Prediction Models of Barite Crystallization and Inhibition Kinetics: Applications for Oil and Gas Industry

Barite is one of the most common mineral scales in the oilfield and its formation can sequester toxic strontium (Sr) and radium (Ra). Various scale inhibitors are widely used to inhibit its formation. The inhibition efficiencies of 18 common inhibitors were tested using an improved kinetic turbidity method over broad oil and gas production conditions. A theoretical and a semi-empirical barite crystallization and inhibition model were developed for the 18 most used scale inhibitors. Both models can work under a broad range of production conditions and are carefully reviewed against all available experimental data. These models have shown wide applications in industrial operations, field testing, and laboratory testing. Using the new models and testing method, a novel fast inhibitor performance testing method was proposed and validated. Furthermore, the barite crystallization and inhibition models also work well to predict the inhibition performance of mixed inhibitors. This study not only advanced barite scale inhibition in an efficiency and low-cost way during oil and gas production, but also provided new insights on understanding the fate and transport of toxic Sr and Ra.