Minimizing Environmental and Economic Risks with a Proppant-Sized Solid Scale Inhibitor Additive in the Bakken Formation

Abstract

AbstractWithin the past decade, hydraulic fracturing has been proven to improve the efficiency and economics of recovering oil and natural gas from shale formations. In a previous paper (SPE 134414), a summary of treatment results of placing a solid scale inhibitor into formations via the fracturing process for over five years and in over 1500 wells was fully discussed. The practice of hydraulic fracturing has come under scrutiny due to concerns about the environmental impact, health and safety. Therefore, a novel biodegradable solid scale inhibitor with an excellent ecotoxicity profile for fresh water incorporated into a solid matrix was recently developed and deployed in North Dakota. For one operator in this area with 150 Bakken-producing wells, 22 of the wells have experienced at least one event of severe mineral scaling in the pump and production tubing, leading to well failure, whereas the results from over 140 Bakken wells now fractured with the new solid inhibitor additives indicate no reported scale failures to date.This paper provides a detailed description of the first deployment of this environmentally preferred proppant-sized solid scale inhibitor additive under severe scaling conditions in the field. In addition, an analytical method developed to track the residual of this additive in the produced fluid containing polysaccharide contaminants is also discussed.