THE IMPACT OF OIL FIELD CHEMICALS ON REFINERY CORROSION PROBLEMS

摘要

Chemical additives play an important role in oil production. Chemicals are used to enhance oilproduction, control corrosion, prevent wax or paraffin deposition, enhance the flow characteristicsof the crude oils, aid in water separation, etc. However, oil field chemicals are often suspected ofcausing diverse problems in refining operations, including corrosion, fouling, desalting upsets,and loss of catalyst activity. One recent example is the appearance of 'rogue chlorides' in certaincrudes, which has led to severe corrosion problems in crude distillation units and naphthahydrotreaters. This paper presents a review of the nature and function of chemical additives thatare commonly used in oil production, and discusses examples of the type of problemsencountered in refining that are caused by some of these chemicals. A clear understanding of theimpact of oil field chemicals on refinery operations is critical to both refiners and producers, toavoid these problems and prevent the erosion of value of the crude. Better communicationsbetween producers and refiners is a first step to resolve these problems.