Experiments were conducted to investigate ultrasonic energy for reducing ne
ar-wellbore formation damage caused by organic deposits and polymers. It is
shown that mechanical agitation provided by the acoustic waves re-suspends
the paraffin and restores the effective permeability of the core to its un
damaged condition. The depth of treatment is approximately 12 to 15 cm. Thi
s suggests that an acoustic source with or without solvents may provide an
effective method of removing paraffins from the wellbore and the near-wellb
ore region. Ultrasonics was not as effective at restoring permeability dama
ge caused by polymers. Our results demonstrate that ultrasonic cleaning may
be a viable method for cleaning the near-wellbore region when paraffin pre
cipitation is a problem. The method would be particularly effective at trea
ting long sections of pay where chemical methods may be too expensive.