In recent years, screen pipe scaling and blockage have occurred in dozens of wells in the Fuling Shale Gas Field, seriously affecting the normal production of gas wells. Investigations show that similar problems exist in the Weirong Shale Gas Field of Sinopec Southwest Branch, and the Changning and Weiyuan Shale Gas Fields of PetroChina. Although well production has been restored through pipe inspection operations, key issues specific to shale gas wells remain unresolved, including the scaling mechanism under gas–liquid two-phase flow regimes unique to horizontal shale gas wells, the scale deposition law at screen pipes caused by complex flow direction changes, and the targeted prevention technologies for high-hardness BaSO4 scale in high-salinity produced water. By jointly conducting research on the scaling mechanism and prevention technology of shale gas wellbores with Southwest Petroleum University, the Fuling Shale Gas Field has identified the reasons why the amount of BaSO4 scaling increases with the decrease in pressure and temperature, while it increases with the increase in gas–water ratio. It has clarified the influencing characteristics of factors such as pressure, temperature, gas–water ratio and pipe wall roughness. The amount of scaling on the tubing wall of shale gas wells in this area is very small, and blockage mainly occurs at and near the screen pipe. Due to the complex flow direction change in gas and water in the screen pipe, the precipitated tiny scale particles separate, settle and accumulate, forming variable-diameter steps that continue to grow. Two agents have been developed: the LPPAS scale inhibitor and the barium-strontium-sulfate-chelating plug-removing agent, with a scale inhibition rate as high as over 90% and a scale dissolution rate over 70%, respectively, laying a foundation for the efficient and stable production of shale gas wells.
Liu et al. (Mon,) studied this question.