Session 25. Oral Presentation for: Breaking the scale – achieving outstanding results through team work and novel approaches

Presented on 21 May 2026: Session 25 The Bass Gas Scale Breaker initiative represents a strategic and technically innovative response to formation water scaling challenges within the Yolla field in the Bass Basin. Implemented as part of Beach Energy’s broader production optimisation program, the project aimed to improve well performance and maximise production through targeted chemical intervention. Located in the Bass Strait, BassGas produces from the Yolla field, through the Yolla A platform which is located 147 km off the coast of southern Victoria. Gas is processed through the BassGas plant which supplies gas to the Victorian transmission system through the Lang Lang – Pakenham pipeline. After a period of decline, this initiative involved a novel integrated review process involving collaboration of Beach teams to analyse how production could be optimised across all of the BassGas asset. The team chose to deal with the declining production from the major producer Yolla 6, which appeared to be impaired. Working with service partners and subject matter experts in the industry, Beach Energy Production Optimisation teams proposed a new initiative to remove downhole scale from the well, including a downhole chemical treatment deployed via existing topside process equipment and using an OSPAR Gold rated chelating system. This operation was a first for the Bass Basin. The result was a successful treatment of the wells in the field, which saw a favourable production increase from less than 300 kSm3/d before the initial treatment program to a peak of 1000 kSm3/d following the re-treatment of all producing wells. The enhanced production rates were sustained with routine re-application of the treatment every 2–6 months on key wells. The cross-collaborative team coupled these well treatments with other production optimisation initiatives like advanced process control and compression optimisation for a holistic approach to asset optimisation. To access the Oral Presentation click ‘Supplementary data’ below. To read the full paper click here