Scale inhibitor squeeze treatments are used to prevent scale-induced damage in downhole and near wellbore areas. In deepwater Gulf of America, higher offshore intervention costs, deferred production, and potential for formation damage are known challenges that are associated with scale inhibitor squeeze treatments. The capability to extend the squeeze lifetime would help reduce cost, deferment, formation damage, and emissions associated with these types of treatments.
This case study outlines two field applications where scale squeeze life was extended at least two-fold in terms of protected water volumes by utilizing novel nanoparticle-enabled scale inhibitor chemistries. Two extended-release scale inhibitor chemistries, one phosphonate (nano-Phosphonate) and one polymer (nano-Polymer), were developed to extend squeeze life relative to conventional scale squeeze chemistries. The nanoparticle-enabled scale inhibitor complexes facilitate greater chemical adsorption and control subsequent release at or above minimum effective dosage. Formation damage and squeeze life potential were investigated via coreflood experiments representative of their respective reservoir conditions. Nano-Phosphonate and nano-Polymer inhibitors were applied in deepwater subsea Gulf of America wells using the same deployment method and equipment as in conventional scale inhibitor squeezes.
Both chemistries were squeezed without any formation damage nor loss of production observed and monitored by monthly produced water sampling and residual analysis. One nano-phosphonate squeeze provided scale protection for twice the water production volume compared to a conventional phosphonate squeeze. This well was also nearing end of oil production, allowing the operator to avoid intervention costs for a well with declining economics. Nano-Polymer was employed in a well with a long history of polymer squeezes, observing scale protection for three times greater in water production, compared to the incumbent polymer. This extended squeeze life was realized in at least two deferred interventions and particularly important for polymer scale inhibitors, which do not possess the strong adsorption characteristics seen in phosphonate scale inhibitors when applied as a squeeze treatment. The use of these nanoparticle-enabled extended-release scale inhibitor chemistries paves the way for further value optimization of scale squeezes, while offering a more sustainable solution to current operations.