Systems and Methods for Treating Fluids in Oilfield Facilities

#This disclosure relates to treating fluids in oilfield facilities, in particular to treating fluids to inhibit scale in surface components of oilfield facilities.

#Inorganic scale deposition has been a persistent problem in many oil and gas production systems. Scale deposits can restrict hydrocarbon flow, damage equipment, induce localized corrosion, and interfere with oil-water separation. For example, calcium carbonate scale deposition in surface flowlines is a significant issue for many oil wells and has been known to interrupt or stop oil production. In some cases, wells have been in a shut-in state due to heavy calcium carbonate scale in flowlines, leading to enormous economic losses. Many approaches have been deployed to control scale formation.

#This disclosure describes systems and methods that can be used in treating fluids in oilfield facilities. For example, these systems and methods can be used to treat fluids to inhibit scale in surface components of oilfield facilities. In another example, these systems and methods could be used to address other production chemistry issues such as corrosion and emulsion.

#FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an oilfield facility with a well and surface pipeline including a treatment system.

#FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the treatment system of FIG. 1 showing the control system.

#FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a method of treating fluids.

#This specification describes systems and methods of treating fluids produced from a well by diverting a side stream of produced fluids into a container holding solid treatment material. The diverted fluids release treatment compounds from solid treatment material before being returned to the main stream of the produced fluids. For example, these systems and methods can be used to control scaling deposition in oil well surface flowlines and trunklines. In this approach, a side stream of produced water is diverted into a container holding solid scale inhibitor material. The diverted produced water enters the container and releases active scale inhibition components from solid inhibitor. The diverted produced water, now containing active scale inhibition components, merges with the produced fluid in the pipeline. By adjusting the flow rate of the diverted water, scale inhibitor concentration in the mixed stream is adjusted to reduce or prevent scale buildup in surface components of the system.

#This approach can reduce or eliminate production losses due to scale deposition. The solid-state scale inhibitor can provide a continuous supply of scale control ingredient without using an injection pump. In contrast to pulsed squeeze treatments, this approach can provide long-term ongoing protection to equipment. The described systems and methods can be used in addition to the squeeze treatment to prevent scale formation in surface flowlines and facilities as squeeze treatment is mainly used to control scale in subterranean formation. In addition, this approach is anticipated to reduce operation costs relative to systems and methods that rely on continuous injection of treatment compounds.

#These systems and methods can also be used to introduce other types of treatment agents such as, for example, corrosion inhibitors, paraffin inhibitors, asphaltene inhibitors, oxygen scavengers, biocides, gas hydrate inhibitors, salt inhibitors, foaming agent, emulsion breakers and surfactants, into a oilfield facility. Integration of different oilfield chemical treatments into a single process can be performed by adding different treatment chemicals in a solid form in the same vessel.