(28a) Kinetics and Mechanism of Multiscale Formation and Inhibition in Oilfield Industries

Effective mineral scale control is pivotal across diverse industries that utilize brine, especially oil and gas, to uphold productivity, facility integrity, and safety standards. Among various mitigation strategies to control problematic scale formation, scale inhibitors are a cost-efficient solution. Optimizing their application demands a precise evaluation of its performance, which is this study's goal. We introduce a groundbreaking approach, integrating a novel continuous stirred tank reactor with laser techniques to monitor multiscale formation kinetics in industrial processes and assess inhibitor efficacy. Common scale types such as calcium carbonate and calcium sulfate pose significant challenges in numerous industries grappling with scale formation issues; they impede heat transfer, block major oilfield equipment, and their interaction as mixed scale could cost production facilities millions of dollars. We capture the induction time variations under different replicated oilfield conditions by continuously monitoring laser intensity changes in oversaturated solutions of these salts stirred in the reactor. Inhibitor efficiency is gauged based on how much it delays the induction time. Further insights into inhibition kinetics are gleaned through scanning electron microscopy analysis and X-ray Diffraction, revealing diverse mechanisms and polymorphic scale structures contingent upon different inhibitor compositions. Our findings enhance our understanding of multiscale formation dynamics and inform targeted inhibitor development strategies, promising more effective scale control measures and streamlined industrial operations.