Case History
ESP System and Scale-Control Treatment Increased Production for West Texas Operator Baker Hughes combined services to eliminate scale buildup, reduce costs, and improve well life
Benefits Increased
production by 106%
Increased
annual revenue by $3.4 million based on increase in production
Saved
an estimated $181,000 in remediation costs; eliminated two well pulls annually and associated lost production
Improved
minimal well life by seven months
Reduced
annual remediation costs
Project background and challenges West Texas
CO2 flood
Production
decline from 230 to 170 BOPD during a four-month period
Tubing
and pump intake were severely clogged with scale
ESP
system in danger of failing from severe clogging of tubing and pump
Baker Hughes solution and results Baker
Petrolite SRW196 treatment cleaned the scale buildup
Baker
Petrolite SCW26 scale inhibitor
Centrilift
XP Xtreme Performance series ESP system installed to further drawdown the well
52%
production increase above the baseline rate
Further
squeeze treatments implemented as needed for prevention of buildup
An operator in west Texas experienced a rapid production decline in a CO2 flood, going from 230 to 170 BOPD during a four-month period. When field personnel noted solids produced at the wellhead, the operator pulled the well and found both the tubing and pump intake severely clogged with scale. Though the electrical submersible pumping (ESP) system was still fully operational, the flow restriction from the scale would have eventually caused it to fail. Baker Hughes lab analysis revealed the scale was predominately calcium sulfate and recommended a two-step remediation approach. A Baker Petrolite SRW196™ calcium sulfate converter treatment was used to clean the scale from the well by converting it into a loose, fluffy, acid-soluble material which could be removed by backflowing the well, then followed by acidizing. This was followed by a batch squeeze treatment of Baker Petrolite SCW26™ scale
inhibitor to prevent the precipitation of the calcium sulfate and other scale types for up to 16 months. After cleaning up the well and applying the squeeze treatment, a slightly larger (21 additional stages) Centrilift XP™ Xtreme Performance series ESP system was installed to further drawdown the well. With the new pumping system and scale-control program in place, production increased beyond normal production levels to 350 BOPD. Based on the success of the program, the operator agreed to perform further squeeze treatments of SCW26 scale inhibitor to keep scaling under control, with timing determined on the basis of inhibitor residual analysis of well water samples. This case history is presented for illustration purposes only as results may vary between applications.
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