Brent Thomas, Shell Exploration Production Co.

Shell Exploration & Production Company is currently utilizing capillary injection systems to deliver corrosion inhibition chemicals in several gas wells in their South Texas fields. Traditional methods to handle corrosive production wellbores has been to treat? Corrosion Resistant Alloys (CRA"s) or periodic batch treatments with corrosion inhibition chemicals. The installation of CRA materials has been the preferred method especially in the more corrosive environments, but the high cost of these materials can be prohibitive in some installations. Periodic batch treatments have also been widely utilized to protect wells where less corrosive conditions are expected. The current preferred method to protect wellbore tubulars is to install traditional carbon steel tubulars and install a capillary injection system to continuously deliver corrosion inhibition chemicals. Upon completion of a newly drilled well, a capillary injection string is installed and continuous corrosion inhibition chemical injection begun. Corrosion rates are monitored in the new installation and chemical injection volumes are adjusted to keep corrosions rates under control.