Modelling scale saturation around the wellbore for non-Darcy radial flow system

Abstract

Scaling is a major profit hurting and aching occurrence induced by extensive use of seawater for oil displacement and pressure maintenance; hence it consequently results in production losses and loss of billions of dollars to the petroleum industry yearly. Over the years several models have been developed for predicting the effect of different variables such as pressure, temperature, ions, and pH on the behaviour of mixture of incompatible waters, scaling tendency, amount of scale precipitates which did not account for the quantity deposited around the wellbore. Few research works have been done to show the effect of reservoir and fluid parameter on the magnitude of scale deposition around the wellbore. The most recent formulations for predicting sulphate scale saturation around the wellbore assuming Darcy flow condition was developed and applied to real life scenario by experts in Colombia field. However, flow through a narrow channels often use in describing permeability loss modelling because pore throat and pore spaces become narrower and tighter during scale particle deposition and blockage around the well bore. Then high fluid velocity experiences when it is moving through narrow and tighter channels hence, results in non-Darcy flow that is always experience at the near wellbore region.This paper presents analytical model for predicting sulphate scale saturation near the wellbore under the non-Darcy flow condition. The results obtained show that the previous models under estimated scale saturation at the near well bore region.