Effect of the crude oil on corrosion of steel in crude oil/brine production
The specific crude oil present is shown to have a major effect on the corrosion of steel in crude oil/brine production environments. The addition of crude oil to a brine (chloride-containing water) lowers the measured corrosion rate of steel exposed to the mixture, but different crude oils can have significantly different effects on steel corrosion, with identical brie compositions. The primary effect of the crude oil on steel corrosion in crude oil/brine mixtures is apparently on the protectiveness of the corrosion product layer formed on the steel. The algebraic product of the organic nitrogen concentration in weight percent and the acid number exhibits an inverse relationship to the steel corrosion rate, implying that the organic nitrogen and acid contents of the crude oil are potentially major variables affecting corrosion product formation and resulting protectiveness. This means that corrosion tests conducted on steel in brine environments without the crude oil present cannot give an accurate picture of the behavior of steel in the crude oil/brine production environment, which can lead to gross errors when using the test results to estimate the potential corrosion problems and effects of corrosion inhibitor treatments in a crude oil production system. Corrosion tests simulating crude oil production systems ust include the specific produced crude oil in the test environment if the test is to produce valid results.
- Research Organization:
- Occidental International Exploration and Production Co., Bakersfield, CA (US); Dowell Schlumberger Inc., Tulsa, OK (US)
- OSTI ID:
- 5890316
- Journal Information:
- Corrosion (Houston); (United States), Journal Name: Corrosion (Houston); (United States) Vol. 45:2; ISSN CORRA
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
020400 -- Petroleum-- Processing
023000 -- Petroleum-- Properties & Composition
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360105* -- Metals & Alloys-- Corrosion & Erosion
ALLOYS
ANALOG SYSTEMS
BRINES
CHEMICAL PLANTS
CHEMICAL PROPERTIES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CORROSION
CORROSION INHIBITORS
CORROSIVE EFFECTS
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
FUNCTIONAL MODELS
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
IRON ALLOYS
IRON BASE ALLOYS
PERFORMANCE TESTING
PETROCHEMICAL PLANTS
PETROLEUM
SIMULATORS
STEELS
TESTING