Performance evaluation of glutaraldehyde-modified red onion skin extract as oilfield scale inhibitors

Abstract

Scale deposition occurs due to changes during injection operations and the mixing of incompatible brines. Scale inhibitors are used to mitigate such occurrences. The inhibition efficiency of the glutaraldehyde-ROSE resin (ROG) was evaluated in synthetic brines containing CaSO₄, BaSO₄, and CaCO₃ under static conditions according to NACE standard methods. The formulated scale inhibitor was compatible with the brine and thermally stable. The inhibition studies of ROG revealed optimal inhibition of 89% at 80 ppm and 58% at 100 ppm at 90 °C and 22 h, respectively, for BaSO₄ and CaCO₃ scales, while for CaSO₄ scales, optimal inhibition of 67% was observed at 100 ppm, 71 °C, and 22 h. On comparison, the Commercial Scale Inhibitor (CSI) showed optimal inhibition of 97% at 100 ppm and 94% at 80 ppm at 71 °C and 22 h, respectively, for BaSO₄ and CaSO₄ scales, while for CaCO₃ scales, optimal inhibition of 98% was observed at 80 ppm, 90 °C, and 22 h, respectively. This indicates that ROG efficiently mitigated the formation of CaSO₄, BaSO₄, and to some reasonable extent, CaCO₃ scales, and its inhibition performance compared favorably with the CSI, thus unveiling its potential for consideration as a green oilfield scale inhibitor.

Keywords:

• Bio-based chemicals
• green scale inhibitor
• oilfield
• polyphenolics
• red onion skin extract (ROSE)
• scale inhibitors

Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to ICIPE for the financial support under the World Bank Financing Agreement No D347-3A for the PASET Regional Scholarship and Innovation fund which enabled the completion of this work.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Author contributions

VCO wrote the manuscript and prepared the chemical derivatives; UD carried out the experiment and analyzed the data. AO designed the study, AD reviewed the manuscript, and AJ proofread it.

Data availability statement

Available upon request.

Additional information

Funding

This study was funded by ICIPE under the World Bank Financing Agreement No D347-3A for the PASET Africa Regional Scholarship and Innovation fund (RSIF), Research Award (Grant number: RSIF/RA/013).