Controlling Solids Flowback to Maintain Production of Hydrocarbons: A Review of Successful Chemical Technologies in the Last Decade

Billions of dollars are lost each year as a direct or indirect result of unwanted solids flowback with the production of<br>hydrocarbons. These solids, whether formation sand, fines, or proppant produced from propped fractures, restrict well<br>production by plugging sand screens, perforation plugging or collapse, or wellbore fill. They often cause damages to<br>downhole and surface equipment and storage facilities. Workovers and shutdown time of the well contribute considerably to<br>the frequent and costly cycle in solving, or at least managing, the solids-production problems. Often, the solids production<br>becomes intolerable, especially in offshore environments.