Bulk Scale Analysis - BSA™

Effective monitoring is an essential part of scale management. Bulk Scale Analysis, BSA™, is the best proven scale monitoring analysis available.

In a scaling well, a minor part of the solids tend to adhere to the wellbore, and the rest will flow in bulk to the surface. Analysis of scale particles from produced water is therefore an excellent scale monitoring method.  Traditionally dissolved ion concentrations can give ambiguous conclusions, since scale deposited in the wellbore and in the reservoir can give similar signature. Since solid scale particles cannot be transported through the formation, scale found in the BSA™ analysis is always formed inside the well. This is illustrated in this animation.

A small amount of produced water is filtered through small filters for further analysis by Environmental Scanning Electron Microscope (ESEM) and Element Energy Dispersive System (EDS). Automatic particle analysis is used to measure each scale crystal's size and composition. On the basis of these data a classification and processing is performed by tailor made software, ScaleMAN. Accurate quantification can be given to show the amount of each scale type, morphology of the crystals and images.

Our tailor made software, ScaleMan, is used for reporting and graphical presentation of the data. It includes an online secure database and tools for processing and plotting.

This service is delivered with a short turnaround time, usually 2-3 days after the sample is received. All logistics after the base/helicopter base is handled by Scale Protection.