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AkzoNobel

Surface Chemistry
in the oil industry

AkzoNobel Surface Chemistry in the Oil Industry

A broad product range for


a wide spectrum of oilfield
applications
AkzoNobel Surface
Chemistry has the global
experience, expertise and
sustainable solutions to help
the oilfield industry enhance
its production, drilling and
stimulation processes. Our
portfolio of products with
advanced functionalities
allows our customers to
select the solution that best
fits their specific needs in any
particular oilfield application.
In this brochure, you will find our innovative
offerings developed specifically for production
and drilling applications. You can quickly
scan and select the best products based on
your needs.

Our commitment
to innovation for
the oil industry
We have dedicated oilfield technical teams
working tirelessly to understand the performance
characteristics of our existing product portfolio
so that we can recommend the best possible
candidates to address our customers technical
needs. We also have dedicated research and
development scientists developing the next
generation of products for application in the
uniquely challenging oilfield environment. Our
strategic intent is to provide best-in-class
performance while reducing the environmental
impact of oilfield operations. Specifically, we aim
to replace toxic chemistries used in the market
today with more benign materials or to find more
environmentally friendly versions of products from
our own porftolio.

Surface Chemistry is a business unit of AkzoNobel,


the largest global paints and coatings company
and a major producer of specialty chemicals.
Based in Chicago, USA, our business unit
operates in 50 countries, employing over 1500

people. With regional marketing centers and R&D


facilities worldwide, we are a leading supplier
of specialty surfactants and synthetic and biopolymer additives.

Manufacturing
Chattanooga, USA
Houston, USA
Ft. Worth, USA
Itupeva, Brazil
Mons, Belgium
Morris, USA
Saskatoon, Canada
Salisbury, USA

R&D Centers
Bridgewater, USA
Croton River, USA
Chattanooga, USA
Houston, USA
Ft. Worth, USA
Mexico City, Mexico
Deventer,
the Netherlands
Itupeva, Brazil
Mumbai, India
Singapore
Osaka, Japan
Shanghai, China
Stenungsund, Sweden

Singapore
Stenungsund, Sweden
Stockvik, Sweden
Yokkaichi, Japan
Osaka, Japan
Shanghai/Zhangjiagang,
China

Headquarters
Chicago, USA
Bridgewater, USA
Stenungsund, Sweden
Sempach, Switzerland
Shanghai, China
Singapore

AkzoNobel Surface Chemistry in the Oil Industry

Solutions for
stimulation
AkzoNobel Surface Chemistry also offers a
variety of technologies that can be used in
oilfield stimulation activities including cementing,
fracturing and acidizing. Some of the technologies
mentioned in this brochure can be applied to
stimulation, but certainly not all. Stimulation
application conditions have their own unique
requirements and challenges. Especially when it
comes to controlling the rheology of the applied
fluids, water-based or oil-based.
Viscoelastic surfactant (VES) technologies are
another essential class of chemistries produced
by AkzoNobel Surface Chemistry. These products
form worm-like micelles in concentrated acids and
saline brines which viscosify the various waterbased fluids required for fracturing and acidizing.

For a sustainable
future:
Sustainability is at the heart
of everything we do at
AkzoNobel. Were committed
to reducing our impact on
the planet by delivering more
sustainable products and
solutions to our customers.
Thats why we have integrated sustainability into
every area of our business for the benefit of
our customers, our shareholders, our employees,
our communities, and the world around us. As
a result, we have been ranked in the top two
on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for five
years running.

These materials, sold under the Aromox and


Armovis trade names, provide significant
performance benefits over conventional nonsurfactant-based systems.
Additionally, we have secondary additives to help
formulate fracturing and/or acidizing systems
including foamers, corrosion inhibitors, organic
viscosifiers and spacer additives. We also produce
products that can be used in other oilfield
applications, including enhanced oil recovery,
shale-gas, pipeline and refinery.
Contact our sales representative in your region
for in-depth technical data sheets (TDS) that are
available for all these products, with descriptions
of their performance characteristics and end-use
properties.

AkzoNobel Surface Chemistry in the Oil Industry

Solutions for
production
applications

The production, separation and purification of crude oil and gas


constitute a complex task that needs to be achieved not only
safely but also quickly, economically, and in compliance with the
regulatory restrictions of the operator's environment. Advances in
understanding the characteristics of produced fluids, improvements
in engineering design and materials science, as well as a greater
appreciation of the mechanisms and conditions that promote
production problems have all led to immense strides forward in
the scale and speed of production. However, the task remains
complex, and there is a continuing need in the industry for specialty
chemical products to help meet productivity targets.
AkzoNobel Surface Chemistry has worked for many years to
develop an extensive range of products that can address most
of the compelling issues that the production engineer and service
provider face on a daily basis.
Our product line for production applications includes demulsifiers,
corrosion inhibitors, scale inhibitors, paraffin control, biocides, water
clarifiers and deoilers, asphaltene inhibitors, and foamers.

solutions for production applications

AkzoNobel Surface Chemistry in the Oil Industry

AkzoNobel Surface Chemistry in the Oil Industry

demulsifiers

Demulsifiers
During the production of
crude oil, a single hydrocarbon
phase is rarely produced.
Co-produced with the oil are
natural gas and an amount
of water, usually saline, which
as the reservoir is depleted,
can be present in quite
large proportions. During
the production process, the
fluids experience significant
shearing in different locations,
including the perforated zone,
the downhole pump and the
wellhead. Emulsifying agents
naturally present in the crude
oil, such as asphaltenes
and the soaps of linear and
aromatic organic acids, along
with solids such as clays,
sand and scale, stabilize the
crude oil/water interface and
make the emulsions difficult
or slow to separate. In most
oilfield applications, the initial
crude is an oil-continuous
emulsion that, upon treatment,
can invert to become watercontinuous, requiring the use
of deoilers, which are covered
separately.
Due to the high throughput requirement of most
oilfield separation systems, gravity separation
of the emulsions is insufficient, particularly if
the relative gravitational difference between
hydrocarbon and water is negligible e.g.,
steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAG-D).
Therefore, assistance is required to achieve
satisfactory throughput.
To achieve optimized demulsification, natural
gas needs to be removed from the fluids to
encourage quiescent coalescence of the
emulsion. This is physically aided through
heating of the oil and/or the emulsion pad. This
helps melt waxes and reduces the crude oils
viscosity, allowing the water droplets to settle
out more quickly.

However, by far the most common treatment


to help break the emulsion is the addition
of formulated chemical demulsifiers. These
chemical additives are usually injected at the
wellhead to achieve adequate mixing prior to the
separator so that the demulsifier can reach the
target interface and function effectively. To reach
the surface of the emulsified water droplets, the
demulsifier blend must have the right solubility.
The chemical demulsifier is attracted to the
emulsifying agent through differences in polarity.
Once at the target, it neutralizes the effect of the
emulsifying agent, allowing the finely dispersed
water droplets to coalesce upon contact. As
the water droplets increase in size, they tend
to settle, separating the water from the oil.
The stability of an emulsion is unique to each
reservoir, and may vary from well to well. As
such, it is necessary to develop demulsifier
blends specifically targeted at fluids produced.
Witbreak demulsifier products should be
considered as concentrated raw materials,
or intermediates, for the preparation and/or
formulation of oilfield demulsifiers and dehydrating
chemicals. Field demulsifiers are usually blends
of two or more intermediates, selected on the
basis of their performance in bottle tests and
centrifuge tests, the methods of which can be
found in separate publications.
These tests help identify the products that
produce the maximum amount of water and the
cleanest oil. The samples should be examined
for fastest water drop, sludging, quality of the
interface, and quality of the water. The bestperforming candidates should have bottle
tests repeated using different combinations
and concentrations until eventually the best
performance blend is found.

Relative solubility number


Another useful guide in formulation is the
Relative Solubility Number (RSN), which helps
eliminate some of the trial-and-error involved
in formulating demulsifier blends. The value
assigned to each product indicates its relative
solubility in water. As the numerical value
increases, water solubility increases. Generally,
products with a solubility number below 13
are insoluble in water. Products with solubility
between 13 and 17 are dispersible in water
at low concentrations and form gels at high
concentrations. Products with values of 17 and
above are completely water-soluble.
The following are general guidelines for the RSN
system:
F
 or crude oil emulsions, a demulsifier
formulation should have an RSN between 8
and 15. The RSN values combine algebraically.
For example, a 50-50 blend of a product with
an RSN of 10 and a product with an RSN of
20 will yield a blend RSN of 15.
In general, synergistic action between
intermediates makes demulsifier blends better
than single-component formulations.
D
 emulsifiers with either very low or very high
RSN values are seldom used individually; their
properties can be best utilized by blending.
D
 ue to synergism, blends of intermediates
from different chemical groups make better
demulsifiers than blends using intermediates
from the same family of compounds.
S
 ome demulsifier bases have special
properties that give them very good blending
characteristics. This is the case with highly
oil-soluble (low RSN) polglycols. When
blended with oxyalkylated resins, some

AkzoNobel Surface Chemistry in the Oil Industry

excellent demulsifier formulations have


been developed for the oil industry. Other
effective combinations include oxyalkylated
resins blended with polyols, diepoxides or
polyacrylate-based intermediates.
To dehydrate crude oil to a sufficient level to
achieve export quality, a combination of water
droppers and oil dryers need to be used in the final
demulsifier blend. While the droppers may work
very quickly due to flocculation of large droplets,
usually the base sediment and water (BS+W)
will be greater than 1 percent - not sufficient
to complete the job. Drying demulsifiers help

reduce the water content further via coalescence


of the fine emulsion droplets, but this function
usually takes longer. A balanced formulation of
droppers and driers is usually required to achieve
target. Typical dropper/drying characteristics of
individual demulsifiers are given.
Desalting

that will be poisoned if they are contacted


by such salts, so the import crude is mixed
with freshwater to remove these salts. The
coalescence of the resulting emulsion is
encouraged using an electrostatic grid and
specialty desalting demulsifiers that yield crude
suitable for refining.

Another important demulsifier application occurs


at the refinery and is referred to as desalting.
The imported crude oil arriving at the refinery
contains up to 1 percent water, which will
contain significant amounts of dissolved salts.
The refining process relies heavily on catalysts

The following product lists (Tables 1 & 2) present


AkzoNobel Surface Chemistry's porfolio of
solutions for demulsifier applications.

Table 1: Demulsifiers
Solubility (as 10% product)

General information

Function

Application

Product
Description Type
RSN Isopropanol Kerosene Water Aromatic 150 Water Dryer Wetting Water-in-oil Waste oil

dropper
demulsifier dmeulsifier

S


S

S

S

S

S


S
BEST

S

S

I

S

S


S


S
*

Witbreak DGE-169

Glycol Ester

Nonionic

8.2

Witbreak DPG-40

Poly Glycol

Nonionic

32

Witbreak DPG-481

Poly Glycol

Nonionic

18.4

Witbreak DPG-482

Poly Glycol

Nonionic

17

Witbreak DRA-21

Resin Oxyalkylate

Nonionic

14.9

Witbreak DRA-22

Resin Oxyalkylate

Nonionic

20.2

Witbreak DRA-50

Resin Oxyalkylate

Nonionic

8.4

Witbreak DRB-11

Resin Oxyalkylate

Nonionic

11.5

Witbreak DRB-127

Resin Oxyalkylate

Nonionic

8.9

Witbreak DRB-271

Resin Oxyalkylate

Nonionic

9.6

Witbreak DRC-163

Resin Oxyalkylate

Nonionic

14.9

Witbreak DRC-168

Resin Oxyalkylate

Nonionic

20.5

Witbreak DRC-232

Resin Oxyalkylate

Nonionic

14.3

Witbreak DRE-8164

Resin Ester

Nonionic

7.5

Witbreak DRI-9010

Diepoxide

Nonionic

Witbreak DRI-9026

Diepoxide

Nonionic

5.7

Witbreak DRI-9030

Polyacrylate

Nonionic

7.5

Witbreak DRI-9037

Polyacrylate

Nonionic

7.8

Witbreak DRI-9045

Amine Oxyalkylate

Nonionic

16

Witbreak DRL-3124

Resin Oxyalkylate

Nonionic

12.5

Witbreak DRL-3134

Resin Oxyalkylate

Nonionic

13.5

Witbreak DRM-9510

Polyacrylate

Nonionic

7.9

Witbreak DTG-62

Polyoxyalkylene Glycol

Nonionic

23.4

Witbreak GBG-3172

Resin Oxyalkylate

Nonionic

10.6

* - secondary function, but when so, very effective.


*
*
*

Products may be not be immediately available in all region Contact our local offices for more information.


Table 2: Secondary demulsifier additives
Product

Description Type

Slug treater

Witconol NP-100

Nonylphenol Ethopxylate

Nonionic

Witconate 708

Alkylaryl Sulfonate

Anionic

Witconic AN Acid

Alkylaryl Sulfonate

Anionic

Petro IPSA

Alkylaryl Sulfonate

Anionic

Witconic 1298H

Branched DDBSA

Anionic

Witconic 1298S

Linear DDBSA

Anionic

Products may be not be immediately available in all region Contact our local offices for more information.

Desalter

Wetting agent

AkzoNobel Surface Chemistry in the Oil Industry

Corrosion inhibitors
continue. Sweet corrosion is characterized by the
presence of closely grouped, smooth-edged pits.
Rates of metal loss are usually lower than with
sour corrosion.
Sour corrosion
Sour corrosion is more aggressive than sweet
corrosion. Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) reacts directly
with the iron surface. A protective film of ferrous
sulfide (FeS) can form at the corrosion site;
however, even low fluid flow rates are sufficient
to abrade the surface, enabling severe corrosion
to continue.
A further issue with sour corrosion is the poisoning
of the hydrogen diatomization process. The
hydrogen atoms diffuse into the metal where they
can cause blistering, embrittlement and cracking
in weak steels. Hydrogen sulfide can also be
generated locally by sulfate-reducing bacteria
(SRB). These SRBs are often most active under
scale deposits in the production system, which
can lead to severe localized pitting corrosion.

For corrosion to occur, a galvanic cell must be


established. Small variations within the body of
the pipework or across weld sections create an
electric potential. The galvanic circuit can be
completed if water touches the iron surface, which
itself is reduced as the iron is oxidized. Under
acidic conditions typical of oilfield production, the
cathodic reaction leads to the addition of electrons
to aqueous protons producing hydrogen atoms.
At the anode, iron is oxidized to ferrous (II) ions,
leading to iron dissolution.
Two types of corrosion occur in the oilfield:
C
 arbon dioxide (CO2)-induced - called "sweet
corrosion" - which is ubiquitous
H
 ydrogen sulfide-induced corrosion - called
"sour corrosion" - which is less common but
more damaging.
Sweet corrosion
The severity of sweet corrosion will depend
upon the conditions of production, but is usually
worse at high pressures, due to the presence
of higher concentrations of dissolved CO2 in
the water (present as carbonic acid), and at
higher temperatures (increased rate of reaction).
Carbonic acid can continue to react directly
with the iron surfaces, but under the right
conditions can form a protective iron hydroxide
film. However, if this is displaced, corrosion will

Figure 1: Film-Forming Corrosion Inhibitor

Various methods of corrosion control are employed


in the field, but continuous-dose, film-forming
corrosion inhibitors are one of the most commonly
employed. The mechanism of action is disruption
of the galvanic cell. The film-forming surfactants
have a delta-positive charge that attracts them to
the delta-negative pipe surface. The hydrophobic
tails of the surfactants pack together to create a
hydrophobic layer, minimizing contact between
the water and pipe and reducing the corrosion
potential. The schematic illustrates film formation
and the protective nature of the film.
AkzoNobel Surface Chemistry has developed
a broad range of products that can be used
to tackle oilfield corrosion (see Table 3). They
can provide corrosion inhibition in a variety of
forms, including oil- soluble, oil-soluble/waterdispersible and water-soluble. Guidance
regarding formulation and inhibitor selection
can be found in separate documentation.

corrosion inhibitors

Unlike typical iron corrosion,


oilfield corrosion generally
does not occur as a result
of a metal's reacting with
oxygen to produce rust.
Produced multiphase fluids
are usually oxygen-free
reductive environments. But
due to the predominant use of
mild steel in the construction
of production pipework,
acid gases dissolved in the
produced water when in
contact with the steel can lead
to corrosion.

AkzoNobel Surface Chemistry in the Oil Industry

10

Table 3: Corrosion Inhibitors


General information

Solubility (c,f)

Product
Chemistry
Molecular % primary % total Appearance

weight amine active

Minimum Pour point (C) Isopropanol Kerosene Water Aromatic


amine
150
number
(mgKOH/g)

HLB
Davis
scale

Armac C

Acetate salt of cocoalkylamines

200

ND

98

Paste

165

21

Armac HT Prills

Acetate salt of hydrogenated


tallow alkylamines

263

ND

98

Solid

202

70

6.8

Armeen C

Coco alkylamines

200

95

99.5

Liquid

275

18

10.3

Armeen CD

Coco alkylamines, distilled

200

98

99.5

Liquid

281

18

10.3

Armeen HT

Hydrogenated
tallow alkylamines

263

97

99.5

Solid

207

43

8.2

Armeen OLD

Oleylalkylamine, distilled

265

98

99.5

Liquid

207

18

Armeen S

Soyaalkylamines

264

97

99.5

Liquid/paste 206

24

ND

ND

ND

ND

Armeen TD

Hydrogenated tallow
alkylamines, distilled

262

98

99.5

Solid

210

35

8.2

Armohib CI-28 (d)

Proprietary surfactant blend

750-800 (a) ND

ND

Liquid

NA

11

ND

ND

ND

ND

ND

Armohib CI-31 (e)

Proprietary surfactant blend

ND

ND

ND

Liquid

NA

ND

ND

ND

ND

ND

Armohib CI-41

mixed polyamine +
TOFA imidazoline

ND

ND

ND

Liquid

NA

<0

ND

ND

ND

ND

ND

Armohib CI-209

Tall oil imidazoline

208-222

ND

ND

Liquid

NA

<-1.1

ND

Armohib CI-210

Tall oil amidoamine

187-200

ND

ND

Solid

NA

32.8

ND

ND

Armohib CI-219

DETA + TOFA imidazoline

359 (b)

ND

72

Liquid

NA

ND

ND

Arquad C-50

Cocoalkylatrimethyl
ammonium chloride

278

<2

50

Liquid

NA

<0

23

Arquad O-50

Oleylalkyltrimethyl
ammonium chloride

344

<2

50

Liquid

NA

<0

ND

ND

ND

ND

21

Arquad S-50

Soyaalkyltrimethyl
ammonium chlroide

344

<2

50

Liquid

NA

<0

ND

ND

ND

ND

21

Duomeen C

N-coco-1,3-diaminopropane

257

43

89

Liquid

409

21

17.5

Duomeen CD

N-coco-1,3-diaminopropane,
distilled

257

45

89

Liquid

409

21

17.5

Duomeen O

N-oleyl-1,3-diaminopropane

322

45

90

Liquid/paste 320

21

15.6

Duomeen S

N-soya-1,3-diaminopropane

322

43

89

Paste

303

33

ND

ND

ND

ND

15.6

Duomeen T

N-tallow-1,3-diaminopropane

319

45

92

Solid

334

44

15.6

Ethoduomeen C/13 Ethoxylated



(3) N-coco-1,3-diamine propane

185-215

<2

97

Liquid

ND

<0

ND

Ethoduomeen T/20H Ethoxyated (10)



N-tallow-1,3-diamine propane

265-272

<2

97

Liquid

144

ND

23.7

Ethoduomeen T/22 Ethoxyated (12)



N-tallow-1,3-diamine propane

410-450

<2

98

Liquid

ND

-8

24

Ethoduomeen T/25 Ethoxyated (15)



N-tallow-1,3-diamine propane

485-515

<2

98

Liquid

112

-15

24.5

Ethomeen C/12

Ethoxylated (2) cocoalkylamines

275-300

<3

97

Liquid

193

12.2

Ethomeen C/15

Ethoxylated (5) cocoalkylamines

410-435

<2

98

Liquid

133

-6

13.3

Ethomeen C/25A

Ethoxyalted (15) cocoalkylamines 830-890

<1

98

Liquid

65

-4

16.8

Ethomeen S/12

Ethoxylated (2) soyaalkylamine

342-362

<3

97

Liquid

159

16

10

Ethomeen S/15

Ethoxylated (5) soyaalkylamine

470-495

<3

97

Liquid

116

11.1

Ethomeen T/12

Ethoxylated (2) tallowalkylamines

340-360

<3

97

Paste

160

32

10.1

Ethomeen T/15

Ethoxylated (5) tallowalkylamines

470-495

<2

98

Liquid/paste 116

13

11.2

Ethomeen T/25

Ethoxyalted (15) tallowalkylamines 890-950

<1

99

Liquid/paste 61

14.7

(a) Neutralization equivalent


(b) Imidazoline content
(c) Of 10% product in solvent
(d) Inhibits mineral acids
(e) Inhibits organic acids
(f) some high melt solids required warming/shaking and cooling for observation
ND = not determined, NA = not applicable
S = soluble/clear, D = dispersible/turbid, I = insoluble/phase separation, P = Paste/Gel
Products may be not be immediately available in all region Contact our local offices for more information.

AkzoNobel Surface Chemistry in the Oil Industry

11

Scale inhibitors
The two most prevalent oilfield scales are calcium
carbonate and barium sulfate. Most formation
brines are saturated with respect to calcium
carbonate due to the presence of an excess
of the mineral in almost all reservoirs. Barium
sulfate is commonly encountered when highly
sulfated seawater or surface waters are injected
into a reservoir to maintain pressure. Mixing with
high- barium formation waters can lead to rapid
scaling due to the very low solubility of barium
sulfate in water.
Unlike remedial treatment of calcium carbonate
with acid, barium sulfate dissolver treatments
are difficult to perform and seldom successful.
Other common scales include strontium sulfate,
iron (II) carbonate and calcium sulfate. Other
less common, or exotic, scales include calcium
phosphate, sodium chloride and the sulfides of
zinc, iron and lead.
Supersaturation of brine to any particular inorganic
salt creates the potential for precipitation, and
if precipitation occurs, this scale can lead to
problems with the well, either through impairment
of reservoir productivity by restricting the fluid
pathways in the near well bore or by restricting
fluid flow in the production tubulars and/or
separators. In addition to restricted production,
safety and operational concerns arise due to
scaling of critical monitoring and safety equipment
as well as the potential accumulation of low
specific activity scales due to co-precipitation of
radium sulfate.
A number of different approaches to tackling
the problem of scale formation are employed
in the field - preventative and remedial. One of

the most widely used preventative options is


the continuous injection or squeeze treatment
of chemical threshold scale inhibitors into the
production and/or water injection system.
Scale inhibitors are typically either phosphorouscontaining molecules or water-soluble polymers.
The method of action of scale inhibitors depends
on type. It is thought that the phosphorouscontaining molecules bind to the crystal growth
sites preventing further growth, allowing microfine
crystallites to be flushed from the system. For
the polymers, molecular adsorption onto the
meta-stable crystallites destabilizes them back
into solution and prevents the initial formation of
scale. The performance and action of all scale
inhibitors depend greatly upon the conditions
of application, and it is suggested that scale
inhibitors be screened under representative field
conditions.
AkzoNobel Surface Chemistry has developed a
wide range of specialized scale inhibitors that
allow the treatment of all common scales in a
range of production conditions (see Table 4).
We have assessed the performance of
these products under a series of standard
conditions to give indicative performance, as
well as providing indicative physical property
characteristics for these materials. The product
portfolio includes green products made using
our patented hybrid technology platform.
Accurate residual scale inhibitor detection
methods for our scale inhibitor products are
available. These methods use either ICP-AES or
wet chemistry methods and have detection limits
to a few parts per million.

scale inhibitors

During the production of


crude hydrocarbons, water
is co-produced with oil and
gas. It needs to be separated
from the oil and gas to meet
the refinery specifications for
export or sale. As well as
being a waste product, the
produced water usually tends
to precipitate inorganic salts
during production, due to
modification of environmental
conditions encountered as
the fluids are extracted. This
occurs due to the physical
changes experienced by the
water as it is produced into
the well, is mixed with other
fluids and passed through the
separation train. The severity
and type of scale(s) that occur
depend upon the unique
chemistry of the formation
water and the physical
processes of temperature and
pressure change experienced
during production and
separation of the produced
fluids.

AkzoNobel Surface Chemistry in the Oil Industry

12

Table 4: Scale Inhibitors


General information Typical properties
Product
Description Physical form

Approximate Typical pH Typical Calcium Barium


Other Brine
Methanol Ethylene
molecular
solids (%) carbonate
sulfate
scales
tolerance 3 tolerance (%) 4 glycol
weight
perfomance 1 performance 2
compatibility (%) 5

Alcoflow 100

Polyacrylic acid

Aqueous solution

3,000

2.5

50

Alcoflow 225

Polytartaric acid

Aqueous solution

600

13

33

Alcoflow 250

Polycarboxylate

Aqueous solution

800

3.5

40

Alcoflow 260

Multipolymer

Aqueous solution

7,500

4.3

44

Alcoflow 270

Multipolymer

Aqueous solution

5,000

4.5

40

Alcoflow 275

Polcarboxylate

Aqueous solution

600

<2

50

Alcoflow 300

Multipolymer

Aqueous solution

15,000

4.4

44

Alcoflow 750

Multipolymer

Aqueous solution

10,000

3.5

35

Alcoflow 880

Hybrid polymer

Aqueous solution

15,000

3.5

38

Alcoflow 895

Hybrid polymer

Aqueous solution

5,000

33

Alcoflow 920
Sulfonated
copolymer

Aqueous solution

10,000

35

Narlex LD54

PPCA

Aqueous solution

5,000

40

Narlex D54

PPCA

Dry powder

5,000

95

Aqueous solution

245

4.5

62

Versa-TL 3
Sulfonated styrene Dry powder
copolymer

20,000

95

Versa-TL 4
Sulfonated styrene Aqueous solution
copolymer

20,000

25

Armohib SI-3065 Phosphate ester

CaSO4



Iron
scales



CaSO4



CaSO4



CaPO4


NaCl

CaSO4



CaSO4



CaSO4


Iron scales

Iron scales

Product

Key characteristics

Alcoflow 100

High solids, superior carbonate inhibitor, limited brine tolerance

Alcoflow 225

Unique biodegradable polymer. Iron tolerant. Great Carbonate inhibitor. Limited brine tolerance

Alcoflow 250

Superior Barium Sulfate inhibitor. Ultra-brine stable. High solids.

Alcoflow 260

Broad scope scale inhibitor - high pH

Alcoflow 270

Broad scope scale inhibitor - high pH

Alcoflow 275

Superior Barium Sulfate inhibitor. Ultra-brine stable. Good brine tolerance

Alcoflow 300

Calcium Phosphate inhibitor

Alcoflow 750

Patented methanol tolerant scale inhibitor. Excellent multiscale control.

Alcoflow 880

Biodegradable hybrid polymer - North Sea compliant.

Alcoflow 895

Biodegradable hybrid polymer - North Sea compliant.

Alcoflow 920

Unique Sodium Chlroide inhibitor

Narlex LD54

Phosphonated polymer suitable for squeeze/residual determination.

Narlex D54

Dry powder product for use as a squeeze inhibitor in cold climates.

Armohib SI-3065

High performance topside and squeeze inhibitor. Range limited to 240F/115C

Versa-TL 3

Unique ultra high temperature stable inhibitor/dispersant - >260C/500F

Versa-TL 4

Unique ultra high temperature stable inhibitor/dispersant - >260C/500F.

= MIC 7-9ppm, = MIC 10-15ppm, = MIC>16ppm, MIC based on finished product.


= MIC 25-50ppm, = MIC 50-100ppm, = MIC 100-150ppm, = MIC>150ppm, MIC based on finished product.

3 Polymer stable in the following brines overnight at 95C (203F). = North Sea seawater, = 2500ppm Ca, 25000ppm Na, = 25000ppm Ca, 50000ppm Na.
4 Neat polymer stable upon addition of x% methanol
1 Standard NACE test method.

= MIC 6ppm or less,

2 50:50 Forties FW:SW, 80C (176F), 2 hours.

5 Neat polymer stable upon addition of x% ethylene glycol


Products may be not be immediately available in all region Contact our local offices for more information.

100

100

100

50

100

20

50

20

50

100

100

80

50

100

100

20

100

100

100

100

50

20

100

20

100

20

100

50

100

50

100

AkzoNobel Surface Chemistry in the Oil Industry

13

Paraffin control
Paraffins are naturally
occurring >C18-saturated
linear and branchedalkane molecules that are
found in most liquid crude
hydrocarbons. These
components are completely
soluble in the hydrocarbon
under virgin reservoir
conditions. The paraffinic
components are not discreet
molecules, but rather occur
as a mixture of n-alkanesaturated hydrocarbons in
the order of C18-C40, and
even higher carbon chain
lengths when branched. The
presence of paraffins does
not indicate the potential for
a paraffin problem, and most
paraffinic crudes are produced
without precipitation or the
need for chemical or physical
treatment.

Paraffin begins by forming needle-like or plate-like


structures, and is initially observed as a cloud-point
in the produced fluid. These deposits can be very
different in nature once deposited in a system.
Some form mushy, readily dispersed deposits,
others hard waxy deposits - the latter being more
problematic from a remediation perspective. In
general, the latter waxy-type forms from the higher
C-chain length ends - typically >C25 n-alkanes.
These problem high-molecular-weight paraffins
are more prevalent in crude oil than condensates.
The principal concern with paraffin deposits is the
restriction of fluid production rates. This may be
due to paraffin deposition in the near-wellbore,
restricting flow of hydrocarbon into the well, or
more often deposition in production pipe work
leading to restriction of diameter and therefore
flow rate. The paraffinic crystallites, if precipitated
in the bulk hydrocarbon, can increase the viscosity
of the fluids, reducing pipeline throughput. At
worst, if the paraffin crystal network is allowed
to continue to grow and fuse, such as during
a shut-in, wax gelling can occur and it may be
impossible to re-initiate fluid flow, causing the pipe
to be abandoned.
Paraffin control regimes can be either remediative
or pre-emptive. Modern reservoir developments
design the production system to minimize the

physical factors that can induce paraffin formation.


However, paraffin formation may still be an issue.
Paraffin remediation techniques include soaking
the deposits with an appropriate solvent, often
including a dispersant. Remediation involves the
continuous injection of dispersants, inhibitors,
pour-point depressants, or combinations thereof.
AkzoNobel Surface Chemistry has developed
high-performance chemical additives to help
tackle even the most challenging paraffinic
crudes and condensates either in paraffin
remediation or continuous treatment regimes.
These products fall into three categories:
P
 araffin dispersants - surfactants used either
in solvent treatments of pre-existing deposits
or in continuous application to keep paraffin
crystallites suspended in the solvent/crude and
flushed out of the system without depositing
 araffin inhibitors - oil-soluble polymers that
P
reduce the temperature of appearance of the
cloud-point, inhibiting the formation of paraffinic
deposits
Pour-point depressants - used to limit wax
gelling, usually induced by cold temperature
exposure, by interfering with the crystallization
process and keeping the bulk fluid mobile.

Paraffin control

Paraffins can become problematic when the


fluids are subjected to various physical changes
required to produce and separate the crude oil or
condensate. Three physical processes in particular
encourage precipitation of paraffinic fluids:
Pressure change - this causes the light
ends of the crude oil to vaporize, reducing the
overall solubility of the high MW paraffins in the
remaining liquid hydrocarbon, which can lead to
precipitation. Strong pressure changes occur at
the formation face, chokes/valves, the wellhead
and separators
T
 emperature change - cooling of the crude oil
reduces the solubility of the paraffins, which start
to associate with themselves and crystallize from
solution, observed as a cloud point. Particularly
problematic locations can be oil storage vessels
and flow lines, especially long-distance sub-sea
tiebacks.
T
 urbulence - perhaps due to temporary
degassing of fluids and impingement of wax
crystallites on pipe walls, high turbulence flow
areas are also known to be problem areas for
paraffin deposits. Typical examples can be
downhole pumps, treatment vessels, wellheads
and chokes.

Table 5: Paraffin control


General information
Product

Paraffin dispersant

Copolymer inhibitor/crystal modifier

Armohib PC-150

Proprietary blend

Armohib PC-308
Witconate 93S
Witconate P10-95

Pour-point depressant





Amine alkylarylsulfonate

Copolymer inhibitor/crystal modifier


Amine alkylarylsulfonate

Amine alkylarylsulfonate

Armohib PC-105
Armohib PC-205

Paraffin inhibitor

Description

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AkzoNobel Surface Chemistry in the Oil Industry

14

AkzoNobel Surface Chemistry in the Oil Industry

15

Biocides
A virgin hydrocarbon reservoir
is free of biological life before
it is drilled or produced.
However, as soon as contact
is made with the surface,
the potential for biological
contamination exists.
Due to the relatively harsh environment downhole,
only a limited number of organisms are able to
survive and adapt if they make it that far down.
But once in place, these organisms will find an
environment free of competition, with all the
nutrients they need to grow and multiply.
The biggest risk factors for contamination during
the production process occur when surface fluids
are injected directly into the reservoir, typical
examples of which are produced water re-injection
(PWRI), scale squeeze and other remediation or
stimulation treatments of the wellbore. It is under
these circumstances that extreme care should be
taken to decontaminate the fluids, which is usually
achieved by using a suitable chemical biocide.

The following listing of AkzoNobel Surface


Chemistry biocides is specific to the
regulatory body that approves the biocide
for use. In countries where a similar
regulatory structure is not in place, the
adoption of the best practices of foreign
regulators may be suitable.
The biocides offered by AkzoNobel Surface
Chemistry are non-oxidizing surface-active
organic types. They disrupt the typical function
of the cell by their adsorption onto cell walls.
While this kill mechanism may not be as fast as

with oxidizing biocides, these biocides are less


corrosive to production pipework, and can in
fact act as corrosion inhibitors, particularly the
quaternary ammonium compounds.
Selecting the right biocide depends upon the
target organisms to be treated, the regulatory
approvals applicable and the type of treatment
regime proposed. Many of the biocide chemistries
mentioned become inactive once they reach the
surface environment and are readily biodegraded
to benign metabolic products.

Table 6: Biocides
Product

Description Physical form 25C Biocide registering authority

Aquatreat DNM30

Dithiocarbamate

Aqueous solution

US EPA / Canada DSL

Aquatreat KM

Dithiocarbamate

Aqueous solution

US EPA

Arquad 2.10

Didecylmethylquat

Liquid

EU Biocidal Product Directive

Arquad MCB

Methylbenzylcocoquat

Liquid

EU Biocidal Product Directive

Armohib B101

Cocodiamine diacetate

Liquid

US EPA / Canada DSL

Armohib B654

Cocodiamine diacetate

Liquid

Canada DSL

Duomeen C (intermediate)

Cocodiamine

Liquid

US EPA / Canada DSL

Registrations and permitted use scenarios for biocides are complex. Please contact your sales representative.
Products may be not be immediately available in all region Contact our local offices for more information.

Downhole colonization of the reservoir has a


number of negative impacts. Slime-forming sessile
bacteria can block pore throats and reduce the
injectivity of water injection wells. Most damaging,
however, is contamination with sulfate reducing
bacteria (SRB) such as desulfovibrio. These
bacteria metabolize the sulfate from surface
injection waters into hydrogen sulfide gas. This
acid gas level builds over time and causes
enhanced corrosion, increased production
costs (due to necessary H2S scavenging) and
health and safety concerns. These bacteria are
extremeophiles and are able to survive in the highsalinity, high-pressure, elevated temperatures and
moderate pH levels typical of many reservoirs.
Once bacterial colonies are established, it is
practically impossible to disinfect a reservoir.
The only true method to control the downhole
environment is to ensure adequate biocide use
topside.
AkzoNobel's Biocides: Highly effective
Due to the toxicity of many biocides to both the
environment and to those handling the products,
regulatory restrictions on biocides and their use
have become more stringent in recent years.

biocides

AkzoNobel Surface Chemistry in the Oil Industry

16

17

Water clarifiers / deoilers


Demulsification and separation
of the hydrocarbon phase
during primary separation
of produced fluids does not
usually leave an aqueous
phase sufficiently free of
hydrocarbons to meet the
discharge limits required for
water disposal. Depending on
the geographic location, these
limits can be from 40ppm
residual oil in water, to as low
as 10ppm. Environmental
regulations will continue to
press for reduction of these
discharge limits, particularly in
marine environments.
Typically, a separation system will have equipment
for treating the waste water to encourage the
further separation of the oil droplets from the
water. This equipment includes hydrocyclones,
flotation tanks, filtration units, and centrifuges.
The performance of these devices can be
significantly improved through the use of chemical
flocculating agents. The flocculants are referred to
interchangeably as deoilers (due to the removal
of the oil) or water clarifiers (due to improvement
in water quality).
The emulsion droplets that have not been
removed by the primary separating system will
be significantly stabilized from further coalescence
due to two mechanisms. The first is mutual
charge repulsion of emulsion droplets. As fluids
are processed, the decreasing pressure allows
the pH of the water to rise, resulting in the
deprotonation of naturally occurring fatty and
naphthenic acids present in the crude. These

salts provide a negative charge to the emulsion


surface and actually repel other oil droplets that
would otherwise approach and coalesce.
In high TDS brines, calcium soaps of fatty/
naphthenic acids can form, creating a solid phase
at the water interface, making coalescence even
slower. This is similar to the second stabilizing
mechanism whereby organic and/or inorganic
solids adsorb to the emulsion oil/water interface,
effectively sealing it from exposure to other
emulsion droplets and impeding the coalescence
mechanism. If the emulsion droplets are
sufficiently small, Brownian motion will keep the
emulsion stable indefinitely.
Effective deoiling can be achieved using
polyelectrolytes that encourage flocculation of the
emulsion droplets into larger collections, which
are then more readily acted upon by the physical

separation equipment in the water treatment


process. The preferred polymers neutralize the
repulsive charges developed on the emulsion
droplets, and if of sufficient size, can also bridge
between the droplets collecting then together into
flocculated groups where coalescence may occur
due to close proximity. Flocculants are designed
to function in the high salinity brines common in
produced waters.
AkzoNobel Surface Chemistry's products
include a range of natural and synthetic
materials to meet the performance and
environmental needs of the market. We
also manufacture dithiocarbamate products,
which are also known to form temporary
in-situ, iron-linked pseudo-polymer complexes
that function as effective oilfield deoilers.

Table 7: Water clarifiers / deoilers


General information Typical properties
Product

Description Physical form

pH

Solids (%)

MW

Alcoclear CCP-II

Polycationic

aqueous solution

4.5

6.2

1,000,000

Flocaid 19

Polyamphiphile

aqueous solution

27.5

100,000

Flocaid 34

Polyamphiphile

aqueous solution

4.8

27.5

100,000

Witbreak RTC-330

Polycationic

aqueous solution

4.5

70

ND

Nsight A1

Anionically modified starch

aqueous solution

12

30

5,000,000

Nsight C1

Cationically modified starch

aqueous solution

12

30

5,000,000

Nsight H1

Hydrophobically modified starch

aqueous solution

27

5,000,000

Products may be not be immediately available in all region Contact our local offices for more information.

water clarifiers /
Deoilers

AkzoNobel Surface Chemistry in the Oil Industry

AkzoNobel Surface Chemistry in the Oil Industry

18

AkzoNobel Surface Chemistry in the Oil Industry

19

Asphaltene inhibitors
Asphaltenes are widely defined as those
hydrocarbon materials that are soluble in
aromatic solvents such as benzene, but not
soluble in aliphatic solvents such as n-pentane.
The presence of such asphaltenic components
in a crude oil need not necessarily lead to
asphaltene problems. However, precipitation
of asphaltenes, when it occurs, is usually the
result of the solubility of these high-molecularweight components destabilizing in the oil. The
sources of destabilization are typical of production
conditions e,g., pressure decline, pH change,
crude mixing, etc.
If non-chemical techniques cannot be employed
to eliminate an asphaltene problem, then chemical
inhibitors are required.
AkzoNobel Surface Chemistry has recently
developed Armohib AI-100, a specialty
inhibitor product to help with this specific
production problem.

Table 8: Asphaltene inhibitors


General information Typical properties
Product

Description Physical form Pourpopint

Solubility (25% or more)

Armohib AI-1000

Ampoteric surfactant

Isopropanol, benzene, mineral oil

Liquid/paste

35C

Products may be not be immediately available in all region Contact our local offices for more information.

asphaltene inhibitors

Asphaltenes are some


of the highest-molecularweight organic fractions to
be found in crude oil. They
consist of heteroatomcontaining polycyclic aromatic
groups with aliphatic arms.
The specific structure of
asphaltenes varies from crude
to crude, but where present,
can be the source of major
fouling and disruption to
production. Asphaltenes can
be a problem downhole as
well as topside.

AkzoNobel Surface Chemistry in the Oil Industry

20

AkzoNobel Surface Chemistry in the Oil Industry

21

Foamers

Foamers work by preferentially adsorbing at the


air/water interface, resulting in incorporation of
significant volumes of air into the fluid. The fraction
or percentage of air that is incorporated into the
foam is referred to as the foam quality and is
usually in the range of 75-90 percent, but can
be as high as 97 percent. Foam quality will vary
as a function of pressure and temperature and
the chemistry of the water in the aqueous phase.
Foamers need only be dosed at low concentrations
to give significant results. During the unloading of
gas wells, foamers can reduce the overall SG of
the fluid column in the well, allowing the reservoir
to eject the water blockage. Treatments may be
done by slug injections of liquid surfactant to the
wellbore, or continuously through the use of a
slowly dissolving foam stick.
In EOR applications, it is the rheological
characteristics of the foam flowing in a porous

foamers

In the production of crude


oil and gas, foamers have
a number of important
applications. These include the
deliquification of low-pressure
gas wells by creating a stable
foam that can slowly lift those
heavy liquids from the wellbore
that would otherwise slowly
choke off the flow of the well,
eventually killing it. Foamers
are also used in enhanced
oil recovery (EOR) either
as blocking and diverting
agents to restrict unwanted
flow or by improving the
sweep characteristics of the
mobile phase by reducing
its mobility. Many of the
products described here are
also used in foamed drilling
and stimulation applications
(including fracturing,
cementing and acidizing)
where the use of foam can
reduce the total chemical
cost and/or improve the
performance of the operation.
media that provide the desired mobility
modification and fluid diversion. Foams are more
resistant to flow than either the aqueous phase
or the gaseous phase in such a medium, and this
can be advantageous so long as the bubble size
is designed properly.
A wide range of anionic surfactant chemistries
is available from AkzoNobel Surface Chemistry.
Selection will require consideration of the
conditions of application and the environmental
requirements. Laboratory evaluation of
performance is recommended.
Of the families of products available, the most
environmentally friendly materials are the ether
sulfates. These materials are somewhat brine
tolerant, but are prone to hydrolysis in strongly
acidic or alkaline conditions or at high temperature.
As with many surfactant applications, synergism
is observed with foamers, and we recommend

blending ether sulfates with sulfonate products


to boost performance.
The sulfonates and naphthalene sulfonate
products are more robust than the ether sulfates.
They have higher foaming performance and are
more temperature-, brine- and pH-stable. But
they can also be more environmentally persistent.
Certain products can be made to be solvent and
oil dispersible, and in a specific case can be used
to foam non-aqueous media. Linear alpha-olephin
sulfonates seem to offer particularly desirable
properties as foamers in oilfield applications.
On the next page, you will find AkzoNobel
Surface Chemistry core products for foamers
applications.
Contact our local sales representative for more
information on products and regional availability.

AkzoNobel Surface Chemistry in the Oil Industry

22

Table 9: Foamers
General information Typical properties
Product
Description
Appearance Activity pH
Freshwater Brine
Gas well Soap Foamed EOR Foam booster Non-aqueous

(%)
Foamer
Foamer unloading stick
and stimulation by blending
foamer
applications

Witcolate 1247H

Ammonium C6-C10
Alcohol Ether Sulfate (3EO)

Liquid

39

7-8.5 (a)

Witcolate 1259

C6-C10 Alcohol Ether Sulfate


(3EO), IPA salt

Liquid

80

7-8 (a)

Witcolate 1259FS

C6-C10 Alcohol Ether Sulfate


(3EO), IPA salt

Liquid

88.5

7-8.5 (a)

Witcolate 1276

Ammonium C10-C12 Alcohol


Ether Sulfate (3EO)

Liquid

53

Witcolate 3220

Surfactant blend

Liquid

32

Wirconate 708

Cyclohexylamine Salt of Diisopropyl Liquid


Naphthalene Sulfonic Acid
in Naphthalene

53

Witconate 79S

TEA-Dodecylbenzene
Sulfonate Linear

Liquid

52

Wirconate 90 Flake Sodium Dodecylbenzene



Sulfonate Linear

Solid flake

90

Witconate 93S

Isopropylamine Linear
Dodecylbenzene Sulfonate

Liquid

92

Witconate 96A

Sodium C14-16 Alpha


Olephin Sulfonate

Liquid

39

Witconate AOK

Sodium C14-16 Alpha


Olephin Sulfonate

Solid flake

90

Witconate AOS

Sodium C14-16 Alpha


Olephin Sulfonate

Liquid

39

Witconate AOS-12

Sodium C12 Alpha


Olephin Sulfonate

Liquid

40 (g)

Sodium Alkyl Napthalene


Petro BAF
Sulfonate

Liquid

50

Sodium Alkyl Napthalene


Petro P
Sulfonate

Liquid

50

(a) 5% aqueous solution


(b) 5% in 75% IPA solution
(c) 5% in 25% IPA solution
(d) 10% aq solution
(e) 20% aq solution
(f) 12.8% aq solution
(g) % solid
Products may be not be immediately available in all region Contact our local offices for more information.


8.8 (a)


6 (b)

7-8 (a)


6.5-8.7 (d)

4-5 (e)

6.8-8.5 (d)

7-10 (d)


8-10 (f)

8-10 (a)


ND

7.5-10

6.5-8 (c)

AkzoNobel Surface Chemistry in the Oil Industry

23

Solutions for
drilling applications

solutions for drilling applications

AkzoNobel Surface Chemistry in the Oil Industry

24

To access the hydrocarbons


contained in an oil or gas
reservoir, a well must be drilled
to connect the reservoir with
the surface. This will allow the
crude fluids to be conveyed
via the well to the topside
for initial separation and
purification. Rotary drilling
techniques are used to create
the well. A drill bit is mounted
on a tubular drill string, which
is turned by rotary action. The
weight of the drill string on
the rotating drill bit is sufficient
to grind the rock and allow
penetration toward target.

A critical component of the success of a drilling


operation is the use of drilling fluids. The most
obvious need is for the fluid to carry the rock
cuttings to the surface and out of the well to
prevent them from clogging the drill bit and
hindering further drilling progress. To do so,
clean drilling fluids are injected into the hollow drill
string. The fluid emerges from nozzles on the drill
bit and flushes the cutting head and rock-face,
lifting the ground rock away and sweeping the
cuttings toward the surface through the annulus.
Control of the viscosity of the mud and the fluid
flow rates ensure adequate cuttings removal.
The density of the mud also helps to create
buoyancy for the cuttings. At the surface, the
cuttings are physically separated using screens,
and the cleaned fluids are returned to the well
for pumping.
Lifting the cuttings out of the well is not the
only function that a drilling fluid must complete.
Further critical functions include:
C
 ontrolling formation pressure. Balancing
the pressure of fluids in the drilled zones will
ensure that either no fluids or a controlled flow
of fluids will enter the well during drilling, thus
enabling effective rheological control of the
drilling fluid to be maintained.
 ealing permeable formations. Many of the
S
rock strata penetrated by the drill are permeable
and will accept liquid from the mud. If allowed
to continue, this will cause unacceptable mud
thickening. The drilling mud is designed to
develop a thin, low- permeability filter cake from
the solids it contains. This seals the permeable
zones from further fluid loss and allows drilling
to continue.
S
 uspending cuttings. While the drilling fluids
rheology is important in dynamic conditions, it

is also important during periods of low annular


velocity, such as a shut-in or the addition of
a new pipe to the drill string. Drilling fluids are
designed to be thixotropic, developing high
low-shear viscosity that maintains suspension
of the cuttings and the weighting agents, thus
minimizing any sedimentation or sag that might
occur. The fluid should require minimal energy
input to return to dynamic flow conditions.
M
 aintaining wellbore stability. Erosion of
the wellbore due to dynamic abrasion or an
osmotic expansion of in-situ shales can be
problematic. Brine chemistry and effective mud
design can limit these issues.

A
 llowing effective removal of cuttings.
Shale shakers are used to mechanically
remove cuttings. However, if the mud thixotropy
is insufficient, solids can be left in the mud.
Upon reinjection, these particles break down
further and can impact the rheology (of
shales especially) and many other design
characteristics of the mud. Lowering solids and
plastic viscosity through the use of dispersants
and deflocculants will help in this regard.
C
 ooling and lubricating the drill bit. Due
to the abrasive forces at play during drilling,
the drill bit temperature can rise significantly.
The drilling fluid helps reduce this. Water-based
systems cool most efficiently although oil-based
muds lubricate the most.
M
 inimizing formation damage. The
penetration of either mud fines or brine into
the near-wellbore can permanently reduce the
productivity of the reservoir. Remediation is
possible, but avoidance through mud-design
is preferred.
M
 inimizing environmental impact. Lowertoxicity products have been developed to
reduce the environmental burden of the drilling
fluids in case of exposure or spill.

AkzoNobel Surface Chemistry in the Oil Industry

Drilling muds are required to perform an extensive


list of tasks. In addition, as regulatory and drilling
performance requirements become increasingly
challenging, these fluids are becoming increasingly
complex and sophisticated, utilizing a variety of
specialty chemical products to push performance
boundaries. Satisfying all requirements can be
a challenge, especially when the fluid selected
provides a compromise of performance, cost and
the specifications of the reservoir being drilled.
To help achieve the optimum balance of properties
to meet drilling engineers specific requirements,
many different mud types have been developed,
all of which fall into two fundamental drilling mud
types: water-continuous fluids, also known as
water-based muds (WBMs), and oil-continuous
fluids, often referred to as oil-based muds
(OBMs).
WBMs use water as the continuous phase. They
are thickened using bentonite or polymers and
are usually weighted by dissolving salt into the
water and/or dispersing sized inorganic minerals
such as barium sulfate to counter the pressure
from fluids in the formation and eliminate mud
contamination. Due to the cheapness of the fluid
base, WBMs are often preferred where their
use is permitted by performance requirements.
Water-based systems have until recently been
limited to lower-temperature applications due to
the poor rheological stability and high fluid loss
characteristics at high temperatures. However,
the development of high-temperature stable
additives have allowed WBMs to be utilized in
the most extreme drilling environments. From
an environmental perspective, WBMs are also

25

preferred because they contain lower-toxicity


components.
OBMs use either crude oil or a refined hydrocarbon
(diesel) as the continuous phase. They too are
thickened using bentonite - hydrophobicallymodified, in this case. Their lubricating and fluid
loss characteristics are much preferred over
WBMs, but the toxicity of the base fluid can be
a concern.
Recently, "green" synthetic hydrocarbons have
been developed, and are referred to as syntheticbased muds (SBMs). These materials, which
are non-aromatic, usually contain a sacrificial
chemical link to encourage biodegradation and
have been used in environmentally sensitive areas.
These mimic the characteristics of conventional
hydrocarbon OBM bases in many ways, but the
chemical additives used to complete the fluid
may need to be adapted due to the aliphatic
nature of the base.
While this family of oil-continuous fluids (OBMs
and SBMs) may be referred to as oil-based
muds, in most cases these fluids are invert
emulsions containing a high proportion of water
in the internal phase. The emulsion provides
viscosity to the fluid, and the internal phase is
usually weighted with highly salinity brine (CaCl2
is most common) to increase the fluid density.
To maintain the stability of the invert emulsion,
high-performance emulsifiers are required. These
materials are usually a formulation of various
components to optimize performance. One of
the key benefits of using OBMs is the ability
to maintain an oil-wet surface to the reservoir,

which inhibits shales, improves fluid loss and


minimizes formation damage. To ensure the oilwet character is maintained, wetting agents are
also incorporated into the formulation. Other
chemical additives utilized are dispersants,
lubricants and foamers.
AkzoNobel Surface Chemistry has a full range
of surfactant- and polymer-based additives
to help our customers develop both highperformance and basic oil-based and waterbased drilling mud formulations. Our research
staff continue to develop novel products that
address some of the key challenges facing the
drilling market today, including products for
high-temperature applications and materials
to reduce the environmental impact of drilling.
On the following tables (10 & 11) you will
find our core products for oil-based and
water-based muds.
Advice and guidance on the chemistry can be
provided through interaction with our sales and
technical staff.

AkzoNobel Surface Chemistry in the Oil Industry

26

Oil-based mud additives


Table 10: Oil-based mud additives
General Information Typical Properties

Solubility

Desciption
Type
Physical
pH
Product

form at RT

Brookfield
Pour Point F
Viscosity
at RT

Isopropanol

Amadol 511

Alkanolamide

Nonionic

Liquid

8.6

850

<0

Amadol 1017

Modified Alkanolamide

Nonionic

Liquid

9.5

1300

32

Witcomul 1844

Surfactant blend

Nonionic

Liquid

65

<0

Witcomul 3020

Surfactant blend

Nonionic/Anionic

Liquid

6.5

50

18

Witcomul 3158

Surfactant blend

Nonionic/Anionic

Liquid

65

<0

ND

Witcomul 3241

Alkanolamide

Nonionic

Liquid

6.5

50

18

Amadol CDA

Alkanolamide

Nonionic

Liquid

2030

32

Armohib 209

Imidazoline

Cationic

Liquid

11

200

<0

Witconate 605A

Calcium Alkylaryl Sulfonate

Anionic

Liquid

2500

10

Witconate AOS

Sodium Alpha-olephin Sulfonate

Anionic

Liquid

7.7

100

30

Witcolate 1247-H

Alcohol Ether Sulfate

Anionic

Liquid

7.5

175

Arquad 2HT-75

Tallow Dimethyl Quat

Cationic

Paste

55

40

Arquad 2C-75

Coco Dimethyl Quat

Cationic

Liquid

430

<0

Arquad HTL8-MS

2-Ethyhexylhydrogenatedtallowalkyl methyl sulfate

Cationic

Liquid

125

Ethoquad 18/25

Octadecylamine (15 EO) Quaternary Ammonium Salt

Cationic

Liquid

1750

Ethylan 1008

C10 Alcohol (8 EO) Ethoxylate

Nonionic

Liquid

70

54

Berol 840

Narrow range alcohol ethoxylate

Nonionic

Liquid

25

Witconol NP-40

Nonyl Phenol (4 EO) Ethoxylate

Nonionic

Liquid

Witconol NP-100

Nonyl Phenol (10 EO) Ethoxylate

Nonionic

Liquid

350

S = soluble/clear,

D = dispersible/turbid,

I = insoluble/phase separation,

ND = not determined

Products may be not be immediately available in all region Contact our local offices for more information.

* = not specified

AkzoNobel Surface Chemistry in the Oil Industry

27

General Information Typical Function


Product
Kerosene Water Aromatic Drilling mud Drilling Emulsion Drilling Mud Stuck pipe Surfactant Drilling mud Wetting Dispersant

150
primary
Mud Secondary Stabilizer Lubricant
additive
detergent
agent


emulsifier
Emulsifier
Amadol 511

Amadol 1017

Witcomul 3020

Witcomul 3158

ND

ND

ND

Witcomul 3241

Amadol CDA

Witcomul 1844
I
S
I

Foaming
agent







Witconate 605A
S
I
S

Witconate AOS
D
S
D





Witcolate 1247-H I
S
I






I
S
I






Arquad 2HT-75

D
S
S






Arquad 2C-75

S
I
D

Arquad HTL8-MS
S
I
I






Ethoquad 18/25

Ethylan 1008
S
S
S



S



Berol 840 I S



Witconol NP-40
I
S
S

Witconol NP-100
S
I
S



Armohib 209
D
D
S

AkzoNobel Surface Chemistry in the Oil Industry

28

Water-based mud additives


Table 11: Water-based mud additives
General Information Typical Properties
Desciption
Charge Physical form
pH Typical Typical Polymer
Product

Solids % (c )
Molecular Weight
Alcodrill HPDL

Sulfonated Polycarboxylate

Anionic

Aqueous liquid

6.5

45

3,500

Alcodrill HPDS

Sulfonated Polycarboxylate

Anionic

Water soluble powder

6.5

95

3,500

Alcodrill SPDL

Polycarboxylate

Anionic

Aqueous liquid

40

3,000

Alcodrill SPDS

Polycarboxylate

Anionic

Water soluble powder

95

3,000

Alcoflow 300D

Sulfonated multipolymer

Anionic

Water soluble powder

95

15,000

Narlex D72

Sulfonated Styrene Maleic Acid Copolymer

Anionic

Water soluble powder

95

15,000

VersaTL 3

Sulfonated Styrene Maleic Acid Copolymer

Anionic

Water soluble powder

95

20,000

VersaTL4

Sulfonated Styrene Maleic Acid Copolymer

Anionic

Aqueous liquid

25

20,000

VersaTL 70

Sulfonated Polystyrene

Anionic

Water soluble powder

95

75,000

VersaTL130

Sulfonated Polystyrene

Anionic

Aqueous liquid

30

200,000

VersaTL 501

Sulfonated Polystyrene

Anionic

Aqueous liquid

25

1,000,000

VersaTL 502

Sulfonated Polystyrene

Anionic

Water soluble powder

95

1,000,000

Aquatreat DNM30

Sodium Dithiocarbamate Blend

Anionic

Aqueous liquid

11.5

30

Aquatreat KM

Potassium Dimethyldithiocarbamate

Anionic

Aqueous liquid

13

50

Arquad S50

Soyaalkyltrimethyl Ammonium Chloride

Cationic

Liquid in propylene glycol

51

Armohib 209

Tall Oil Imidazoline

Cationic

Liquid

11 (a)

99

Arquad 2.1070 HPF

Didecylmethylquat

Cationic

Aqueous liquid

7 (b)

70

Witcolate 1247 H

Ammonium C6C10 Alcohol Ether Sulfate (3EO)

Anionic

Aqueous liquid

7.8 (d)

65

Witcolate 1259 FS

C6C10 Alcohol Ether Sulfate (3EO), IPA salt

Anionic

Aqueous liquid

7.5 (d)

80

Witcolate 1276

Ammonium C10C12 Alcohol Ether Sulfate (3EO)

Anionic

Aqueous liquid

7.5 (d)

53

Witconate 3203

Specialty Sulfonate

Anionic

Aqueous liquid

7.5

50

Witconate AOK

Sodium C1416 Alpha Olephin Sulfonate

Anionic

Flake

8.5 (e)

90

Witconate AOS

Sodium C1416 Alpha Olephin Sulfonate

Anionic

Aqueous liquid

8.5 (e)

39

Witconol NP100

Nonyl Phenol (10 EO) Ethoxylate

Nonionic

Liquid

6.5 (f)

99

Witconol NP120

Nonyl Phenol (12 EO) Ethoxylate

Nonionic

Liquid

6.5 (f)

99

Witconate 93S

Isopropylamine Linear Dodecylbenzene Sulfonate

Anionic

Liquid

4.5 (g)

93

Amadol 1017

Modified Alkanolamide

Nonionic

Liquid

9.5 (a)

99

Witconate 605A

Calcium Alkylaryl Sulfonate

Anionic

Organic liquid

6 (h)

60

AG 6202

Alkyl glucoside

Nonionic

Aqueous liquid/paste

7 (i)

65

AG 6206

Alkyl glucoside

Nonionic

Aqueous liquid

7 (j)

75

AG 6210

Alkyl glucoside

Nonionic

Aqueous solution

61

(a) 5% in 3:1 IPA/H20

(b) 5% in 1:1 2propanol:H20

(c ) Polymers as % total solids, surfactants as % actives

Products may be not be immediately available in all region Contact our local offices for more information.

6 (i)
(d) 5% aqueous solution

(e) 10% aqueous solution

(f) 1% in 62.5% IPA

AkzoNobel Surface Chemistry in the Oil Industry

29

General Information Typical Function


Product
Deflocculant

Fluid loss
Additive

Alcodrill HPDL




SW

Alcodrill HPDS
Alcodrill SPDL
Alcodrill SPDS
Alcoflow 300D
Narlex D72
VersaTL 3
VersaTL 4
VersaTL 70
VersaTL 130
VersaTL 501

VersaTL 502

Aquatreat DNM30

Aquatreat KM

Arquad S50

Armohib 209

Arquad 2.1070 HPF

Witcolate 1247 H

Witcolate 1259 FS

Witcolate 1276

Witconate 3203

Witconate AOK

Witconate AOS

Witconol NP100

Witconol NP120

Witconate 93S

Amadol 1017

Witconate 605A

AG 6202
AG 6206
AG 6210
(g) 20% aqueous solution

Rheoloogy Biocide
stabilizer

Corrosion Foamer Emulsifiers Lubricant


inhibitor

Dispersant/ Wetting Saltwater/ High temperature


detergent agent Freshwater stable




SW



FW Yes



FW Yes



SW Yes



SW Yes



SW Yes



SW Yes



SW Yes



SW Yes

SW Yes
SW Yes




SW/FW









SW/FW










SW/FW




SW/FW


SW/FW




SW




SW




FW




SW Yes




FW Yes




FW Yes





SW/FW





SW/FW





SW/FW







SW/FW




SW/FW





SW




SW




SW

(h) 5% in 75%IPA

(i) 1% in water

(j) 2% in water

AkzoNobel Surface Chemistry in the Oil Industry

30

USA
Head Office
AkzoNobel Surface Chemistry LLC
525 West Van Buren Street
Chicago, IL 60607-3835, USA
Telephone: +1 312 544 7000
Fax: +1 312 544 7320
Customer Service
Telephone: +1 800 906 9977
Technical Service
AkzoNobel Surface Chemistry LLC
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Brewster, NY 10509
Telephone: +1 845 276 8200
Fax: +1 845-277-1423
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AkzoNobel Chemicals Ltd
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Mississauga, Ontario, L5B M2
Telephone: +1 905 273 5959
Fax: +1 905 273 7339
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AkzoNobel Surface Chemistry LLC
Rodovia Akzo Nobel 707
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de Mexico
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Fax: +52 (55) 5858 0703
Products mentioned may not be available in
all countries. AG, Alcoclear, Alcodrill,
Alcoflow, Amadol, Armac, Armeen,
Armohib, Arquad, Berol, Duomeen,
Ethoduomeen, Ethomeen, Ethoquad,
Ethylan, Floc aid, Narlex, Nsight,
Petro, Versa-TL, Witbreak, Witcolate,
Witcomul, Witconate, Witconic and
Witconol are registered trademarks in the
USA.
2011 AkzoNobel Surface Chemistry LLC,
all rights reserved

www.akzonobel.com/surface
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reserved.Tomorrows Answers Today is a
trademark of AkzoNobel N.V.

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