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‘Acidizing’ oil wells — bigger than fracking?
Fuel Fix ^ | August 12, 2013 | David R. Baker

Posted on 08/13/2013 9:35:06 AM PDT by thackney

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1 posted on 08/13/2013 9:35:06 AM PDT by thackney
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To: thackney

Unless you can get free, clean power from unicorn farts, the greens will oppose producing more energy.

Even then, they would likely protest the harmful effects of free energy.


2 posted on 08/13/2013 9:40:13 AM PDT by SampleMan (Feral Humans are the refuse of socialism.)
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To: thackney

Oh sheesh, yeah: it’s hard enough to overcome the shrill opposition to fracking now. The idea of forcing acids into the ground will make the greens completely freak out.


3 posted on 08/13/2013 9:42:30 AM PDT by alancarp (Obama will grab your guns and ship them to Mexican drug mobs.)
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To: alancarp

FRANKIN’-FRACKING wasn’t scaring enough sheeple.

Acidizing must be worse; it uses acid.


4 posted on 08/13/2013 9:45:09 AM PDT by thackney (life is fragile, handle with prayer)
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To: SampleMan

Even then, they would likely protest the harmful effects on the unicorns...............


5 posted on 08/13/2013 9:46:06 AM PDT by Red Badger (Want to be surprised? Google your own name......Want to have fun? Google your friend's names........)
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To: thackney

“It’s about “acidizing,” an oil production technique that involves pouring large amounts of hydrofluoric or hydrochloric acid down wells.”

I might have a problem with hydrofluoric acid. It’s some mean stuff... I know it’s way underground, but that stuff can kill you even in small amounts. That’s one acid I’ve mostly always stayed away from.


6 posted on 08/13/2013 9:46:32 AM PDT by babygene ( .)
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To: thackney

Acidizing must be worse; it uses acid.......and so do they........They wouldn’t lye............


7 posted on 08/13/2013 9:47:01 AM PDT by Red Badger (Want to be surprised? Google your own name......Want to have fun? Google your friend's names........)
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To: Red Badger

It’s exploitation, I tells ya.


8 posted on 08/13/2013 9:48:07 AM PDT by RegulatorCountry
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To: thackney

Know- nothing writer. Acidization does not open the to k because it does not create cracks to let the oil/gas out. It will dissolve the limestone I. Immediate proximity to the shaft but won’t open the formation.


9 posted on 08/13/2013 9:48:38 AM PDT by rstrahan
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To: babygene

You wouldn’t like to taste anything already existing in that formation. It isn’t made worse for you by adding an acid treatment.


10 posted on 08/13/2013 9:49:44 AM PDT by thackney (life is fragile, handle with prayer)
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To: thackney
... an oil production technique that involves pouring large amounts of hydrofluoric ... acid down wells.

Is this a good idea? That stuff will disolve glass.

11 posted on 08/13/2013 9:50:14 AM PDT by DuncanWaring (The Lord uses the good ones; the bad ones use the Lord.)
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To: rstrahan
The acid probably would deteriorate drill stem, casing pumps and other metal parts in the hole.
12 posted on 08/13/2013 9:51:42 AM PDT by mountainlion (Live well for those that did not make it back.)
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To: All

How Does Well Acidizing Work to Stimulate Production?
http://www.rigzone.com/training/insight.asp?insight_id=320&c_id=4

Stimulation is performed on a well to increase or restore production. Sometimes, a well initially exhibits low permeability, and stimulation is employed to commence production from the reservoir. Other times, stimulation is used to further encourage permeability and flow from an already existing well that has become under-productive.

A type of stimulation treatment, acidizing is performed below the reservoir fracture pressure in an effort to restore the natural permeability of the reservoir rock. Well acidizing is achieved by pumping acid into the well to dissolve limestone, dolomite and calcite cement between the sediment grains of the reservoir rocks. There are two types of acid treatment: matrix acidizing and fracture acidizing.

A matrix acid job is performed when acid is pumped into the well and into the pores of the reservoir rocks. In this form of acidization, the acids dissolve the sediments and mud solids that are inhibiting the permeability of the rock, enlarging the natural pores of the reservoir and stimulating flow of hydrocarbons.

While matrix acidizing is done at a low enough pressure to keep from fracturing the reservoir rock, fracture acidizing involves pumping highly pressurized acid into the well, physically fracturing the reservoir rock and dissolving the permeability inhibitive sediments. This type of acid job forms channels through which the hydrocarbons can flow.

There are different acids used to perform an acid job on wells. A common type of acid employed on wells to stimulate production is hydrochloric acids (HCI), which are useful in removing carbonate reservoirs, or limestones and dolomites, from the rock. Also, HCI can be combined with a mud acid, or hydrofluoric acid (HF), and used to dissolve quartz, sand and clay from the reservoir rocks.

In order to protect the integrity of the already completed well, inhibitor additives are introduced to the well to prohibit the acid from breaking down the steel casing in the well. Also, a sequestering agent can be added to block the formation of gels or precipitate of iron, which can clog the reservoir pores during an acid job.

After an acid job is performed, the used acid and sediments removed from the reservoir are washed out of the well in a process called backflush.


13 posted on 08/13/2013 9:52:24 AM PDT by thackney (life is fragile, handle with prayer)
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To: mountainlion

We are capable of making metals materials suitable for the use. That is how the industry is capable of making, storing and transporting Hydrofluoric Acid in the first place.

Specification for Carbon Steel Materials for Hydrofluoric Acid Alkylation Units
http://www.nace.org/cstm/Store/Product.aspx?id=05116d3d-8400-465e-9b91-ea46473ad71d


14 posted on 08/13/2013 9:56:47 AM PDT by thackney (life is fragile, handle with prayer)
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To: Red Badger

If they don’t lye, they won’t saponify and that is why hippies stay dirty.


15 posted on 08/13/2013 9:59:21 AM PDT by Cold Heart
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To: DuncanWaring

how do they get it down the well, is what I want to know

If I am not mistaken, Hydroflouric acid is also called Aqua Regia (Royal Water) because it will dissolve gold

(glass too?? what do you put it in?)


16 posted on 08/13/2013 10:04:44 AM PDT by Mr. K (Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics, and then Democrat Talking Points.)
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To: DuncanWaring

Acidizing oil wells isn’t exactly a new process. I think it was started back in 1890s. It is a mature and widely used technology. It is just a new topic for the lame stream media to use as a scare tactic.

http://www.globalspec.com/reference/74453/203279/part-i-preliminaries

http://www.globalspec.com/reference/74452/203279/introduction


17 posted on 08/13/2013 10:04:45 AM PDT by thackney (life is fragile, handle with prayer)
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To: Mr. K

Specification for Carbon Steel Materials for Hydrofluoric Acid Alkylation Units
http://www.nace.org/cstm/Store/Product.aspx?id=05116d3d-8400-465e-9b91-ea46473ad71d


18 posted on 08/13/2013 10:05:37 AM PDT by thackney (life is fragile, handle with prayer)
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To: Mr. K

Aqua regia or nitro-hydrochloric acid is a highly corrosive mixture of acids, a fuming yellow or red solution. The mixture is formed by freshly mixing concentrated nitric acid and hydrochloric acid.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aqua_regia


19 posted on 08/13/2013 10:07:04 AM PDT by thackney (life is fragile, handle with prayer)
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To: thackney

“You wouldn’t like to taste anything already existing in that formation”

I would be more concerned about a spill, and spills will happen.


20 posted on 08/13/2013 10:08:27 AM PDT by babygene ( .)
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