Understanding Scale
Thanks for joining us for another Oilfield Basics video blog. My name is Sebastian Ziaja and we here at Oilfield Basics are trying to build the go-to educational platform for the oil and gas industry. There are so many awesome topics to cover and if you like what we’re doing or find this video helpful, please be sure to like, subscribe, comment, and share this with someone who you think could benefit from our materials. Today we’re going to be talking about what on the world scale is, different types of scale, why they decrease the production of wells, and lastly some common remediation act you can see! So, let’s dive in.
Let’s first discuss what on the world scale is! Scale bearing water is prominent throughout the shale plays and as the fields age and wells decline, dissolved salts can precipitate out of the water due to temperature and pressure changes which can cause scaling throughout your well and in your on surface equipment. The dissolved salts attach to the steel casing or tubing very well and over time if not treated or dealt with, it can build up, choking your well. Some common types of scale you can find in the oilfield is Calcium Carbonate, Iron Sulfide, and Barium Sulfates. Each type of scale has different characteristics such as hardness, composition, and color.
Now, where can scaling occur? Scale can be found in the production casing blocking off perforations, in the casing itself, throughout your tubing, and even in surface equipment. It all depends on the types and amounts of hydrates and salts in the reservoir from which some water is produced from. Something important to note is that scaling is very rare in dry gas wells due to the limited almost non-existent water production in some cases while it is common to have scaling in wet gas and condensate producing wells!
The main issue that arises from scaling is the decrease in the well’s production. If scaling occurs in the production casing of your well (in your lateral) then it will be noted by your production falling off in proportion to your casing pressure.
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