Clariant Oil Services Saves Gulf of Mexico Producer Nearly $470,000 in a Year

Benefits

• Controlled injection rates of HYTREAT™ DF 12851A, providing a cost savings of $414,720 (13,724%)
• Lowered injection rate of FOAMTREAT 12873 from 50 gallons/day to 30 gallons/day, reducing costs by $55,035 per year 

Background

Clariant Oil Services recognized that a Gulf of Mexico producer was not realizing the full potential of his chemical program, and therefore offered to provide a new continuous improvement plan to optimize chemical performance. The primary concern was the consumption rate of the low dose hydrate inhibitor (LDHI) HYTREAT DF 12851A as part of the chemical management system. The initial injection rate for HYTREAT DF 12851A was 0.4 GPM; however, the LDHI injection system could not adequately inject at the lower injection rates needed for hydrates.

The secondary concern regarded available injection points for Clariant Oil Services’ defoamer, FOAMTREAT 12873. FOAMTREAT 12873 was injected on the well after the choke at a rate of 50 gallons/day. Yet this higher injection rate increased costs for the operator.

Clariant Oil Services Solutions and Value Delivered

After visiting the platform and evaluating the pump metering system, Clariant Oil Services’ personnel decided that use of the existing equipment to inject the LDHI, HYTREAT DF 12851A, through the asphaltene injection pump and mandrel would allow better control of the injection rates. This required an investment by the customer of $3,000 for equipment (50 feet of tubing and two ball valves) and manpower (two SECO tubing hands for half a day). This solution for the primary concern resulted in lowered LDHI injection rates from 0.4 GPM to just 0.1 GPM, reducing costs by $414,720 in the 32 days of implementation. Thus the producer realized an ROI of 13,724%, equivalent to a one day payback.

To address the secondary concern, valving was added during a shut-in to allow the foaming well to receive defoamer prior to the choke in order to provide better mixing and longer contact time with the production stream. The defoamer valving required the same capital investment as for the LDHI pump metering system.

By the well receiving the defoamer prior to the choke, Clariant Oil Services was able to lower the injection rate of the defoamer FOAMTREAT 12873 from 50 gallons/day to 30 gallons/day. This reduced costs by $55,035 per year, with an ROI of 1,835% in the first month.

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