A history of downhole scale inhibition by squeeze treatments on the Murchison platform

Conference · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1987

OSTI ID:5923547

Payne, G E

The formation water of the Murchison reservoir has a natural scaling potential. As pressure reduces from reservoir conditions carbonate scaling can occur. Also the water has a barium and strontium content so that when injected seawater broke through to the producing wells sulphate scaling also became possible. Initial scale inhibitor squeeze treatments achieved what scale itself to that date had not. They plugged the wells. Since then scale inhibitor squeezes have been successfully carried out and regularly achieve squeeze lives of up to a year. This paper outlines in historical form the philosophies and events of downhole scale inhibition for the Murchison wells. The initial difficulties and present successes are described. Details are also given of previous problem areas of downhole asphaltene deposition and present thoughts on squeeze treating different producing zones within the same wellbore.

• OSTI ID: 5923547
• Report Number(s): CONF-870993-
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020200* -- Petroleum-- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
42 ENGINEERING
423000 -- Engineering-- Marine Engineering-- (1980-)
ALKALINE EARTH METALS
ASPHALTENES
ASPHALTS
BARIUM
BITUMENS
BOREHOLES
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBONATES
CAVITIES
CONTROL
DEPOSITION
ELEMENTS
GEOLOGIC FORMATIONS
HISTORICAL ASPECTS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROLOGY
METALS
OFFSHORE PLATFORMS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
SCALE CONTROL
SEAWATER
STRONTIUM
SULFATES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
TAR
WATER