Scale formation and control in oil and gas fields: A review

The formation of scale poses several serious menaces in oil and gas exploitations. The scaling phenomenon may cause technical problems such as obstruction of equipment and pipes, which causes great damages and results in economic losses; besides, scale is one of the most difficult issues to resolve. Preventing scale formation relies on understanding the composition of the scale, appropriate scale inhibitor, and early pretreatment. The use of chemicals acting as a scale inhibitor is a significantly effective and economical approach in controlling scale deposition. This review mainly studies the mechanism of scale formation, the characteristics of different kinds of scale inhibitors, and the progress of application research in recent years. In particular, some of the green scale inhibitors derived from synthetics and natural organic molecules are summed up. Meanwhile, the prospects of scale inhibitors in the future are also described. It is hoped that this review will have potential value for the development of an efficient, economic, and environment-friendly scale inhibitor. [GRAPHICS]