Mitigation of Calcium Carbonate (CaCO3) Inorganic Scaling using Green Inhibitors

Scale deposition is one of the most critical and troublesome damage problems in oilfield industry which may lead to loss in productivity and equipments malfunction. Formation of scale may occur in various areas such as in the reservoir area near the wellbore, in the production tubing or in surface equipments. Scale inhibition by scale inhibitor is one of numerous methods to mitigate scale formation. However, nowadays, due to new regulations constructed, utilization of conventional scale inhibitor is limited as its discharged chemicals will definitely give harm to marine ecosystems in the long run. Thus, “green” scale inhibitor need to be developed in order to fulfill its increasing demand in oil and gas industry. Therefore, this project is carried out to identify new potential of “green” scale inhibitor from natural resources based on comprehensive studies on characteristics of existing “green” scale inhibitor in the industry. Candidates of potential resources are Barley, Sweet Potato, Ginger, and Pennywort. Through extensive selection, Barley and Pennywort are chosen to be further studied in this project. Their inhibiting potential and efficiencies will be examined through several methods; Compatibility Test, Calcium Carbonate Threshold Test, and Optical Microscopic Examination. The objectives of those tests are to evaluate the compatibility of candidates with synthetic brine, to examine inhibition potential as well as to determine the threshold concentration of inhibitors, and to observe effect of presence of inhibitors towards morphology of lattice, respectively. The data obtained shows that Barley extract exhibit compatibility with synthetic water at all tested concentrations meanwhile Pennywort extracts only at lower concentrations. Both Barley and Pennywort extracts show the ability to inhibit scale formation as their percentages of inhibition are increasing with escalating concentrations tested. Effect of inhibitors concentrations is still insignificant in this project as size of precipitating particles formed is not further evaluated.