Carrier Line Technique for Downhole Chemical Injection in Oil and Gas Industry; Case Study: El Hamra Oil Company

Abstract

In oil production companies, corrosion is a common issue with various adverse economic and environmental consequences. Active well production fluid always comprises inherently corrosive and highly corrosive substances. There are a variety of treatment techniques to prohibit corrosion, such as chemical treatment, cathodic protection, and paint-based corrosion inhibitors. El Hamra Oil Company produces crude oil from three main locations. The research group noticed several downhole localized corrosion problems in the artificial lift system. This paper presents a case study to quantify the extra operation cost of periodically replacing the entire tubing string, renting the pulling unit, and production deferring. The research quantifies the economic impacts after corrosion inhibitor is injected downhole using the carrier line technique (CLT). The results show that the company saved more than 672 K $ during three years of using downhole chemical treatment; dramatically decreasing the regular corrosion incidents in three active wells. The actual profits are expected to increase exponentially for the following years, meanwhile reducing the environmental impacts to meet Egypt’s strategy towards sustainable goals in 2030.