Speakers
Description
Oilfield scale formation remains a persistent challenge, contributing to production decline through permeability impairment and flow assurance issues in both surface and downhole equipment. Scaling also drives up operational costs by necessitating expensive workover operations and chemical treatments. In addition, scale management has environmental implications, including the disposal of inhibitor chemicals.
This study is guided by the following research question: Can scale prediction and management in petroleum systems be achieved with cost-effective, laboratory-based tools without relying on high-end commercial modelling software? The objective is to evaluate a low-cost, integrated experimental–modelling approach that can generate reliable predictions of scale formation and inform effective, sustainable mitigation strategies suitable for a wide range of operating contexts.
The experiment was performed using a packed column under both static and dynamic conditions. The column, filled with crushed rock, was aged in formation water (FW) for 48 hours to achieve equilibrium. Then 50 ml of injected brine was introduced and monitored for scale deposition. Experimental conditions and compositions were used as inputs into the geochemical solver PHREEQC. Mineral saturation indices and ion pairing were calculated to predict scaling species and corroborate the observed scale deposition.
Key findings indicate that both permeability and porosity were reduced due to precipitation of scale minerals such as calcite, barite, and gypsum within the packed column pore space. The geochemical modelling results reinforced these observations, validating the predictive capacity of the proposed methodology.
The integrated approach enhances understanding of scaling behaviour in both dynamic and static systems. Its cost-effective design provides producing oil fields with limited resources a practical and adaptable pathway to predict, prevent, and manage scale formation with accuracy comparable to sophisticated modelling tools, thereby informing tailored and sustainable scale management strategies.