Calcium carbonate deposition, a common problem in oil production, is often controlled by application of commercially available scale inhibitors. Aqueous iron (II) is a minor component of most oil field brines but is rarely incorporated into scale inhibitor studies due to its infrequent occurrence at elevated concentrations and the procedural difficulties associated with preventing its oxidation. In this laboratory study the effect of iron (II) on the performance of scale inhibitors is determined for calcite inhibition in the Prudhoe Bay surface facilities. A tube block test procedure is used to evaluate the performance of commercially available scale inhibitors. While the composition of these commercial products is proprietary information, generalized chemistries are discussed. In general, the phosphonate based products experienced reduced effectiveness by a factor of two to three, while polymeric formulations were not adversely affected by moderate levels of aqueous iron (II).

Subject
Anions, Test methods, Water, Inhibitor performance, Phosphonates, Tubes, Scale inhibitors, Iron, Scale, Brines, Carbon dioxide, Cations, Scaling
Keywords:
Calcium carbonate, iron (II), scale, phosphonate, polymer, scale inhibitor, tube block test
© 1994 Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP). All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of AMPP. Positions and opinions advanced in this work are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of AMPP. Responsibility for the content of the work lies solely with the author(s).
1994
Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP)
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