Paper: Joe Kirk, BJ Chemical Services

Many oil and gas producing reservoirs produce brine water, which is near or at saturation with respect to sodium chloride salt. During the process of producing these fluids, salt crystals form and grow to the point that a "salt block" is formed in the well and/or flowline. The mechanisms of this salt block formation vary, but most often it is due to one of two scenarios. (1) Temperature reduction of the fluids as they are transported from the reservoir to the surface. Such cooling decreases the capacity of the water to retain the salt in solution and thereby precipitation of the salt occurs. (2) In the case of gas production, the brine produced is striped of its water by the gas stream, concentrating the brine solution in the wellbore. This paper will describe laboratory testing, field application methods and case history results of the application of salt inhibiting treatments in several applications.