SCALEGUARD® proppant-delivered scale-inhibiting technology is an encapsulated ceramic proppant infused with scale inhibiting chemicals to maintain optimum production and recovery rates from scale-prone wells, while reducing production maintenance costs.
SCALEGUARD technology can be blended with any product from our high performance proppant portfolio, without compromising the high conductivity of the proppant pack. Scale-inhibiting chemicals are released into the fracture only on contact with water to minimize chemical usage and deliver efficient, long-term production assurance.
Now you can extend well and production system lifetime, and avoid the downtime and cost associated with scale cleanup, removal and disposal, all from a single, cost-effective treatment while you frac.
More efficient and effective than alternative treatments
The unique proppant-delivered technologies outperform other production assurance treatments which can be inefficient, expensive and required to be repeated due to their short effective periods:
Particulate chemical carriers placed in the fracture have high initial chemical release due to disintegration upon the application of closure stress；
Initial and periodic chemical squeezes have high chemical flowback, which makes inhibition short-lived; the treatment needs to be repeated frequently to maintain the required minimum inhibitor concentration (MIC), resulting in high chemical consumption and costs；
Continuous chemical injection has a higher chemical consumption than proppant-delivered technologies and the injection system needs to be maintained；
Water injection and hot oil injection treatments have high ongoing logistical, environmental and operational costs.
Long-term protection from a single application
SCALEGUARD technology is placed throughout the entire fracture as part of the standard fracturing process. A single treatment can be designed to safeguard the entire production system—from the fracture through the wellbore to the surface processing equipment—or the life of the well.
Reduce production maintenance costs
Each SCALEGUARD treatment can be engineered to last for the effective life of the well based on anticipated production profiles. The technology significantly reduces production maintenance requirements and costs, avoid workovers and eliminate the potential for catastrophic production system failures. The technology has saved one operator in the Uinta over $160,000 per well in maintenance costs per year.
No loss of conductivity or integrity
SCALEGUARD serves as both a scale inhibitor and proppant that has no impact on fracture conductivity. It does not compromise proppant pack conductivity, nor create excessive fines that restrict or block hydrocarbon flow spaces: a risk associated with lower strength particulate-based carriers.
Features
- Ceramic proppant infused with scale-inhibiting chemicals;
- Controlled release technology provides a significant reduction in chemical wash out;
- Engineered, uniformly distributed, interconnected porosity maintains the critical proppant strength and conductivity;
- Designed placement within the fracture for optimal treatment;
- SCALEGUARD stays in place within the fracture to deliver long-term protection from scale build-up;
- May be premixed or added onsite with sand or CARBO ceramic proppant.
Benefits
- Long-term protection from scale build-up;
- Increased long-term production compared to current treatments;
- Simple deployment while you frac with no conductivity impairment;
- Proven technology eliminates costly remediation treatments and equipment failures;
- Both proppant and scale inhibitor reduce operating costs and increase production over the life of the well.
Highly efficient scale inhibition
SCALEGUARD technology utilizes engineered controlled release technology to provide long-term and consistent inhibition above the Minimum Inhibitor Concentration (MIC) over longer periods than other inhibitor delivery methods or liquid scale inhibitor treatments.
A superior alternative
- SCALEGUARD technology is superior to other methods of inhibiting scale;
- Controlled release technology significantly lengthens treatment life and reduces initial inhibitor washout;
- Engineered ceramic proppant that provides effective chemical delivery, high fracture conductivity and strength;
- Liquid inhibitor added to frac fluid is short-lived and inefficient due to the large volume of chemicals required;
- Periodic squeezes are short-lived and must be routinely repeated, incurring ongoing operational expenditure;
- Other particulate chemical carriers added during frac can impair conductivity and can be short-lived.
SCALEGUARD is protecting wells in the Bakken
A large Bakken operator has successfully employed SCALEGUARD in two wells.
SCALEGUARD, a ceramic proppant infused with scale-inhibiting chemicals, is placed throughout the fracture as part of the standard fracturing process. It provides efficient, long-term protection against scale formation in a single treatment, while maintaining maximum fracture conductivity.
Continual protections from scale build-up
In the Bakken wells, SCALEGUARD was mixed with CARBOECONOPROP, a low-cost, lightweight ceramic proppant that is especially suited for moderate depth natural gas and oil wells. SCALEGUARD can be premixed with any CARBO proppant or added on the fly. The scale-inhibiting chemicals will be released only on contact with water, providing protection as needed to safeguard the entire production system, from the fracture through the wellbore to the surface processing equipment.
Engineered for conductivity
SCALEGUARD has no impact on fracture conductivity. It does not compromise the proppant pack, nor does it create excessive fines that can restrict or block hydrocarbon flow spaces.
Conductivity results
In applications such as the Bakken, SCALEGUARD protects against scale with no impact on conductivity.
SCALEGUARD serves as both a proppant and scale inhibitor that reduces operating costs and increases production over the life of the well.
Case 2
Proppant-delivered scale-inhibiting technology yields results in the Rockies
In the Rockies, SCALEGUARD proppant was successfully pumped as part of the standard fracturing process in several wells during the second quarter of 2014. SCALEGUARD technology provides long-term protection against scale formation while maintaining maximum fracture conductivity. The initial results have been very positive and the operator is planning additional wells utilizing SCALEGUARD technology.
Long-term protection from a single application
SCALEGUARD technology is an encapsulated ceramic proppant infused with scale inhibiting chemicals that is placed throughout the entire fracture as part of the standard fracturing process.
In a single treatment, it will safeguard the entire production system – from the fracture through the wellbore to the surface processing equipment.
Scale inhibition designed and built into every fracture
SCALEGUARD technology prevents production impairment due to the development of scale deposits. The infused proppant is engineered for each application and stays in place within the fracture. The predictable and controlled release of scale inhibitor on contact with produced water provides long-term production assurance.
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