Can Green Scale Inhibitors Replace Phosphonate Scale Inhibitors?: Carbonate Coreflooding Experiments

The oil industry is currently facing severe restrictions concerning the discharge of oilfield chemicals into the environment. The purpose of this study is to test the possibility of replacing an organic phosphonate scale inhibitor (DETPMP) by a more environmentally friendly green species: carboxymethyl inulin (CMI). Although, promising these results are nevertheless far inferior to the performance exhibited by the DETPMP coreflood. Squeeze lifetimes of the green scale inhibitor can be improved by increasing scale inhibitor adsorption either by reducing the pH of the injected solution or by changing the chemistry of either injection or postflush brines.