Downhole Chemical Remediation via Microencapsulation

Historically, managing and inhibiting corrosion, scaling and paraffin deposition downhole required surface chemical remediation. Numerous application scenarios involve truck treating, bulk tank placement and chemical injection.  A commonly used modification of this principle involves dropping solid chemical compounds down the backside of the wellbore and ultimately landing into the rathole (long cylindrical cavity inside the well casing, but below the tubing string) where the accumulated mass can rapidly dissolve.

A new revolutionary method* has been established to deliver many oilfield chemistries by microencapsulating the compounds and packaging the completed formulation in a proprietary cylindrical tool that is placed at the base of the tubing column below the pump.  The design parameter allows for slow targeted release of inhibitors at the fluid entry point, promoting chemical remediation prior to initiation of scale nucleation, electrochemical corrosion or paraffin agglomeration.