Investigation of Scaling and Inhibition Mechanisms and the Influencing Factors in Static and Dynamic Inhibition Tests
M. D. Yuan, Evan Jamieson, P. Hammonds · 1998
Abstract This paper presents results of some recent laboratory study on barium sulphate scale inhibition in oilfield brines and investigation of several factors potentially affecting scale inhibition efficiency. In addition to well known mechanisms of Scale nucleation inhibition and crystal growth retardation dispersion/anti-conglomeratinn appears to be a significant inhibition mechanism associated with some scale inhibitors, which may play an important role in a dynamic flowing system. The contamination of a brine by an organic chelating agent such as EDTA or citric acid did not, in this study, show any significant effect on the barium sulphate inhibition efficiency of any of the three generically different scale inhibitors included. Experiments show that, in a properly enclosed system, the pH of an oilfield brine even with hydrogen bicarbonate presence can be sufficiently buffered with acetic acid. These new results are believed to be useful in evaluating/selecting scale inhibitors and improving barium sulphate scale inhibition test methods.