Innovative, integrated, and cost-effective chemical management on the Miller platform

The BP-operated Miller Field poses a unique chemical challenge as it has. arguably, the harshest oilfield scaling regime in the North Sea, if not the world. Some 3 million litres of chemical are consumed each year and the management, supply, use, and performance of every aliquot of chemical is imperative to see Miller through to its planned cessation of production. The Miller Field is a mature North Sea asset and produces a potential of 80,000 BWPD with its 16,000 BOPD. The unique challenge posed by Miller is that the produced water contains very high concentrations of scale-forming components combined with a very high corrosivity potential. Chemicals are routinely deployed to control scale, corrosion, emulsions, foam, biological fouling, and hydrates. Two major step changes have occurred in the past 12 months that have delivered significant improvement to chemical management processes. The first step is the use of a novel, best-in-class, scale-inhibitor chemistry. Two years were spent in an industry-wide search as well as developing and extensively testing the chemical in the laboratory. The new chemical is now deployed on more than 75% of the Miller wells. The longevity of scale-prevention treatments has been doubled on some wells when compared to the incumbent products. The second step change was the application of innovative relative permeability modifier chemistries that not only increase oil production but actually shut off water production. Cross-linked polymer gels are pumped down wells and inflate in the presence of water. effectively blocking the flow path, but deflate in the presence of oil, allowing flow. By implementing these changes, significant steps have been taken toward ensuring that continuation of production to the proposed cessation of production remains a viable proposition.