Oil-Well Acidizing

For oil-well stimulation, large quantities of acid - usually hydrochloric - are pumped at high rates of flow through the oil-well tubing into the producing formation. The primary object is to act on the formation in such a way as to stimulate the oil flow. If the nature of the formation requires it, hydrofluoric acid is added to the hydrochloric acid. 

Oil-well acidizing represents a severe test for inhibitors. The acid concentrations are high - usually 10 to 15% HCI by weight and at times 28%. Temperatures at the bottom of the hole can be as high as 177 °C (350 °F). Effects of agitation, exposure, time, acid type and concentration, and inhibitor concentration at 38 to 177 °C (100 to 350 °F) have been reported. 

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Uses. Propargyl alcohol is a component of oil-well acidizing compositions, inhibiting the attack of mineral acids on steel (see Corrosion and CORROSION control). It is also employed in the pickling and plating of metals. 

Aqueous Hydrochloric Acid. Muriatic acid consumption in 1993 was about 1.57 million metric tons (100% basis). The largest captive use of aqueous HCl is for brine acidification prior to electrolysis in chlorine/caustic cells and the largest merchant markets for HCl are steel pickling and oil-well acidizing, which accounted for 25 and 16% of merchant production, respectively, during 1989. 

EVoiective Coalings t>ye iufls Oil Well Acidizing PetnileuTTi Culalysts... 

W. G. Ford. Reducing sludging during oil well acidizing. Patent US 4981601, 1991. 

Corrosion of steel during oil well acidizing or acid pickling treatments can be controlled effectively and economically with organic corrosion inhibitors. These additives interact with the steel surface to form an adherent barrier, the nature of which depends on the additives physicochemical properties. Work to date has established that acetylenic alcohols chemisorb and subsequently polymerize on steel surfaces (1-5"). a,/MJnsaturated aldehydes and a-alkenyl-phenones appear to behave in a similar manner (6j7"). The nature of Current address Amoco Production Company, Tulsa, OK... 

Oil-well acidizing, use of aqueous hydrochloric acid in, 73 834 Oil well cement retarders, lignosulfonates as, 75 18... 

Uses. Production of chlorinated organic chemicals production of dyes and dye intermediates steel pickling oil well acidizing operations to dissolve subsurface dolomite or limestone formed during thermal decomposition ofPVC... 

Use Manufacturing of acetic anhydride, cellulose acetate, and vinyl acetate monomer acetic esters chloroacetic acid production of plastics, pharmaceuticals, dyes, insecticides, photographic chemicals, etc. food additive (acidulant) latex coagulant oil-well acidizer textile printing. 

Use Corrosion inhibitor against mineral acids, high-temperature oil-well-acidizing inhibitor. 

Oil well acidizing Metallic chlorides Water treatment... 

OW-1 . [Air Prods.] Secondary acetylenic alcohol corrosion inhibitor for oil well acidizing, steel pickling, and elec-hnplating. 

High acid concentrations are encountered in pickling processes, oil well acidizing, and during the transportation of acids for use in chemical processes. Hydrochloric acid of all concentrations requires an inhibitor if steel is to be used. The use of inhibitor in pickling processes also allows the acid to dissolve scale from steel without appreciable attack on the metal (Havlik et al. 2007). 

Uses Corrosion inhibitor in oil well acidizing, mild steel pickling, mild steel cleaning in acid systems electroplating bath additive curative for paints, elastomers, adhesives Manuf/Distrib. Air Prods. 

Uses Corrosion inhibitor in household cleaners, ceramic tile cleaners, bowl cleaners, petrol, refining equip., HCI sol ns. for industrial cleaning and oil-well acidizing detergent, dispersant for scales in refinery systems surface-active film-former Trade Name Synonyms Polyrad 0515 [Hercules http //WWW. here, com]... 

PEG-5 dehydroabietylamine PEG-11 dehydroabietylamine corrosion inhibitor, HCI solutions oil-well acidizing. 

Frasch s creative mind continued to work on petroleum. Between 1880 and 1900, thirty-four patents were filed by Standard Oil, half of which originated with Frasch. In 1895, another major invention was made by Frasch, the acidizing of an oil well to increase production, but this was not for Standard. Patents for the process were issued the following year (U.S. patent 556,651, 556,669). The acid reacted with the limestone rock, releasing carbon dioxide gas that opened up fissures in the rock. This process freed trapped oil pockets. Frasch had worked on this project with John W. Van Dyke (1849 - 1939). Frasch had known Van Dyke from the Solar Refinery years, where the latter had been the Superintendent of the revolutionary refinery for sour oil. On April 1, 1896, they assigned the patents to Van Dyke s company, the Oil Well Acid Treatment Company of Lima, Ohio. Van Dyke later led the Standard Oil spin-off company, the Atlantic Refining Company (later becoming part of ARCO and now part of BP). 

While hot acids are handled best by resistant alloys or coated steel, an exception is the acidizing of oil wells. It is impractical to coat or line oil-weU casing because the coating is soon destroyed by the insertion of tools, etc. Bottom hole temperatures of oil wells are often 93 to 150 °C (200 to 300 °F) and sometimes as high as 230 °C (450 °F). Inhibitors for acids used to increase the permeability of oil-producing formations (usually HCl) are effective, but have temperature limitations. Amine-type pickling acid inhibitors are often used for oil-well acidizing. 

For the etching of silicon in photovoltaic and semiconductor industry [16], [17], [18] especially purified e-grade material is needed. Of minor importance is the decomposition of cellulose [19], the galvanizing of iron, the etching of porosity into ceramics [21], [22], specialty metal manufacture [24] as well as the use in laundry mixtures to substitute oxalic acid, in oil well acid stimulation [25], [26] and in the flotation of ores [27]. 

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