Cleansorb History

Cleansorb Limited was founded by Dr Ian McKay and Dr Ralph Harris in 1994 in order to develop and commercialise the Arcasolve™ process for in-situ acid production. 

The original Arcasolve™ process was based on combining acid precursors (which were themselves not acidic) with enzyme catalysts capable of breaking the precursors down to organic acid.  This permits acidizing treatments with excellent zonal coverage while completely avoiding the problems associated with conventional acidizing treatments.  The effectiveness of the process was proven in deep matrix acidizing treatments conducted in the San Andres (dolomite) formation in West Texas.

Since 1994, Cleansorb has concentrated on using Arcasolve™ treatment fluids for the  clean-up of water-based drill-in fluid filter cakes in openhole wells, particularly long horizontal wells.  Cleansorb also offers deep matrix acidizing treatments and other acidizing treatments such as the stimulation of natural fracture networks in carbonates.

Having established the effectiveness of enzyme-based acidizing Cleansorb went on to develop additional enzyme-based processes for the controlled deposition of materials such as minerals, resins and scale inhibitors in underground formations. The technology was developed by Cleansorb during a CRAFT Exploratory Project, part funded by the European Commission In 1998, it received  an award in the prestigious Hampshire Innovation Competition for its work on an enzyme-based process to strengthen poorly consolidated sandstones by the deposition of calcium carbonate.

In 1998 the innovative nature of Arcasolve was recognised by the award of Millennium Product status by the United Kingdom Design Council.  Selection criteria included innovation, creativity and whether the product is pioneering in its field.  The Award was intended to identify and promote the most innovative products, designs and services which will change the way we live in the 21st century. Arcasolve was featured on the “Spiral of Innovation” at the Millennium Dome in London.

In 2000, Cleansorb won a grant in the highly competitive SMART competition to develop enzyme-based processes to achieve the controlled precipitation and deposition of scale inhibitors in formations at temperatures less than about 100° C (212° F). 

Also in 2000, Cleansorb relocated its laboratory to the Surrey Technology Centre on the Surrey Research Park in Guildford, one of the most prestigious Science Parks in the UK and well placed for both main London airports.  Cleansorb continued development of Arcasolve™ to include formulations which delivered polymer breaking (using polymer breaking enzymes or oxidizing agents) as well as in-situ acidizing.  These formulations allow a dual attack on the carbonate and polymer components of filter cakes in a single stage treatment.         

In 2001, Cleansorb signed its first license for the Arcasolve technology with a global  well service company.  In 2004 the company moved to a serviced purpose built wet lab at the Leatherhead Enterprise Centre, Leatherhead, Surrey, UK.   

In 2007 it returned to Guildford and moved into its own purpose built wet lab and has since appointed a number of chemistry graduates to strengthen its core capabilities.

Cleansorb has a significant patent portfolio of granted patents and patent applications.  It continues to develop and patent new technologies and products.  Most recently, in collaboration with a speciality surfactant company, it has developed the Arcasolve Orca™ product range to treat oil-based drill-in fluid filter cakes.