THE PROPOSITION

A large UK onshore oil producer approached us to treat one of their wells that had significant waxing problems. The well produces steadily for 20 days at a high production rate. After this time, production begins to drop off. After 30 days, production noticeably decreases. After 32-33 days the well will hang up. To prevent the well hanging up and costly time on rod jobs, the company actively hot oil washes the well, every 28-30 days.  

To reduce the wax build up and extend the time between hot oiling procedures.

WELL STATUS

• Well Type - Beam Pump with Injection / Recirculation Pump

• Average BOPD - 400 bbls

• Gross Fluid - 1000 bbls

• Time between Hot Oil Procedures - 30 Days

THE TREATMENT PROCESS

1. Switch off the beam pump
2. Pump AO 1001 down the annulus
3. Isolate flow line at the manifold
4. Restart the beam pup allowing flow to return to the annulus
5. Leave well on circulation for 24 hours
6. Switch of beam pump
7. Reopen flow line at manifold, isolate and vent down
8. Restart beam pump and commence standard production

Sample of Paraffin that caused the well rods to hang up after 28 days.

SHORT TERM EFFECTS

Immediately after the well was put back onto production an increase of 5% BOPD was recorded. This was sustained for the 8 days of production. This increase then returned to the pre-application levels after 10 days.

After 20 days, when without application of the AO 1001 the well would begin to lose production, the production levels maintained at the levels experience directly after a hot oil procedure.

The well was run for 90 days. At this point, the production began to drop off, at 95 days a second application of AO 1001 was undertaken. This had the same effect as the first application, with an initial increase in production levels of 7% BOPD.

LONG TERM EFFECTS

The operators performed a rod job, 150 days after the first application. The rods showed no signs of the hard wax build up on the rod strings and only a slight build up of soft wax on the rod boxes.

THE CONCLUSION

The operators perform an AO1001 application every 90 days. Hot oiling procedures are no longer needed and complete rod jobs are carried out much less frequently.

The operator has reduced costs from hot oiling procedures and minimized the time off production, due to hot oiling and rod jobs, to only 36 hours every 90 days.

Rod Strings after 150 days on production showing no hard wax build up on the rod strings and only small amounts of soft wax build up around the rod boxes.