New Product for Inhibition of Calcium Carbonate Scale in Natural Gas and Oil Facilities Based on Aloe Vera: Application in Venezuelan Oilfields

Abstract

Scales are secondary deposits constituted by inorganic chemical compounds present in an anthropogenic system. They are generated by changes in the thermodynamic, kinetic and hydrodynamics conditions[1] when formation fluids are produced, or by mutual physicochemical incompatibility between production and injection fluids. Therefore, they can jeopardize the integrity, good condition and useful lifetime of geological formations, producing and injection wells, surface facilities and pipelines, increasing the industry operation costs. Generally, these problems had been mitigated by using conventional technologies based on chemical compounds (polyphosphate, carboxylic compounds, among others), that generate environmental liabilities and represent high costs for the industry. Recently, PDVSA Intevep, S.A. has developed a scale inhibitor product based on Aloe vera plant chemical component[2], that offers equal or in some cases better efficiency than conventional chemical treatments, on the same conditions of evaluation. In addition, it offers the potential benefits of a lower environmental impact. In this study, the performance of this anti-scale polysaccharide-based product was evaluated in the laboratory, simulating oil and water transfer system from flow stations to tanks, producing wells with high water content and injection wells. After, the product was evaluated in pilot field tests in two wells during about 50 days each:Barinas´s production well with about 3200 BPD, 98% water and high scale tendency by Oddo-Thompson method at bottomhole.Monagas´s production well with about 2200 BPD, 74% water and high scale tendency by Stiff and Davis method at wellhead. In both cases, the pilot field tests were successful. The scale inhibitor product developed was more efficient than commercial products used in those production wells. Introduction - Systems description Produced oil properties are geographically heterogeneous across Venezuela. Figure 1 shows the geographical location of the selected wells for the Aloe vera based scale inhibitor field test. Said field tests were carried out in systems with high scaling tendencies from their failure histories and Saturation Indexes (SI).

Inhibition of nucleation and crystal growth of calcium carbonate in hard waters using Paronychia arabica in an arid desert region

“…Castillo et al . reported the inhibition results of calcium carbonate scale performed with Aloe Vera in Venezuelan oilfields (Castillo et al ., 2009).…”

“…In this respect, polyphenols or polysaccharides, which have hydroxyl and/ or carboxyl functional groups that interact with divalent ions such as Ca 2+ or Mg 2+ , are very good candidates. Castillo et al reported the inhibition results of calcium carbonate scale performed with Aloe Vera in Venezuelan oilfields (Castillo et al, 2009). Abdel-Gaber et al (2012) studied the antiscaling properties of Punica granatum hull and leaf extract in alkaline brine at 25°C.…”

“…Olive leaves contain many phenolic molecules including oleuropein, the most abundant biophenols in olive leaves (Bonoli et al, 2004) and caffeic acid (Maciejewska et al, 2009). Castillo et al reported the inhibition results of calcium carbonate scale performed with Aloe Vera in Venezuelan oilfields (Castillo et al, 2009). The scale inhibitor was obtained by dissolving Aloe Vera gel in the water at a concentration in a range of 5-50% wt/wt.…”

“…Castillo et al . reported the inhibition results of calcium carbonate scale performed with Aloe Vera in Venezuelan oilfields (Castillo et al ., 2009). The scale inhibitor was obtained by dissolving Aloe Vera gel in the water at a concentration in a range of 5–50% wt/wt.…”

A Review of Green Scale Inhibitors: Process, Types, Mechanism and Properties

“…Aragonite or vaterite, also a form of CaCO 3 , is thermodynamically less stable than calcite. The antiscaling performance of calcite is more than that of the other states [126].…”