SPE Journal
Volume 15,
Number 3,
September 2010,
pp. 610-617
Summary
A surfactant-assisted synthesis route was developed to form nanometer-size
metal-phosphonate particles. The purpose is to develop a new treatment method
for scale control. Aqueous solutions of calcium chloride and zinc chloride were
mixed with a basic solution of either diethylenetriamine-penta (methylene
phosphonate) (DTPMP) or bis-hexamethylenetriamine penta (methylene phosphonate)
(BHPMP) in the presence of tetradodecylammonium bromide (TTAB) or sodium
dodecyl sulfate (SDS) surfactant to form nanometer-size particles. The physical
and chemical properties of the fabricated nanoparticles have been evaluated
carefully. A large number of fabrication procedures are screened, and only
those that yield metal-phosphonate particles of 50–200 nm in diameter are
evaluated further. Furthermore, these nanoparticles should meet the criteria of
forming stable suspension for more than 1 week at 70°C in 2% KCl solution. The
nanoparticles can travel through the porous media and be deposited into the
formation during a shut-in period. When production resumes, the inhibitor
nanoparticles are dissolved into the produced fluid to prevent scale formation.
The potential application of synthesized nanoparticles in scale treatment in
oil fields has been tested by laboratory squeeze simulations, in which the
nanoparticles were placed a distance away from the injection port, retained by
the porous media, and returned slowly during flowback with synthetic brine. The
retention and long-term-flowback performance of metal-phosphonate particles is
reported.
© 2010. Society of Petroleum Engineers
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History
- Original manuscript received:
24 February 2009
- Meeting paper published:
21 April 2009
- Revised manuscript received:
9 September 2009
- Manuscript approved:
11 November 2009
- Published online:
19 April 2010
- Version of record:
22 September 2010
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