Oil & Gas Well Treatment - Downhole Chlorine Dioxide

Chlorine dioxide has demonstrated unique properties during Downhole treatments. As a true gas, even in the liquid phase, it can permeate areas of the formation and well bore that other chemicals and biocides fail to do, with or without the presence of near wellbore plugging. Chlorine dioxide is highly soluble in oil which gives it the unique ability to actually affect the wetability/surface tension of the oil promoting increased movement and flow without leaving any harmful residual. This combined with the chlorine dioxide's anti-plugging agent effect often yields increases in performance and production that are unobtainable by other methods.

Increase Well Performance

Sabre Downhole has proven highly effective at removing plugging agents from the well bore and near-well bore formation. Our solution improves the performance of wells by addressing the following three common subsurface oil and gas field problems:

Eliminates Iron Sulfide

Sabre Downhole has proven highly effective at removing plugging agents, such as bacteria, iron sulfide and polymer damage, from the well bore and near-well bore formation. Sabre's chlorine dioxide use history with Injection, Disposal and Producer well treatments yields immediate and sustained positive results including higher than predicted production.

Iron sulfide plugging in the near-wellbore area is a widely recognized cause of decreased well productivity. Unlike conventional acidization, which only temporarily solubilizes iron sulfide deposits through the introduction of low pH hydrochloric acid, Sabre's Downhole solution completely dissolves iron sulfide and converts it to water-soluble iron sulfate.

Inactivates Biological Contamination

Iron sulfide deposits that cause plugging in the near-wellbore area are formed through the metabolic activity of Sulfate Reducing Bacteria (SRB) that are introduced into the well as biological contaminants during workover, hydraulic fracturing and maintenance operations. Environmental conditions deep within the well are typically warm and anaerobic (i.e. no "free" oxygen present). SRBs thrive under such conditions, utilizing ubiquitous sulfate as a "combined" source of oxygen to complete their metabolic cycle, leading to the formation of iron sulfide deposits and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) gas as undesirable byproducts. Chlorine dioxide is a potent biocide that inactivates all forms of microbial life with which it comes in contact, including SRBs. Sabre's Downhole solution inactivates SRBs present in the near-wellbore area, thereby preventing the formation of iron sulfide deposits that impede well performance.

Removes Polymer Damage

Well plugging by polymer products used during well drilling, hydraulic fracturing and stimulation operations is another well-recognized cause of decreased well performance. Although critical to carrying out these procedures, residual polymer material can impede well performance if it remains in the near wellbore area following completion. Sabre's Downhole solution has been shown capable of removing such residual polymer damage. Upon contact, chlorine dioxide solution breaks apart most commonly used polymers through destructive chemical oxidation, thereby facilitating their release from the near wellbore area.

Protect Your Investment

In addition to increasing performance of oil and gas field wells, Sabre's Downhole chlorine dioxide treatment process also:

• Enhances worksite safety by oxidizing any potentially dangerous H2S gas present in the near-wellbore area that might otherwise escape to the atmosphere.
• Reduces equipment damage by creating conditions within the well that are conducive to smooth operation.
• Provides a chemical tool that can be used to "unstick" process equipment such as submersible and rod pumps, thereby reducing dependence on workover rigs to maintain operations.