The Application of Corrosion Inhibitors to Prevent Localized Corrosion

Corrosion inhibitors are typically applied in oil and gas production to mitigate corrosion caused by the presence of acidic gases. The laboratory testing performed when evaluating corrosion inhibitors normally only assesses inhibitor efficacy in preventing general corrosion. However, the majority of corrosion failures that occur in oil and gas production can be attributed to localized corrosion. This paper describes the laboratory selection exercise that was performed to develop a corrosion inhibitor that was effective in preventing both localized and general corrosion. The paper also gives details of the successful deployment of the corrosion inhibitor in an offshore oil field. Corrosion monitoring data obtained from the field demonstrates that the product developed is providing effective corrosion protection.