| Abstract: | Smectite scales occur in 24 out of 36 blocked wells located in Tongonan, Palinpinon and Bacon-Manito. These comprise 2–85% of the well scales and form at depths of 36–2620 m. where measured and fluid inclusion temperatures are 41–320°C. Most, however, occur below the production casing shoe where temperatures are 230°C, often at depths coinciding with aquifers. The clay scales are compositionally and structurally different from the bentonite used in drilling, which is essentially a sodium-rich montmorillonite. The clay deposits are expanding, generally disordered, and combine the characteristics of a montmorillonite, saponite and vermiculite in terms of reaction to cationic exchange treatments, structure and composition. Six types of clay scales were identified, but the predominant one, comprising 60–100% of the clay deposits in a well, is Mg- and Fe-rich and referred to as a vermiculitic species. The crystallinity, degree of disorder, textures, optical characteristics, structure and relative amounts of structural Al, Mg and Fe vary with time, temperature and fluid composition, but not with depth and measured pressure. Despite its variance from bentonite characteristics one of the dominant suggested mechanisms for clay scale formation uses the drilling mud in the well as a substrate, from which the Mg and Fe-rich clay evolves. Another important possible mechanism for formation of the clay scale is the precipitation of the clays from hydrothermal fluids, wherein Mg and Al appear to be the limiting elements. Other, less important, mechanisms of formation are: alteration of chloritized cuttings in the well to the vermiculitic species and the probable introduction of smectite from the formation. |
