Application of 2N Design of Experiment method for the evaluation of the efficiency and cross-effects of oilfield chemicals

Abstract

It has been known for a long time that oilfield chemicals used for different purposes (corrosion and scale inhibitors, scavengers, biocides, etc.) can modify the efficiency of each other. These cross-effects can exhibit adverse or beneficial impacts and may modify the overall corrosiveness of the medium to a great extent. However, there is no standard procedure in order to evaluate the cross-effects, i.e. the extent to which the effect of one of the chemicals is modified by the addition of another. The 2N Design of Experiment (DoE) method provides a robust and simple statistical way to evaluate the change in efficiency of oilfield chemicals owing to the addition of other additives. The 2N DoE method can also be applied to other systems. In the present work the effects and cross-effects in systems consisting of a corrosion inhibitor, as well as an oxygen and a hydrogen sulphide scavenger are investigated and successfully demonstrated in a typical oilfield corrosion system with electrochemical corrosion monitoring methods.