Paper: FORMATION CLEANUP AND SQUEEZE TREATMENTS TO REVOVE AND INHIBIT PARAFFIN AND ASPHALTENE DAMAGE FROM OIL AND GAS WELLS

Paraffin and/or Asphaltenes, present in all oils/condensates, are responsible for damaging a majority of wells in the United States. Increasing production from these wells can be accomplished by removing the organic damage but the increase may be of short duration unless new damage is prevented. Squeeze treatments using paraffin and asphaltene inhibition chemicals have successfully held oil and gas production increases at elevated levels following stimulation by keeping new damage from reoccurring for greater than six months. The extended high levels of production are needed to pay for cost of the sometimes, large treatments required to clean and squeeze the wells. This paper will describe the types of damage possible in flowing wells, pumping wells, CO2 floods, water floods, and gas floods. Cleanup and Squeeze treatments will be described and case histories presented of successful treatments.