Corrosion and ‘Schmoo’ in Produced Water Systems
Figure 5: Corrosion Coupons from a Microbiologically-influenced Corrosion Flow Cell after Approximately 30 Days
This surfactant product must be formulated specifically for different types of schmoo due to the variable components of the organic phase.
The effectiveness of Schmoo-B-Gone in removing the schmoo formed in the laboratory flow cells has not been tested, since this schmoo was not formed in the presence of an oil phase. In fact, the variable nature of schmoo and engineers’ inability to determine what controls its formation (e.g. solids, oilfield chemicals, bacteria, oil) has made it difficult to design a universal solution.
Both flow cells were continuously injected with a different film-forming corrosion inhibitor upstream of the coupons. Both coupons were cleaned to reveal the corroded surface. The coupon on the left had numerous deep pits, while the coupon on the right had no observable pits.
A better approach would be a method that prevents the formation of schmoo, but this will require a better understanding of what controls schmoo formation and its role in corrosion. n
understanding the role of schmoo in corrosion. It was mentioned earlier that mechanical removal (pigging, for example) of schmoo is a proven, effective method; however, in many cases mechanical removal is not practical. For these cases a chemical dispersant has been developed, referred to as ‘Schmoo-B-Gone’, that contains a non-ionic
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank ConocoPhillips for allowing the publication of this article. Robert Webb is also recognised for his excellent technical assistance and Steve Pierce for his help with the figures.
surfactant capable of forming a single-phase microemulsion with the oil component.2
1. 2.
Martins JP, Murray LR, Clifford PJ, et al., Produced water reinjection and fracturing in Prudhoe Bay, SPE Reservoir Engineering, 1995;10(3):176–82.
Bohon WM, Blumer DJ, Chan AF, et al., Novel chemical dispersant for removal of organic/inorganic ‘Schmoo’ scale in produced water injection systems, paper no. 98073,
CORROSION 98, San Diego, CA, 22–27 March 1998. 3.
Harris J, Webb RH, Jenneman GE, Evaluating corrosion inhibitors as a means to control MIC in produced water, paper no. 10256, CORROSION 2010, San Antonio, TX, 14–18 March 2010.
4. Blumer DJ, Bohon WM, Chan AF, Method for Cleaning Drilling 5.
Fluids Solids from a Wellbore using a Surfactant Composition, U.S. Patent no. 5,874,386, issued 23 February1999.
Blumer DJ, Bohon WM, Chan AF, Surfactant Composition and Method for Cleaning Wellbore and Oilfield Surfaces Using the Surfactant Composition, U.S. Patent no. 5,996,692, issued 2 December 1999.
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