Scale Control in the Processing of Fluids from Gas/Water Coproduction Wells

摘要

The report presents a novel method of controlling scale deposition in the production of gas from gas/water coproduction fluids from geopressed and other watered-out gas caps, hydropressured aquifers and noncommercial gas stringers. A range of anticipated wellhead fluid characteristics was established, and a gas-separator-crystallizer (GSC) was designed to separate natural gas from the wellhead fluid. In the GSC, scaling species precipitate on suspended crystals in a recycled slurry rather than in surface equipment and disposal wells. The GSC process, which is based on the crystallization process used in industry, will permit commercial recovery of natural gas and safe injection of clarified brine into the disposal wells. A test plan was developed to demonstrate the feasibility of the GSC and to provide design criteria for future GSC designs. As a result of the study, an improved method of scale control was developed for gas/water coproduction systems and a patent covering this method was filed on behalf of GRI.