Using plasma technology to remove scale from production tubing

Abstract

With its wide application in areas such as electronics, the car-, machine- and tool-making industries, energy technology, the optics industry, and textile, environmental, and medical technology, plasma technology is improving the quality and performance of many products and processes. Similarly, this thesis work researches into the laboratory-scale feasibility of the use of plasma technology to remove scale. Scale has been a long-standing challenge to the effective production of oil and gas from various petroleum fields across the world. Though there are various solutions utilised in the industry, they have been questioned of their environmental-friendliness, cost-effectiveness, and operationalefficiency. In view of these major industrial concerns, plasma technology presents industry professionals with an approach which is more environmentally-friendly, cost-effective, and operationally-efficient. This thesis work thus takes a look at the opportunities, challenges and remedies of the use of plasma technology in the removal of scale. From an experimental point of view, the thesis work attempts to establish the viability of using plasma-based technology to remove scale during the production life of a well.