Method of reducing deposition of elemental sulfur in a gas well

摘要

A method of reducing elemental sulfur deposition in a gas well involves injecting an aqueous solution of a surfactant having a hydrophile - lipophile balance value of at least 8 into the gas well upstream of a location where elemental sulfur precipitates from the produced natural gas. The concentration of the surfactant is such that the solution is above the critical micelle concentration for the aqueous surfactant solution under the thermodynamic conditions prevailing in the wellbore. At least a portion of the precipitated sulfur dissolves in the aqueous surfactant solution.