EXPERIENCE WITH THE USE OF A SCALE I NHIBITOR IN HIGHLY CONCENTRATED AND ULTRA-CONCENTRATED BRINES

Vollständiger Abstract

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The problem of scale deposition becomes even more pressing in oilfields whose formation waters are classified as concentrated and highly concentrated brines. The salinity of such waters ranges from 100 to 500 g/L. The aim of this work is to systematize and critically review the experience of using scale inhibitors in oilfields of the Russian Federation and neighboring countries. The study is based on a comparative analytical review of scientific literature and patent documentation published between 2005 and 2025. It was found that scale deposition is particularly relevant for fields in Eastern Siberia, such as the Yarakta, Danilovskoye, and Verkhnechonskoye fields, where various types of scale deposits are observed, including calcite, barite, gypsum, halite, and others. It has been shown that the inhibition of carbonate and sulfate scales is dominated by formulations based on 1-hydroxyethane-1,1-diphosphonic acid (HEDP) and/or nitrilotri(methylene)phosphonic acid (NTMP), whose effectiveness is enhanced by the addition of surfactants, acids, solvents, or polymers. Fields containing highly mineralized waters are considered separately, as they are characterized by unconventional halite deposition; for these conditions, formulations based on potassium hexacyanoferrate(III) or its analogues have been recognized as promising. Overall, it can be noted that polymer-based scale inhibitors are not widely used in oilfields of the Russian Federation and neighboring countries; they are mainly employed as additive components to formulations based on HEDP and NTMP.