Abstract
The mechanism of retention of scale inhibitors (SI) within the reservoir formation is central to a squeeze treatment having a long lifetime. Scale inhibitors are retained within porous media by the two main mechanisms of adsorption (G) and
precipitation (?). There is not complete agreement in the literature about when we should use one mechanistic description or another, and indeed both can occur together as coupled adsorption/precipitation (G/?). Previously a general model of coupled (equilibrium) adsorption/precipitation has been derived and the agreement between the model and experiment was very good (Kahrwad et al., 2008). This model was subsequently extended to derive a consistent dynamic coupled G/? model for simulating non-equilibrium (kinetic) coupled processes of any type (Sorbie, 2010). This latter model has not yet been fully validated, but the work in this paper and its companion paper (Paper 2: Ibrahim et al, 2010) provides the type of data required in order to do this.
In this paper (Paper 1), new static experimental adsorption/precipitation measurements are presented for two phosphonate inhibitors, DETPMP (a penta-phosphonate) and OMTHP (a hexa-phosphonate) using sand, kaolinite and siderite as the mineral phases. These experiments were carried out at a range of adsorbent mass (m)/ fluid volume (V)/ ratios and it is the “apparent adsorption”, Gapp vs. the final scale inhibitor concentration, cf, which is measured and plotted. By observing how the Gapp vs. cf, curves vary for different values of the (m/V) ratio, this indicates whether we are in the purely adsorbing (G) or in the coupled adsorption/precipitation (G/?) regime (Kahrwad et al., 2008). For these static apparent adsorption tests, m = 10g, 20g and 30g samples of each mineral were used (with a fixed volume of SI solution, V = 80ml) to analyse the apparent adsorption behaviour. In addition, related pure precipitation/compatibility tests were carried out in the absence of any
minerals in the bulk solutions. The experimental results for both phosphonate scale inhibitors show good agreement with the theory in different regions of pure adsorption and coupled adsorption/precipitation. These results show clearly how such laboratory measurements should be carried out to determine both the levels of SI retention and the precise retention mechanism. This paper characterizes the systems used in subsequent dynamic adsorption/ precipitation sand pack floods which are reported in a related paper (Ibrahim et al., 2012) and which will be used in future to validate fully dynamic coupled G/? flow models (Sorbie, 2010).
precipitation (?). There is not complete agreement in the literature about when we should use one mechanistic description or another, and indeed both can occur together as coupled adsorption/precipitation (G/?). Previously a general model of coupled (equilibrium) adsorption/precipitation has been derived and the agreement between the model and experiment was very good (Kahrwad et al., 2008). This model was subsequently extended to derive a consistent dynamic coupled G/? model for simulating non-equilibrium (kinetic) coupled processes of any type (Sorbie, 2010). This latter model has not yet been fully validated, but the work in this paper and its companion paper (Paper 2: Ibrahim et al, 2010) provides the type of data required in order to do this.
In this paper (Paper 1), new static experimental adsorption/precipitation measurements are presented for two phosphonate inhibitors, DETPMP (a penta-phosphonate) and OMTHP (a hexa-phosphonate) using sand, kaolinite and siderite as the mineral phases. These experiments were carried out at a range of adsorbent mass (m)/ fluid volume (V)/ ratios and it is the “apparent adsorption”, Gapp vs. the final scale inhibitor concentration, cf, which is measured and plotted. By observing how the Gapp vs. cf, curves vary for different values of the (m/V) ratio, this indicates whether we are in the purely adsorbing (G) or in the coupled adsorption/precipitation (G/?) regime (Kahrwad et al., 2008). For these static apparent adsorption tests, m = 10g, 20g and 30g samples of each mineral were used (with a fixed volume of SI solution, V = 80ml) to analyse the apparent adsorption behaviour. In addition, related pure precipitation/compatibility tests were carried out in the absence of any
minerals in the bulk solutions. The experimental results for both phosphonate scale inhibitors show good agreement with the theory in different regions of pure adsorption and coupled adsorption/precipitation. These results show clearly how such laboratory measurements should be carried out to determine both the levels of SI retention and the precise retention mechanism. This paper characterizes the systems used in subsequent dynamic adsorption/ precipitation sand pack floods which are reported in a related paper (Ibrahim et al., 2012) and which will be used in future to validate fully dynamic coupled G/? flow models (Sorbie, 2010).
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages | 1-23 |
| Number of pages | 23 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - May 2012 |
| Event | SPE International Conference on Oilfield Scale 2012 - Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom Duration: 30 May 2012 → 31 May 2012 |
Conference
| Conference | SPE International Conference on Oilfield Scale 2012 |
|---|---|
| Country/Territory | United Kingdom |
| City | Aberdeen |
| Period | 30/05/12 → 31/05/12 |