Experimental Comparison of Three Scale Control Materials : An Insight into the chemistry of flow assurance

Scale formation in oilfield operations is the deposition of sparingly soluble inorganic salts from aqueous solutions. It is one of the biggest water-related production problems and needs to be anticipated to determine the best treatment option. This study illuminates the effect of different chemical inhibitors on Barium Sulfate scale. A tube blocking apparatus was constructed to simulate the buildup of scale deposits in an oil pipeline. The set up was operated at pressure and temperature of 100psi and 90 degrees Celsius respectively. Of all the additives tested, phosphonate based chemical had the lowest minimum inhibitor concentration.