Abstract
The paper describes a study developed in a gas compression systems located in the Punta de Mata oil fields in Venezuela.
The study was developed for the considerable increase in frequency of replacements caused by wall thickness loss on the spools of the gas compression systems, specifically the section between the cooling system outlet and the liquid purification system inlet, in all compression phases. Also, the operational conditions were a case study for the liquid and solid drag increase, observed at the gas compressing systems.
The evaluation consisted in the execution of the following studies: Metallurgical analysis of spools for specification of wall thickness loss, characterization of solids found adhered to the affected sections of the spools, hydraulic and flow pattern evaluation, corrosion rates determination by monitoring the systems, evaluation of the corrosion inhibitor performance applied at the gas compression systems, laboratory and field evaluation of performance for new corrosion inhibitors, comparison of the efficiencies of corrosion inhibitors applied in the affected systems.
The study indicated that the system was being affected by combined CO2 and H2S corrosion mechanisms and corrosion under deposits. As a result, the change from filming corrosion inhibitors to neutralizing and filming corrosion inhibitors was accomplished. This new product reported in this study yielded very favorable results on corrosion control.
