Bio-films
Polysaccharide, Scale
Here we have a medical image of polysaccharide, a slime produced by pathogens, including certain bacteria, of which can be and usually is impervious to both acids as well as disinfectants, but not to biocides or physical impacts like wire brushing.
The reason this matters in wells; most wells become poor performers due to the colonization of the well by bacteria. As we combat the well with disinfectants and or interim brushing and bailing, we can actually spread the bacteria throughout the well causing the well to be colonized again, yet sooner, and in more mass, much like a virus.
Furthermore, the slimes, impervious to acids and disinfectants, actually prevent acids from reaching scale and or corrosion products that me be present and hindering the well performance. In turn it is imperative to remove the slimes to effectively impact the bacteria as well as to access and impact the scale. This was discovered while dissolving sea shells;
HCT utilizes both physical (where possible without compromising well casing integrity) and “biocidal” remediation techniques to remove as much of the colony, reproducing bacteria’s as possible before descaling. The volume of bioremediation is essential to minimize the rate at which the volume of bacteria colonization will re-occur.
Because of bacteria and slime, if present, and of which is the case in the majority of wells we have dealt with (>1,000), we are cautious of energy products that may cause these matters to be embedded into the filter pack or strata, in which the removal afterwards, either immediate or over time, would be much more difficult, as in a well casing that has been lined.
In many cases wells are physically cleaned, then bioremediated multiple times, followed by descaling, neutralization “downhole, casing passivation" and NSF 60 flushing by zonal pumping and lifting.