Peer Reviewed Papers - Overview

The papers in this month's issue address challenges of dissolved iron in produced water from the Marcellus shale, how gas composition may affect corrosion, and modeling of hydrate formation in offshore oil-dominated systems.

Welcome to this month’s selection of peer-reviewed papers for Oil and Gas Facilities magazine. These papers have been prepared by your peers in the Society and reviewed by a group of engineers with experience in each topic. 

The first paper deals with some key issues concerning production from the Marcellus shale.  One aspect of these produced waters that is different from other highly scaling waters is the high level of dissolved iron. Dissolved iron adversely affects the ability of scale inhibitors to reduce the formation of calcium carbonate scale. The paper describes the problem and identifies new chemicals that are more effective in this environment.

The next paper describes how corrosion of specific steels can change with changes in the composition of the gas. Corrosion rates are typically correlated to the partial pressure of carbon dioxide (CO2), but, in this paper, the author identifies the ability of small amounts of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) to form a protective film and reduce ongoing corrosion. Microscopic evidence is shown in the paper with a proposal for a better correlation of this effect.

The final paper discusses the modeling of hydrate formation and transportability in the offshore environment. A case is presented for using this modeling in the design and optimization of subsea transport facilities and to aid in the development of safe operational procedures and prevention, management, and remediation of hydrates. The novel component in this work is prediction of hydrates in an oil-dominated system.

Thanks to the peer-review editors for the review of these papers. Thank you very much for your continued support and participation in the Oil and Gas Facilities magazine. I hope you can find the time to promote the magazine with your coworkers, and I hope you enjoy this issue.