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Inorganic Scale Management in the Energy Sector


Disciplines: Production and Operations

Course Description

This course introduces inorganic scale management to those working in the energy sector who need to be involved in identifying and managing scale risk, or who need to be aware of its implications to production/operations. The authors and contributing colleagues from their respective organisations have a wealth of industrial and research experience of scale management in the oil and gas industry, and the course is richly illustrated using field case examples.

The course extends this knowledge to non-hydrocarbon related aspects of the energy sector. It is therefore useful to those wishing to learn about oil and gas field scaling, as also to those engaging with the Energy Transition who wish to understand what are the potential inorganic scale risks and how these can be mitigated.

Sessions:

Day 1 – Delivered by SSL
  1. Introduction to inorganic scales
    • Scale Types, mechamisms and inhibitor types
  2. Defining the issue
    • Understanding how scale is predicted and how to interpret model generated results
    • Defining a mitigation strategy  based on risk assessment and operational enviroment
  3. Chemical Qualification – Continuous injection
    • Chemical compatibility – fluids & materials
    • Performance testing
    • Downhole injection qualification challenges
  4. Analysis
    • Onshore analysis methods
    • Offshore analysis methods
Day 2 – Delivered by PCT and HWU
  1. Subsurface batch treatment qualification
    • Coreflood formation damage and inhibitor retention testing
    • Inhibitor isotherm derivation
  2. Subsurface batch treatment design
    • Squeeze design
    • Inhibitor placement
    • Impact of reservoir processes
  3. Scale management in the Energy Transition (I)
    • During Enhanced Oil Recovery
    • Geothermal brine production and disposal
  4. Scale management in the Energy Transition (II)
    • Halite precipitation during Carbon Capture and Storage
    • Novel applications, including well Plugging and Abandonment (P&A) operations

Additional Information:

Ample time will be provided for Q&A. The instructors welcome Q&A during presentations, at end of sessions or during breaks. Attendees are invited to bring specific scaling challenges for discussion during the course.

Learning Level

Introductory

Course Length

Two days

Who Attends

Chemists, engineers, geoscientists, researchers, students, and managers who need to learn about inorganic scale management in the sectors of the energy industries where there is water flow and mineral scaling risk. Sectors include oil and gas, geothermal, CO2 and H2 storage, brine disposal, amongst others.

Special Requirements

No prior knowledge is assumed, although understanding of technical terms in the English language associated with inorganic chemistry and fluid flow in pipelines is helpful.

Additional Resources

The attendee receives:

  • Online accessible PDFs of slide packs, including final slides with associated publication references
  • Certificate of course completion signed by instructors

Cancellation Policy

All cancellations must be received no later than 14 days prior to the course start date. Cancellations made after the 14-day window will not be refunded. Refunds will not be given due to no show situations.

Training sessions attached to SPE conferences and workshops follow the cancellation policies stated on the event information page. Please check that page for specific cancellation information.

SPE reserves the right to cancel or re-schedule courses at will. Notification of changes will be made as quickly as possible; please keep this in mind when arranging travel, as SPE is not responsible for any fees charged for cancelling or changing travel arrangements.

We reserve the right to substitute course instructors as necessary.

Instructors

Gail Smith, Scaled Solutions Ltd (SSL)

Steve Heath, Creative Chemical Solutions Ltd

Professor Eric Mackay holds the Energy Simulation Chair in CCUS and Reactive Flow Simulation in the Institute of GeoEnergy Engineering at Heriot-Watt University, where he has worked since 1990. His research interests include the study of fluid flow in porous media, such as the flow of oil, gas and water in subsurface geological formations. He has over 300 publications related primarily to maintaining oil production when faced with mineral scale deposition, but since 2005 he has also worked on Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage, and is a member of the directorate of Scottish Carbon Capture and Storage (SCCS - sccs.org.uk). He is involded in projects investigating secure CO2 storage in saline formations and depleted hydrocarbon reservoirs, and has co-edited one book and authored a chapter in another book on the topic. He was appointed Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Distinguised Lecturer during 2007 - 2008 and received the SPE North Sea Region Production and Operations Award in 2017. As well as his research interests, Eric is involved in extensive consultancy activities, he delivers short courses for industry and is a technical editor for various journals. Since 1991 he has taught Reservoir Simulation to on campus MSc classes at Heriot-Watt University and for partnerships in Australia, China, Italy, Oman, Malaysia and UAE. Eric holds a BSc in Physics from the University of Edinburgh and a PhD in Petroleum Engineering from Heriot-Watt University.

Other courses by these instructors

Formation and Prevention of Oilfield Scale: From the Laboratory to the Field
Eric Mackay
Ken Sorbie
Mike Singleton

This course is based on one that has been presented on several occasions at the SPE Oilfield Scale Conference, Aberdeen, UK. It is normally presented by three members of the Heriot-Watt University Flow Assurance and Scale Team (FAST) – Professor Eric Mac…

(Read More)

Disciplines: Production and Operations

Introduction into Geological Storage of CO2: An Interdisciplinary Geoscience and Engineering Approach
Eric Mackay
Florian Doster
Andreas Busch

The course addresses key concepts in CO2 storage, while integrating geoscience, engineering, and to a lesser extent political and societal aspects. It will appeal to geoscientists, reservoir engineers, governmental stakeholders and all those interested i…

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Disciplines: Production and Operations | Projects, Facilities, and Construction | Reservoir

Training Home Scheduled Courses and Seminars PE Certification Cancellation Policy

18 - 19 May 2026
Aberdeen, Scotland, GBR

Held in conjunction with the SPE Scale Symposium

Register

Questions?
trainingcourses@spe.org

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