Acidizing in Geothermal Wells and HCl Corrosion

Abstract

Acidizing carbonate reservoirs with HCl is a common method for increasing production in the oil industry. Generally, acidizing is carried out through tubing that runs from the wellhead to the reservoir. In this study, the effects of corrosion on the production casing of a geothermal well were investigated while performing an acidizing operation without using such tubing.

It was found that the effect of corrosion can be reduced to an acceptable level if the temperature can be lowered. Moreover, a suitable corrosion inhibitor would help to decrease the corrosion rate. In summary, a successful and safe acidizing procedure can be implemented through production casing with acceptable risk to the pipe.