Scale
About the course
Course duration: 2 days
Inorganic scale buildup often leads to premature equipment failure, requiring repair or replacement. It can also prevent production targets from being achieved due to downtime or reduced well productivity, frequently necessitating costly workovers and remedial treatments. As a result, scale formation can significantly undermine both the technical and economic performance of a project.
To effectively manage scale-related risks, operators must implement a robust scale-control management system capable of predicting the likelihood of scale deposition and reliably mitigating its impact across the entire production system. An effective management system begins with a comprehensive risk assessment to identify potential scale locations, their probability, and expected severity over the life of the asset. Case studies illustrating the development and application of such scale management systems will be presented.
Designed for
This course is particularly tailored for petroleum production engineers, laboratory personnel, field operators, system designers, and anyone seeking practical experience in this field, including researchers or managers who want to understand technical issues that support effective decision-making.
Course objectives
- Develop a comprehensive understanding of scale challenges associated with fluid production, gathering, treatment, and transportation
- Identify existing and potential threats to uninterrupted fluid flow
- Develop a proactive Scale-Management System
- Validate mitigation methods and reassess strategies to enable ongoing optimization and operating cost reduction
- Design cost-effective, efficient, and reliable mitigation strategies that maintain production targets and extend equipment service life while complying with environmental regulations
- Define evaluation criteria and calculate Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) related to scaling and produced water treatment
Course Content
- Scale – definition
- Common scale types in the field
- Typical scale locations
- Operational challenges caused by scale
- Scale protection – is it an easy task?
- Development of a Scale-Management System
- Risk assessment
- Management strategy
- Monitoring, validation, and optimization
- Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
- Case studies
Course delivery method
The course consists of lectures supported by worked examples and case studies. Participants are encouraged to bring their own field examples for in-class discussion and analysis.
Instructor
Snežana Šević holds a B.Sc., M.Sc., and Ph.D. from the Faculty of Technology, University of Novi Sad, with over 40 years of experience in the oil and gas industry. Her expertise includes diagnosing issues arising from produced fluid properties, conducting risk analyses, recommending flow assurance and scale management programs, and modeling and optimization of production systems.
She has worked with PM Lucas d.o.o., NIS–Gazprom Neft, and Qimica Apollo (Mexico) and has participated in more than 50 projects across Serbia, Mexico, Kazakhstan, and Russia. Dr. Šević has authored over 30 scientific and technical papers, a book titled The Impact of Formation Water on Oil and Gas Production and Transportation, and has supervised numerous undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral theses. She was an SPE Distinguished Lecturer (2018–2019) and a member of the SPE E-Mentoring Program for five years.