Ultrasonic removal of organic deposits and polymer-induced formation damage

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.