation damage. Silicate minerals dissolve in the hot alkaline water injected with steam. This paper describes the use of ammonium salts in preventing dissolution by reducing the pH of generator effluents from 11 and greater to values between 9 and 10. These salts, such as ammonium chloride and ammonium nitrate, do not significantly effect feedwater pH; rather, they reduce effluent pH by decomposing during steam generation to neutralize the alkalinity yielded by bicarbonate decomposition. This process is also described in U.S. Patent No. 4,475,595. Silica dissolution was investigated by flowing both liquid and vapor through tubes packed with gravel. In one case, dissolution from a consolidated core in hot alkaline water was also studied. These tests demonstrate the the effectiveness of ammonium salts in controlling pH and reducing gravel dissolution. Both ammonium chloride and ammonium nitrate have been field tested in steam generators. Ammonium nitrate was added to feedwater at a central facility to determine the simultaneous effect of treatment at five generators operating under different conditions. These tests show that treatment with NH/sub 4/NO/sub 3/ controlled pH within acceptable limits at all generators.

• Research Organization: Union Oil Co. of California
• OSTI ID: 5199129
• Report Number(s): CONF-830512-
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Soc. Pet. Eng. AIME, Pap.; (United States) Journal Volume: SPE13660
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020300* -- Petroleum-- Drilling & Production
AMMONIUM CHLORIDES
AMMONIUM COMPOUNDS
AMMONIUM HALIDES
AMMONIUM NITRATES
CHALCOGENIDES
CHLORIDES
CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
DISPLACEMENT FLUIDS
DISSOLUTION
ENHANCED RECOVERY
FLUID INJECTION
FLUIDS
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
MINERALS
NITRATES
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
OIL WELLS
OXIDE MINERALS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PACKINGS
PH VALUE
RECOVERY
RESERVOIR ROCK
ROCK-FLUID INTERACTIONS
SILICA
SILICATES
SILICON COMPOUNDS
SILICON OXIDES
STEAM INJECTION
THERMAL RECOVERY
WELLS