Methods and systems for wellbore remediation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10344564-B2
Application number	US-201515542069-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 12, 2015
Priority date	Feb 12, 2015
Publication date	Jul 9, 2019
Grant date	Jul 9, 2019

Abstract

Removing inorganic scale and other acid-soluble materials in the presence of a particulate pack can sometimes result in unwanted alterations to the particulate pack. Methods for removing inorganic scale can comprise: introducing a descaling agent comprising an N-(phosphonoalkyl)iminodiacetic acid or any salt thereof into a wellbore in fluid communication with a particulate pack, an inorganic scale being present in the wellbore or in the particulate pack; contacting the descaling agent with the particulate pack and the inorganic scale; and removing at least a portion of the inorganic scale using the N-(phosphonoalkyl)iminodiacetic acid or any salt thereof without substantially affecting the particulate pack.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
introducing a treatment fluid comprising a descaling agent and a carrier fluid into a wellbore in fluid communication with a particulate pack, an inorganic scale being present in the wellbore or in the particulate pack, the descaling agent comprising an N-(phosphonoalkyl)iminodiacetic acid with the following structure:

or any salt thereof, wherein n is an integer ranging between 1 to 5, and wherein the treatment fluid has a pH in a range of 0.5 to 1.8;
wherein no other organic or mineral acids are present in the treatment fluid in combination with the N-(phosphonoalkyl)iminodiacetic acid or any salt thereof;
contacting the descaling agent with the particulate pack and the inorganic scale; and
removing at least a portion of the inorganic scale using the N-(phosphonoalkyl)iminodiacetic acid or any salt thereof without deconsolidating the particulate pack.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the inorganic scale is present in the particulate pack.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of removing at least a portion of the inorganic scale using the N-(phosphonoalkyl)iminodiacetic acid or any salt thereof comprises complexing a metal ion from a metal salt comprising the inorganic scale.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the inorganic scale comprises a calcium-containing scale, a magnesium-containing scale, an iron-containing scale, a barium-containing scale, a strontium-containing scale or any combination thereof.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the particulate pack comprises a consolidated particulate pack.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the consolidated particulate pack comprises an acid-unstable resin, the acid-unstable resin being unreacted with the N-(phosphonalkyl)iminodiacetic acid or any salt thereof after the step of contacting.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the N-(phosphonoalkyl)iminodiacetic acid comprises N-(phosphonomethyl)iminodiacetic acid.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the particulate pack comprises a proppant pack or a gravel pack.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the concentration of the N-(phosphonoalkyl)iminodiacetic acid or any salt thereof in the treatment fluid ranges between about 1.5 wt. % and about 45 wt. %.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein no other chelating agents are present in the treatment fluid in combination with the N-(phosphonoalkyl)iminodiacetic acid or any salt thereof.

11. A method comprising:
contacting a resin-consolidated particulate pack in a wellbore with a treatment fluid comprising a descaling agent and a carrier fluid, the descaling agent comprising an N-(phosphonoalkyl)iminodiacetic acid with the following structure:

or any salt thereof, wherein n is an integer ranging between 1 to 5, and wherein the treatment fluid has a pH in a range of 0.5 to 1.8; wherein no other organic or mineral acids are present in the treatment fluid in combination with the N-(phosphonoalkyl)iminodiacetic acid or any salt thereof; and
removing at least a portion of an acid-soluble material from the particulate pack using the N-(phosphonoalkyl)iminodiacetic acid or any salt thereof without deconsolidating the particulate pack.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the acid-soluble material comprises an inorganic scale present in the particulate pack.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the inorganic scale comprises a calcium-containing scale, a magnesium-containing scale, an iron-containing scale, a barium-containing scale, a strontium-containing scale or any combination thereof.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the step of removing the acid-soluble material from the particulate pack using the N-(phosphonoalkyl)iminodiacetic acid or any salt thereof comprises complexing a metal ion from a metal salt comprising the inorganic scale.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the particulate pack comprises an acid-unstable resin, the acid-unstable resin being unreacted with the N-(phosphonalkyl)iminodiacetic acid or any salt thereof after the step of contacting.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the N-(phosphonoalkyl)iminodiacetic acid comprises N-(phosphonomethyl)iminodiacetic acid.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the particulate pack comprises a proppant pack or a gravel pack.

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Beuterbaugh Aaron Michael
• Reyes Enrique Antonio
• Lablanc Alyssa Lynn

Classifications

• C09K8/528 Primary

  inorganic depositions, e.g. sulfates or carbonates · CPC title

• E21B37/06 Primary

  using chemical means for preventing or limiting {, e.g. eliminating,} the deposition of paraffins or like substances · CPC title

• C09K8/54

  Compositions for in situ inhibition of corrosion in boreholes or wells · CPC title

• C09K2208/32

  Anticorrosion additives · CPC title

• E21B43/267

  reinforcing fractures by propping · CPC title