System and method for inhibiting scale formation in oil wells

摘要

An amount of treatment water injected into a subterranean well may be reduced by providing an environmentally friendly polymer, such as a biodegradable polymer (e.g., an aspartic acid based polymer), to the subterranean well. In some cases, the aspartic acid based polymer may include one or more of a copolymer of the aspartic acid based polymer, a terpolymer of the aspartic acid based polymer, an aspartic acid based polymer derivative, an aspartic acid based polymer having an end cap, and a soluble salt of the aspartic acid based polymer. In some cases, the treatment water use may be reduced within the range of about five percent to about ninety five percent.

主权项

1. A method for reducing an amount of water injected into an existing subterranean well during hydrocarbon production, the method comprising:
pumping a formation fluid including a hydrocarbon and a produced water from an existing subterranean well; adding a flow of fresh treatment water to the existing subterranean well at a first ratio of fresh treatment water to produced water; after adding a flow of fresh treatment water, monitoring the existing subterranean well for production impairment; after monitoring the existing subterranean well for production impairment, adding an aspartic acid based polymer to the flow of fresh treatment water; after adding the aspartic acid based polymer, reducing the flow of fresh treatment water to the hydrocarbon producing existing subterranean well such that the flow of fresh treatment water is added at a second ratio of fresh treatment water to produced water, the second ratio less than the first ratio to reduce a total volume injected into the existing subterranean well; after reducing the flow of fresh treatment water, monitoring the existing subterranean well for production impairment; and wherein the produced water is a combination of at least a subterranean brine and the fresh treatment water.