To achieve production optimization, it is prudent to put in an effective phase separation program to address the formation of emulsions and foam. The program can also address the cleaning up of produced water for reuse or disposal.
Production Optimization features:
GE’s ProSolv* family of chemical treatment solutions lead the way in paraffin, asphaltene and scale control.
Emulsion Breakers
During the oil and gas production process, oil, water, and emulsifying agents combine with forces of shear and agitation generated in the production process as fluids move from the reservoir, perforations, pumps and valves to form regular emulsions. These are oil external emulsions containing water droplets in the internal phase.
Regular emulsions formed downhole can reduce or completely block production. On the surface, emulsions cause severe flow issues along with additional concerns attributable to the water content, such as corrosion and mineral scale, not to mention the costs associated with transporting water. As a consequence, pipelines set specifications on the amount of basic sediment & water that is allowable (BS&W) before they’ll buy or accept custody of the hydrocarbon liquids. Effective ProSolv Emulsion Breakers reduce BS&W in the separation system to meet or exceed these sales specifications.
Emulsion Breaker features:
GE’s portfolio of ProSolv Emulsion Breakers is designed to:
- Provide best-in-class emulsion breaking performance
- Reduce BS&W to meet or exceed sales specifications
- Ensure fit-for-use stability under all process and environmental temperature extremes
- Be available globally, using best-in-class chemistry and local solvent sources, along with service provided locally by experienced personnel
- Use in deepwater umbilical systems, with formulations compatible with metals, polymers and plastics used in the chemical injection system
- Reduce fluid viscosity by eliminating emulsions in the production system
- Provide cost effective treatments with custom formulations
- Minimize oil in the effluent water to allow for effective water treatment
Reverse Emulsion Breakers / Water Clarifiers
Water is often produced in oil & gas systems. The water, oil & condensate, and emulsifying agents, along with agitation and shear from the production process, often creates a water external or “Reverse Emulsion” with oil droplets as the internal phase. This creates lost production revenue because oil is removed with the water, but it also becomes a challenge based on the final disposition of the water. Depending on its final use or discharge, the water will require additional purification to remove the oil or hydrocarbons to meet specifications set by production companies and environmental regulatory agencies.
The water may be going into a SWD (salt water disposal well), and it may be released into a surface water system such as a creek, river, or ocean. It may be pumped into an injection well to maintain reservoir pressures or mixed with surface waters in order to provide flood water with a specific ionic composition.
It’s important to recover as much oil as is economically feasible. GE’s line of ProSolv Reverse Emulsion Breaker chemistries, developed from years of water treating expertise, is there to help.
Reverse Emulsion Breaker features:
GE’s portfolio of ProSolv Reverse Emulsion Breakers are designed to:
- Provide superior performance in removing oily waste
- Function well in every type of water treatment system used around the globe
- Meet or exceed discharge specifications for potable water systems
- Provide water quality that extends the life of filters and membranes used to polish the water
- Maximize hydrocarbon recovery and revenue at a minimal cost
- Incorporate the best chemistries from years of water treating experience
Defoamers / Antifoamers
In oil & gas production problems, foam can become a production challenge in several areas, including separation systems, dehydration units, H2S / CO2 scrubbers and in water treatment systems. When foam forms, there is potential for spills due to overflowing, process disruptions and liquid carryover, in addition to reduction in the capacity of the treating system.
In the ProSolv Antifoam product line, GE has two types of foam control agents based on prevention of foam or actively breaking foam issues:
- Anti-foamers, which work to prevent foam from forming by producing reduced surface tension at the gas / liquid interface. This helps to thin the foam and cause it to break before it becomes an issue. These products are applied ahead of the unit with the foaming issue.
- Defoamers, which are applied to foam which has already formed, eliminating the foam and getting the system back to normal operations. If you have foaming issues, GE’s local field service team can help identify the threat and provide the best application method to maintain efficiency in separation equipment and scrubbers.
Antifoamer / Defoamer features:
GE’s portfolio of ProSolv Antifoamers & Defoamers is designed to:
- Disperse rapidly in fluids and foam
- Provide cost effective, low dosage treatments
- Completely control foaming issues
- Function well over a wide range of system operating conditions
- Be compatible with other chemicals in your system
Foamers
Maximize production by removing liquids from the well
When a well is drilled and put into production service, it will go through a natural decline cycle. Initially, the well may be free flowing as the reservoir pressure is sufficient to push all gas and liquids to the surface. Over time, the reservoir pressure lessens and liquids tend to accumulate downhole, eventually affecting production. The fluid pressure in the production tubing may become greater than the reservoir pressure and production stops until the reservoir has time to pressure up enough to overcome the fluid pressure. The accumulation of liquids downhole is referred to as liquids loading.
Removing liquid loading in the well, delaying the need to invest additional capital for pumps or velocity strings, is something that many production companies desire. Perhaps the best solution to accomplish this is to use a special surfactant or “Foamer”. ProSolv foamers work by reducing the density of the fluid downhole, allowing it to be removed naturally using the reservoir pressure flowing to the well.
GE’s ProSolv Foamers cause the liquids and gas production to form a weak foam which travels up the well tubing to the surface separators, where the foam disperses into liquid and gas.
Foamer features:
GE’s portfolio of ProSolv Foamers is designed to:
- Improve and stabilize hydrocarbon production
- Maximize production without additional capital investment in the well
- Remove liquids from the well to reduce corrosion, scale and hydrate issues
- Improve the life of system tubing
- Improve safety and reduce environmental risk by minimizing costly intervention
- Provide formulations which are fit for use for extreme conditions in the well and the environment
- Be applied in batch or continuous, via injection down the casing, tubing or through a cap string
- Optimize performance of velocity strings and plunger lift systems
- Be formulated with corrosion and scale inhibitors to provide additional functionality